Black Canyon Coffee, Tunjungan Plaza, Surabaya, Indonesia

A coffee franchise originating from Thailand made from 100% imported beans with true Arabica beans growing locally in their own country. With a motto, A drink from paradise... Available on Earth, was simply influenced by the quote, The best coffee is as black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, and as sweet as love!

'Cappuccino' (IDR38k = ~AUD$3.8) had a Bear latte art served with a side of savoury biscuits. All coffees being made generally depends on two things for me, one is the coffee beans itself and how they were brewed, and the second is the barista, the person making the coffee. Good coffee beans with a not so good barista can make your coffee very liquidy.. This time round, the coffee itself was quite strong which was a nice relaxation time for the both of us instead of having to continuously walk around the mall.

'Cookies n Cream Frappe' (IDR42k = ~AUD$4.2) has no coffee in it but if you would like some coffee with the frappe, just simply tell the person at the counter. The cookies and cream was not bad, though it seemed like they may have needed to add more cookies inside or maybe even chunks of Oreo cookies. Whipped cream is something I'm not a big fan of (the opposite of my Mr. of course, he just loves them!), so I told them while ordering that only a little will do.

Cruisers Cafe Bar and Grill, Portside Wharf, Hamilton, Brisbane

Cruisers Cafe, Bar and Grill is a family owned and run business committed to deliver great food with excellent value. Located in Portside Wharf, it surrounds itself with the bubbly environment as well as free parking is also available which is great. Though it does not have the waterfront view but this should not direct you away from the restaurant as it is a place where you can have a family dinner, dates or even catch ups at. I have been to Portside Wharf many times before but have not dined at Cruisers before hence when given the opportunity to try their food and dine there, I thought why not?

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Scuzi Caffe, Westfield Chermside, Brisbane

Having brunch or breakfast in Scuzi may be a good place to go to if you are up for cafe food and somewhere easy and nearby. There are a wide range of options to choose from but then, some may be a better choice and worth than others. We weren't too hungry hence why we ended up just buying a light meal while we chatted away.

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Brunetti, Lygon St, Carlton, Melbourne

Brunetti was on one of the places to go to for desserts or sweets on my list when we went to Melbourne. Since we were having dinner at Lygon St, we decided to go and find Brunetti. What we did not realise was that the queue and how packed it was. I had to wait for a while until the crowd had died down to even take a photo. Since Brunetti has relocated from its previous venue, it is now at least about three times the size they were before. Having a huge bar to serve customers coffee, tea and other sorts of beverages, it is a order-at-counter but then you do have to take it yourself when it's ready. Serving a wide range of cakes, pastries, savouries and more, it is sure to fit with any tastebuds.

Plenty of seating available however it can get over crowded sometimes and you may get a seat at the corner without any view.

We both were quite full after having dinner at Lygon St, but we just had to make some tummy space for dessert. We ordered a 'Flat White' and a 'Cappuccino' and waited as our cakes arrived. 

'Sfogliatella' is a baked flakey pastry with sweet ricotta cheese and citrus.

Simply look at its many layers, the Sfogliatella is a unique, petite pastry dish you should not miss out on.

'Hazelnut and Coffee Torte' ($7.6) is an elegant yet unique cake consisting of a flourless hazelnut sponge layered with a mocha mousse dusted with icing sugar.

Although it did say it had a Hazelnut sponge in between the mocha mousse, it had also some sort of flaky pastry amongst it as you are able to hear the crack and also trying to slice or fork a bit was quite hard and not as easy as you would on a normal sponge cake. The mocha mousse was the highlight of the dish, it was not too sweet but it was rather just right. The Hazelnut sponge allowed the whole cake to have the balance between sweetness, density and also fluffiness. It was a great combination in having a Hazelnut sponge and mocha mousse, of course if you wanted it more simple, you could've opter for a vanilla custard or just simply cream in between but by having that mocha mousse allowed the dish to be taken to the next level.

This reminded me of Mille Feuille but not having a vanilla base or a simple thin puff pastry in between and to hold it altogether. Having the hazelnut sponge cake and the mocha mousse created an elegant dish as well as giving you a different taste rather than the traditional Vanilla Slice.

