Dining with the Pair: Davvero

You know those days when you just feel like being outside and enjoying the sunshine, but you also don't want to get burnt alive when you leave the house? Yesterday was one of them. Trying to decide on a place to eat in this intense Australian summer can be absolutely difficult. Finally we decided to try a local Italian cafe, Davvero. Located in the outer courtyard of Floreat Forum shopping centre, Davvero is a bright, open and simply beautiful cafe. It echoes the ambience of a European summer, with whitewashed furniture, and various gifts, truffle oils etc. available to purchase at the front.

We were so hungry that we decided to skip entrees, and just head straight for the pasta dishes. Definitely satisfied our pasta cravings! And they were brought out very quickly. Bonus!

Spaghetti neri allo scoglio 

This was their homemade black spaghetti with seafood. It was well cooked, and the seafood was delicious. Portion size was a little smaller than most places, but still substantial. The seafood was fresh and tasty, and the spaghetti had a mild flavour. It was a nice dish, however, I felt that it lacked a little... flavour? I'm not entirely sure what it was missing, but while it was a great dish, it certainly wasn't amazing.

Chicche - potato gnocchi

The gnocchi was also homemade, and was served with zucchini and smoked scarmorza cheese. All up, the dish had a very mild taste to it. The gnocchi had a more sticky, mochi-like consistency, which I tend not to prefer with my gnocchi. I like it when it is more light and fluffy, although in all honesty I am clueless with what is the more authentic style. This dish was nice, but a little too bland for my liking.

Though we were not all that impressed with our mains, we decided to give dessert a go, because we love our sweets! We were so glad we did, because the desserts certainly managed to impress us!

Pannacotta with raspberry and white chocolate 

We originally had ordered the chocolate parfait, however they weren't available that day. Instead, they made this pannacotta with white chocolate and raspberry sauce. This was such a surprisingly dense, creamy and rich pannacotta. It almost was too rich by the end! I especially like the cute little lovehearts on this one.

Semifreddo alla pesca 

This was deliciously refreshing. Peach semifreddo served on a biscuit that was puffed brown rice and chocolate wafer. It was so nice to eat in the warm weather! Again, the semifreddo was much creamier than I expected. I am a huge fan of anything creamy, so I was very happy with this.

All in all, Daverro is a great place to go if you want to enjoy the sunshine, and have a conversation with something in a serene and pretty environment. I would highly recommend the place for tea and a dessert! The staff are all extremely friendly, and are good conversationalists. I think I would like to try it again, perhaps for dinner so I can sit in the beautiful outdoor area.

Sara

Davvero Caffé E Cucina

Monday - Tuesday (7:30am - 3:30pm)

Wednesday - Saturday (7:30am - 10:30pm)

Sunday (8:30am - 3:30pm)

882 Beaufort St, Inglewood

http://www.davvero.com.au

Dining with the Pair: Kuza

There weren't a whole lot of places open on New Years Day, so when we came across Kuza in Vic Park, we thought we'd give it a go. It has a very modern and more upmarket interior, with a monochrome colour scheme and a feature wall filled with various Japanese wines and sake bottles.

The menu is quite expansive, with plenty of choice for sashimi, sushi rolls, entrees, and even lunch sets.

Our drink:

Iced rose tea

We ordered drinks first while perusing the menu, and the drink that caught our eye was this amazing iced rose tea with lychee, strawberries and mint. This was a most refreshing and tasty iced tea, especially given the high temperature that day. The tea flavour itself was very mild, but the rose and lychee was a really lovely combination. It was sweet without being sickly and the fruit added great flavours to the drink. I absolutely love rose flavoured anything, so this was definitely a winner for myself.


Our food:

Seafood pancake

Our first entree to arrive was this modern take on the お好み焼き(okonomiyaki), or Japanese seafood pancake. This particular version was quite nice, though the seafood flavour was not that strong, and the overall consistency was not as thick and doughy as the traditional ones. Other than that, it was still a nice start to our meal.

Fried crumbed oysters

This was a really interesting dish. Fried oysters covered with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), and served with a potato and mayonnaise sauce. I personally found the crumbed exterior to be too overpowering for the oysters, however, the dipping sauce was the most delicious surprise! It tasted like a very gourmet potato salad, and was well flavoured and complemented the oysters really well. It was definitely one of my favourite touches from this place.

