Footscray Milking Station

I'm so excited that there are more  brunch options emerging in the inner west of Melbourne. This means I can enjoy more of  my favourite weekend meal without having to commute far.

Footscray milking station was recommended by a dear friend of my and fellow blogger Svv. Location is just off one of the main roads in Footscray, not hard to find once put into the GPS. Apparently the place used to be a corner milk bar hence the name of the milking station.

Exterior

It was busy when I visited on Sunday with a few girlfriends. The place is small and cosy, not the most suited for large crowds. There is a outdoor area in front of the cafe, which would be nice for the warmer weather.

Display counter

Dining area

For starters, we ordered coffees which was reasonably priced. I ordered a mocha ($3.80), which is not my usual choice of coffee but I was surprised at how creamy and chocolatey it was (but this did not overpower the coffee), yum!

Yummy mocha

For mains, I was recommended the baked eggs by svv but given I had sneakily snacked pre brunch, I was not too hungry and opted for the baked beans with sourdough instead. The texture of the sourdough toast was crunchy, just the way I liked it, along with the soft melted butter. The cannelloni beans had a nice sweetness of flavor, however, it was slightly on the dry side as I found myself having to constantly reach for a drink of water.

Baked beans with toast ($11)

The other dishes which my friends ordered were

Sago porridge with coconut milk and papaya. This dish did not seem to excite my friend as she found the coconut milk rather overpowering and struggled to finish it.

Sago porridge with papaya ($9)

FMS breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash and toast. Again, a slightly disappointing dish as there were no real standout. The hash however, does deserve a mention for its delicious crunch.

FMS breakfast ($14)

Corn cake with guacamole, bacon and tomato relish. This was probably the winning dish amongst all- The combination of the light guacamole, bacon and sweet relish really complimented one another.

Corn cakes with guacamole, bacon and relish ($16)

There are also a good selection of rolls and paninis for lunch options as well as on display for take away. I have read some good reviews on the cafe's famous pull pork rolls which I will have to return to try next time.

Panini selections

Overall, a good local  find (however, I still enjoyed the Reading Room cafe more) that I will be adding to my list of places to revisit.

Footscray Milking Station
35 Bunbury Street
Foostscray

Yum: 6.5/10
Service: 7/10
Value: 7/10



Miss Scribble

Morington Peninsula Hot Spring

Last weekend was the Queens birthday long weekend, sadly enough this was the last public holiday we will be having for a few months until November. So, of course I wanted to take advantage of this and what a better to do this than to go on a relaxing day trip. M and I decided to head down to the Mornington Peninsula as it is not a far drive from the CBD.

Morington Pennisula

One downside to winter, is the restriction of being able to do some activities which we could have in the warmer months such as strawberry picking at Sunny Ridge or taking a stroll at one of the Mornington beaches. However, one place which is perfect to visit in winter is the Morning Pennisula hot springs.

Hotsprings

Having visited the hot springs before, I knew that it is a very popular destination and the place can get quite crowded. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find a long queue when we arrived. We were told that the springs was at its full capacity (apparently this is at 300 people) and were not allowed in without an advanced booking. We were advised that we could wait for people to leave but there was no guaranteed entry. Feeling disappointed and really wanting to be in the hot pools on a blistering cold winter's day, we decided to try our luck waiting.

Luckily, our wait was only around 20 minutes. My tip would be always book advance online (it is simple and quick to do), especially on weekends and public holidays.

Hand made soap

I did not take many photos of inside the hot springs given it was a public area and the inconvenience of bringing my phone. So, here are some photos which I sourced from their website.

Public bath area

Bath at night

The hotsprings its self is split into a public and private bath area. The public area is the more popular and affordable option. Admission price to the public bath depends on the time of day and week you visit. Friday to Monday is considered peak ($35) and non peak is Tuesday to Thursday ($30). If you are an early bird or want to try the twilight session (after 7pm), there is also discounted entry prices (usually around $10 - $15 cheaper). I would advise visiting during those non peak hours if you wanted to avoid the people traffic.

View from the Hill top bath

All the pools in the public baths are all outdoors varying in temperatures, ranging from a comfortable 36  degrees all the way to 42 degrees (if you can bear the heat). The springs are all natural with each pool filled with thermal mineral waters, which is supposedly good for you. The pools are cleverly designed in that it ascends up a hill with the hottest pool (42 degrees)- hill top pool on top and trust me, the view from there is unbelievable.. We spent the longest time up in this pool, admiring the amazing view before the heat become a little too unbearable.