If you aren't up for either cakes or any sweet nibbles, there is a Gelati section at the end of the strip as well as some savoury items on the menu.

Springbrook Cafe and Bar, Springbrook, Queensland

The Springbrook Cafe and Bar is located in Springbrook at the Springbrook General Store and Cafe. A humble setting but the general store has your grocery essentials if you need to grab some things as well as a cafe offering your a variety of burgers, mixed deep fried food as well as fish and chips an so on. Oh, and did I mention they also have a bar? If you aren't sure of where to go and grab a bite to eat while you visit Springbrook National Park, then have a try here especially if you like burgers and fried food.

'Mountains Best Burger' ($15) is the whole deal if you love your burgers and want the whole shaa-zang in one bite. All burgers are served with chips too which is great. Home made beef patty, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, carrot, cheese, onion, egg, bacon and pineapple on a toasted buttered bun.. Really? All of that? Yes! Though it was too big for me to hold and even take a bite out of it fully, I did manage to take a number of bites to be able to get all of the elements in.

The chips were fried nicely and was not too oily nor salty which is just perfect. As for the burger, it was quite tall I have to say and it does get messy while eating. But remember that delicious food will always leave you messy and with sauce on your lips so don't worry too much. The buttered bun was toasted lightly and having the butter on the bun didn't seem to have much of an effect on the burger since it had a lot going on already.

As you can see, even the burger on the plate seems already a heavy little thang but imagine how will you be able to pick it up nicely and try and bite it without having those elements spill out. Remember to pair it with a nice cold beer on the side to give you the whole meal deal.

The home made patty was juicy and quite thick and by combining your typical bacon, egg and various salads such as lettuce, tomato, beetroot and carrot, you kind of feel healthy in a way eating a burger that has a salad in it but then, yes... it does have bacon and cheese. But who can say no to bacon and cheese? You can see the amount of carrots, onion and so on carefully placed into the burger. Even your local burger store may not be as neat in preparing and serving burgers on your table.

'Steak Burger' ($12.50) is a simple but yet delicious burger alternative to have if you like a meat fillet more rather than a meat patty in your buns. Steak, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon and cheese on a toasted buttered bun served with chips. Although it is smaller in size than the previous burger, but it has the same size bun so it's just the fillings that's different. The toasted burger bun allowed the burger to have a slight crispyness allowing you to have that slight crunch when you bite through it.

When eating a burger, remember to squeeze it with two hands and if you are planning on sharing, just grab a steak knife and cut it in half right through the middle. What seemed to be missing may have been bbq sauce for some reason, although I love mayonnaise and it was a nice dressing for the steak burger but I feel that by having mayo, it does take the steak burger down a level being a subtle burger.

Le Bon Choix, Westfield Garden City, Brisbane

It's nice to have Le Bon Choix in Westfield as it saves time for you to go down to the CBD or my usual spot at the Ascot branch. But when you're just in the mall walking and would like to have coffee and cake somewhere, sometimes you just don't feel like the usual cafes available. What I love about Le Bon Choix would definitely be their cakes as well as their breads, as for their coffee, they are okay but it just depends on who is behind the machine making it for you as sometimes it can be good and not so-good. However, this time, wanting to try their Ice Chocolate and it turned out to be the worst decision...

Flat White

Ice Chocolate - definitely won't be ordering again

Having always ordered coffees, I decided to order an Ice Chocolate this time. Unfortunately, it was a bad idea and I should've probably stayed with my usual coffee. Imagining a dollop of ice cream floating on top of a creamy, milky chocolatey drink did not happen. Instead, what came out was a very watery, filled with ice and what seemed to be cocoa powder/chocolate syrup at the bottom of the tumbler and not so milky. It basically looks like someone has just (in order) poured chocolate syrup, abit of milk, lots of water and then top it all off with a big spoonful of ice. To be harshly honest, it was quite gross. It's not like drinking milo with water or milo with milk as they are quite good either way and even if it was better with milk, this was just way off. The taste of the chocolate was just ruined by the amount of water and ice cubes. The amount of milk was just not there.. you couldn't even taste the milk. Imagine drinking milk and water.. and hints of chocolate here and there. An ice chocolate is a real drink, although it's not supposed to be like a milkshake or it may not always have your whipped cream on top or yes, it may have a few ice cubes. But, this was just out of the picture. Although you try and mix the chocolate syrup inside, the ratio of the water and ice cubes basically overpowered the whole drink which makes the drink not creamy or even milky at all. Just ruined it. It was just super duper liquidy and on top of that, it's already full of water, they decided to top it up more with ice cubes. So, what I received was definitely not an Ice Chocolate.