Crab croquettes

The crab croquettes were quite nice, but very potato heavy with barely any crab, or at least crab that could be tasted. It came with a very nice topping of mushrooms, which was cooked well.

Miso eggplant

This is one of my favourite dishes to order at Japanese restaurants! The one I like the most so far is at Satsuki, and while this one was definitely one of the better entrees, it just doesn't quite compare. Still tasty though, so I can't complain!

On to the mains! I simply had to get the うなぎ (unagi = eel) lunch set. Anything that comes in a set is always fine by me. Possibly one of the many reasons I am always travelling to Japan. The cutest touch to this set was that the 卵(egg) was branded with the restaurant's name!

Serena decided to try one their ramen. She went with the original ramen with pork. The main thing is that it came with a soft boiled egg, which not enough ramen dishes seem to come with! Other than that, the broth was quite tasty and the pork well cooked.

Overall:

The place was quite nice, and prices were pretty average, contrary to my initial impression. The dishes all came out in a timely manner, and overall it was a pleasant meal. Probably not one of my top choices for Japanese, however it was great to try a new place!

Sara

The 2015 advent calendar list (and ones you can get in Australia)

Hello lovelies,

It is finally December, which means we can finally put those textbooks aside and focus on getting ready for the festive season. A must have item for Christmas is an advent calendar because not only is it a fun way to count down to the big day but who needs an excuse to get a little treat every day? I've compiled my ultimate advent calendar list for everyone who hasn't gotten one yet, it's not too late!

The beauty advent calendars 

These usually are quite rare in Australia but this year I've noticed a lot more beauty calendars popping up in Australian stores though at slightly higher prices.

Benefit Big 12 Party Poppers ($78, valued at $93)

This calendar is the perfect treat for make up lovers, with 12 days of sample sized Benefit products including favourites such as they're real! mascara, lollitint lip and cheek tint and POREfessional pore minimiser. It also plays an original 'Bene-song'  jingle when you open it but beware it is also light sensitive so when you open the curtains in the morning don't get scared when it suddenly starts singing!


Myer beauty box ($160)

I was so excited to see Myer offering this beauty box because I think it's one of the first major Australian department stores to do so. Although, it's on the pricier side it does contain make up and skincare products from brands like YSL, Lancôme, Giorgio Armani and Kiehls as well as a few mini perfume bottles. They only have 2000 of these for the whole of Australia so I would order one as soon as possible.


Loccitane advent calendar ($70)

A more reasonably priced beauty calendar with 17 beauty products, the majority of which are foot/hand creams but also including oils and eau du toilettes. It also has 7 Provençal gifts, which are miscellaneous items like gift tags and stickers. Although I like the price of this calendar, I think I would have preferred it to contain all Loccitane products instead of the little crafty bits and pieces.


Body shop advent calendar (Standard: $129, Deluxe: $199)

Deluxe version

There are two versions of this calendar: standard or deluxe. The difference between the standard (green) and the deluxe (red) version is mainly that the deluxe calendar is much bigger in size because it contains more larger/full sized products and a few more make up products instead of skincare. The green one seems to be selling out very quickly probably because of the cheaper price. I recommend looking at the contents list on the body shop website if you don't mind the spoilers as the calendars do contain different products from each other.


12 days of Lush ($99.95)

Completely vegan with a decent haul of bath bombs, body lotions and bubble bars in popular festive scents plus two exclusive Oxford St shower creams, this is the perfect way to make the lead up to Christmas more relaxing.

Charlotte Tilbury Book of Magic

With a mix of 12 sample and full sized beauty products and featuring the new Magic Night Cream, exclusive to the advent calendar, this one is a firm favourite with make up gurus.

Adore beauty advent calendar ($199, valued at $369)

This calendar has 24 deluxe mini products from a variety of popular brands such as Benefit, Essie, Lancôme, La Roche-Posay, philosophy, SK-II and St Tropez. It's similar to the Myer Beauty box but has more types of products (nail polish, primers, moisturisers, body oils...). Note: there's free shipping to Australia :)

Chocolate advent calendars

Moo free advent calendar (Prices online are quite expensive but I got mine from Target for only $5, what a bargain!)

Organic, dairy free, gluten free, soya free and vegan. What I love about this calendar is that it contains tasty dark chocolate and doesn't give me that intense sugar rush I get after eating the chocolates from those generic grocery store advent calendars.


Lindt advent calendar ($25)
Contains classic Lindt milk and dark chocolate truffles. I cannot find an image on the Internet of this but it's white and gold and I've seen these in David Jones and Myers.


Hotel Chocolat- Advent Calendar for Two

I absolutely love this calendar because behind each window is two baby truffles so both you and a friend get a fancy chocolate at the same time. Each truffle is uniquely flavoured including Pecan Gingerbread, Cinnamon Praline and Salted Caramel Cream. They also have normal advent calendars which comes in white, milk or dark chocolate which is perfect for those with a preference to a certain type, which can be harder to find in the grocery store.

I hope this helps you score some last minute advent calendars especially to my fellow Australians where it requires some research. The calendars I've listed are still available as I'm writing this but as expected they are are disappearing off the shelves fast so go, go, go! Are there any that I'm missing from this list? If so please spread the Christmas cheer by mentioning it in the comments section below ;)

Serena

Dining with the Pair: Kailis Bros

It was a grey and rainy day, but we decided nothing could stop us from getting our seafood fix. This was our first time dining at Kailis Bros for lunch, and it proved to be just as good as we had expected.

There's the fish market on one side, with plenty of fresh fish and seafood on display for purchase. And then on the other side is the restaurant, a great balance of homely and formal, with ample space between tables. The staff were all very friendly and were quick to provide an activity sheet for our little guest.

Our food:

To start off with I ordered a variety of oysters! There were the natural oysters, which were fresh and tasty with a squeeze of lemon, the kilpatrick and my personal favourite (and quite the novelty) a tempura version with wasabi mayo. It was so light and crunchy, without that heavy batter taste and just tasted absolutely delicious.

For my main I went with a fish pie which was so large! But it was so tasty, I still managed to finish it all. The pastry was light and flaky, and the inside was a creamy fish stew with potatoes and other vegetables. Definitely worth a try!

Overall:

A great place to go if you want a nice atmosphere to chat in. The specials menu is really interesting and the dishes are a little more unique than the standard menu, which is always a nice change.

Happy eating!

Sara

Sugar and Nice

Monday - Sunday (7am - 11pm)

101 Oxford St, Leederville

http://www.kailisbrosleederville.com.aua

Sasa Beauty Buys

I finally decided to try buying online from Sasa.com. I'd been wanting to try for a while, but never really needed to. I figured seeing as I was running out of a few products, I'd give it a go!

In terms of the site itself, Sasa has a huge variety of products and stock many Asian brands that can be difficult to find, even online! There is free standard shipping available if your purchase is over $100, and I was pleasantly surprised that even with standard shipping it only took just under two weeks for my package to arrive.

The goods:

Charcoal toothpaste, Innisfree BB Cream, Suisse Night Cream, Marjolica Marjorca Lash King Mascara.

I've always been curious about charcoal toothpaste, so I figured this would be a great time to give it go. Apparently it's meant to be more whitening than normal toothpaste. So far I'm liking this product, but I will certainly go into a more in-depth review when I've used it for a longer period.

This was actually a free sample added into my order. I'm always up for trying out new brands and products, and I've never tried anything from this brand yet, so I'm curious to see how it turns out.

For the past two years, I have been religiously using the Etude House BB cream, which I still really like using. However, in the spirit of trying new products, I decided to try a different brand. I've heard from friends and family that Innisfree is a great natural brand that is of good quality. I'm always a little concerned about matching my skin tone when buying online, but hopefully this turns out well.

Probably my favourite Japanese drugstore brand, Marjolica Marjorca was also one of the first makeup brands I ever used when I first started using makeup. The products are always affordable and of good quality. It's been quite a few years since I last used a mascara from them, and I'd been reading about this newest formula in their range. Apparently, this Lash King is supposed to be both lengthening and volumising!

On my most recent trip to Japan, I became absolutely obsessed with collagen drinks, and got into the habit of buying one every morning to have with breakfast. Unfortunately, here in Australia, buying collagen drinks is impossible, so when I found out about this collagen and hyaluron powder, I had to buy it. It is a little pricey, at $60 for this can, however you only need one spoonful of it per drink, so it should last a while. Now I can still have my collagen drink every day!