And no, I did not finish the drink.

Apologies for the rant.. It just made me so annoyed as I have always loved eating and having their coffees even if in some of the branches, some people serving you may not always be the friendliest, but this just ruined my experience for me.

Seriously, for Le Bon Choix? I did not expect that at all for quality and presentation. Even the waiter that brought us our drinks spilled some of the flat white onto the saucer and on the table in which we had to be the ones wiping the mess as she just walked off.

'Almond Croissant' ($3.9) has always been one of the best Almond croissants whether it is toasted or not. The almond meal is perfect and having the icing sugar giving it that pretty touch as well as the almond pieces on top. Do grab one or a few when you're here, will not disappoint at all.

'Clio' ($7.8) a rich, smooth and punchy blackforest cheesecake. There is a unique way of layering in this slice having the cheesecake in the middle being sandwiched between two chocolate dense sponge cake. You are also able to see the chocolate thin pieces in the cheesecake as well as cherry. On top of that seems to be a layer of cherry jelly as well as square cuts of white chocolate pieces. An exquisite dish if you are a fan of cherry and chocolate as well as blackforest cakes.

Scuzi Caffe, Westfield Chermside, Brisbane

Scuzi is a cafe situated inside the newer area of Westfield Chermside. This place has been changed numerous times but Scuzi seems to have maybe lasted the longest so far. It offers your traditional brekky, your typical tavern and also bistro-like lunch dishes and they also offer coffee and desserts too if you just want to have a nibble or a drink somewhere nice with a breeze. Since they have both outdoor and indoor seatings, I quite liked the food I've ordered and the environment too.

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The Quarter, Degraves St, Melbourne CBD, Melbourne

If you ever stumble upon Degraves St in Melbourne CBD, I would recommend you to walk through it, find a suitable or eye-catching place and dine there whether it may be for breakfast, lunch, dessert or even just coffee and cake. Degraves St is a must visit definitely, with its European style laneways, a variety of coffee shops and as you walk through it, the smell of the aroma from coffee beans is just what make Melbourne, Melbourne. Alfresco setting, warm interiors, it just simply reminded me of those little European cafes even their lamps and seats reminded me of them.

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Indimex Cafe Bar Restaurant, Greenslopes, Brisbane

IndiMex located at the Stones Corner strip at Greenslopes whips up a Funky Indian with a Mexican Twist cuisine. Although to be honest, both of these cuisines aren't my favourite, nor are they the cuisines I would opt to visit in an instant or are the ones at the top of my list. I don't mind it, I just usually prefer the other cuisines more. When I first heard the fusion of Indian and Mexican together, I thought how is that possible? Spicy food isn't my thing either although my asian background, but thinking about the mixture of both cuisines did get me intrigued of what was offered. Imagine Chicken Tikka Caesar.. Chimichanga served with Biryani rice... Tandoori Chicken Burger.. Bombay Oyster Kilpatricks... and more.

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Bavarian Bier Cafe, Eagle Street Pier, Brisbane CBD

I would have to say that Bavarian Bier does a kick in serving classic German dishes, big portions, beers ranging from 300ml - 1 litre, fabulous views, the Story Bridge lighting up at night as a backdrop, fresh air, comfortable seatings may it be at the bar or a more booth feeling or maybe a date night, whatever it is, just remember to come in with a not-so-full tummy since I assure you, by the time you leave, your tummy will be filled right to satisfaction. Located above Grill'd, opposite Pony and next to Sake, it definitely had its spot with occupying a very big space in the upper level of the precinct.

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