All in all, I've been very happy with the service from Sasa, and am super happy with all my products so far! I'll definitely be posting up more detailed reviews of the products, because I really like them all so far.

Looking forward to my next SaSa shopping spree!

Sara

Dining with the Pair: Sugar and Nice, Inglewood

Sugar and nice is a sugar lover's paradise. If you're needing a bit of a sugar kick, this bakery has got lots of baked goodies and an interesting selection of vintage trinkets to peruse in while your food is getting ready. Glass jars filled with childhood favourites like fruit loops and sherbet cones mixed with the accompanying scent of sugar in the air were enough to get me feeling like a kid in a candy store. So when I saw the crowded counter topped with cupcakes, cookies and brownies (oh my!),  my excitement level had peaked. Despite the small seating area, we managed to get a table straight away, giving me some time to snap some photos and deliberate some more over what I should try from the cabinet next time. Apologies for the lower quality photos, the place was quite dimly lit and it was getting dark outside but hopefully you get the idea :)

Our drinks:

Chai latte

Milky and topped with cinnamon sugar (how could they not?). The chai flavour could've been a bit stronger as after eating all our sweet treats I needed something to balance out the sweetness. Intrigued by the pretty pink liquid, Sara ordered the rose lemonade (on the drink shelf in the first photo) and although I'm personally not a fan of carbonated drinks I did try a few sips. The rose flavour was strong and I can imagine this would make the perfect summer picnic drink. While we were trying our drinks, the man on the table next to us asked if he could use our sugar pot for his coffee so perhaps there needs to be some sugar packets or pots available on every table?

Our food:

Cookie dough cronut

Coated in a icing glaze, white chocolate drizzle, a sphere of egg free cookie dough then finished with a sprinkle of crunchy granulated sugar on top; this cronut was definitely more exciting then the usual filled ones. The inside revealed lots of golden flaky layers and a surprise lighter cookie dough flavoured mousse which helped to emphasise the flavour in every bite. There were lots of different components but they all worked together without being overwhelmingly sweet.

Raspberry and white chocolate blondie

A good sized slab of buttery, crumbly goodness with bursts of chewy dried cranberries and a slight saltiness from the pistachios, this was a blondie done right. Blondies tend to err on the too sweet side since they are made from white chocolate especially when there's dried fruit involved but this blondie had a great balance between salty and sweet.

Overall

A great tea time place with a large selection of tempting treats. My only suggestion would be to have a drink menu on display so people are aware of prices and what's on offer before they reach the counter. Also a glass of water would have been nice to accompany the food just to wash down the sweetness a bit. Other than that this place is worth a visit to try their creative cronut flavours, I guarantee your sweet tooth craving will most definitely be satisfied!

Dishes for the next visit: Mac and cheese (my all time favourite!),  the cookies and cream slice and the milo and fruit loops cronut 

Notes

~ Small breakfast/brunch/dessert options but mostly cabinet food

~ Vegan, nut and dairy free options available

Serena

Sugar and Nice

Monday - Friday (7am - 5pm)

Sunday (8am - 5pm)

882 Beaufort St, Inglewood

https://www.facebook.com/sugarandnice882

5 Things To Make Your Commute Bearable

The mere thought of the journey to work via public transport can make your morning dreary. But there are ways of making the commute a pleasant experience!

1. Music: Listening to the right playlists can set your mood for the day. Feeling tired? Listen to upbeat, energetic music to keep your spirits up. 
2. Headphones: Investing in a good quality pair of headphones will help distract you from the mundane travel.
3. Reading material: This is the best time to catch up on your reading! Whether it's just getting lost in the world of fiction, or learning new things, bringing a book or magazine will help to pass the time.
4. Coat, scarf and/or gloves: Now that it's winter, using public transport can be super cold, especially when waiting for buses and trains. Ensure you're layering up against the wind!
5. Umbrella: You never know when it's going to rain, and walking in it is certainly not fun at all!

These five essentials will help to make that daily commute a little bit easier and make it feel like it's going faster. Hopefully it makes your day brighter too!

Sara