Reflexology path

Turkish sauna

Besides from bathing, the Peninsula hot springs also have on offer different spa and pampering packages, which can always make a gift idea! There is also a cafe/ kiosk on site if you wanted to replenish your appetite after a long hard day of relaxation ;)

M and I both felt extremely relaxed and rejuvenated after spending the afternoon at the springs, just what we need for a pick me up before heading back to reality. Do pay the springs a visit next time you are around the area!

Miss Scribble

The Reading Room Cafe

Being a loyal brunch fan (who can never turn down a good weekend brunch session),  I was delighted when a friend told me about a cafe which has opened up not too far from me.

It is called The Reading Room Cafe and is unusually located in Victoria University Footscray campus. The cafe serves as a normal uni cafe for students  during the week and come the weekend, it is transformed into a brunch affair.

I actually ended up visiting this cafe twice in a row this weekend (out of coincidence, catching up with different friends). The cafe is slightly difficult to locate as it is hidden within the university itself, so make sure you use directions from the handy map on the cafe's website before heading down.

Outside seating area

The cafe is small and cosy in size, with an inside and outside seating area.  The decor is quite simple, but like most brunch places, it has its own quirks. They have cute little cases used to hold cutlery and napkins.

Cute cutlery holder

The menu is simple with a good variety of breakfast and lunch options to choose from. I found that the dishes are really reasonable priced compared to most brunch places. Most dishes are all less than $15. One other plus was the price of their coffee- all coffees are the same price! At $3.3, no extras are charged for non standard choices such as chai or mocha.

Mocha

Lattes: Original and Chai

I ordered the sweetcorn, pumpkin and coriander fritters dish (think this dish has become my favourite and one that I will not be easily sick of). The servings are generous, with 3 big fritters, poached eggs, avocado and tomato chutney. The fritters are light and fluffy, with a crisp coating which is not at all oily.

Fritter's Lane- $14.50

The other dish which my friend ordered was the BFG- brioche french toast, crispy bacon, candied Walnuts with Maple Syrup. Again, servings are very generous with 2 large slices of toast accompanied by slices of bacon. The toast was soaked well in sweet maple syrup and the texture of sweet candied walnuts was delightful and balanced the savoriness of the bacon. My friend, a lover of french toasts commented that she would have preferred the toast to be more crisp, but none the less she was still happy with the dish.

The BFG- $14.50

The service was friendly and waiters attentive and helpful, not hesitating to give us recommendations and specials of the day.

Opening promotion- 2 for 1 yay!

I'm glad to have discovered this local gem and will sure be back to visit again soon. Also, an interesting note to add is that the cafe also offers weekend high tea, reasonably priced at $25 for 2 people. Another reason for me to revisit! :)

Reading Room Cafe

8 Ballarat Rd Building P
Footscray, VIC 3011

Yum: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value: 8/10



Scribble you later
Miss Scribble

USA

Hi everyone!

Apologies! I've been lazy and neglected blogging for awhile (I blame on Melbourne's winter blues). I actually have a backlog of photos on my phone which I am hoping to upload and blog about shortly (if I get lazy, then you will be seeing a lot more photos than commentary hehe).

Anyways, today's blog is about my recent exciting news! I'm going to the USA!! I'm extremely exciteeed!! M and I finally booked tickets on Friday night and we snatched up a pretty decent deal! Being a bit of a bargain hunter myself, I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a good deal to LA. Two recommended websites which I have been using to monitor flights and would like to share with you are:

www.travel.com.au 
and
skyscanner.com.au

Both these sites are easy to navigate, just select your desired destination and dates and it will list a range of flight options available (I find that it includes all the major airlines) clearly outlining travel periods, duration and price. It allows you to easily select which flight suits your needs and make comparsions of your options.
 
The deal that we booked was an Air NZ flight to LA from Melbourne for just over $1200 per person for the travel period of October 2012. We were really happy with this as not only is the price really reasonable, but the flight time is not excessive (there's nothing worse than being on a plane for 24 hours). Total duration of this flight is 18 hours, only 3 hours longer than the direct route from Melbourne- LA with Qantas (Qantas is the only carrier which flies direct to LA) but of course at a more hefty price tag of almost $2,000. Good saving don't you think?

So where are we visit in the US? Being a first time US visitor, of course we will be visiting all the major tourist cities. First stop will be LA, then off to San Fransisco (where we are lucky to have M's uncle to show us around).

Golden Gate Bridge- San Fran

Famous Hollywood Sign- LA

Vegas is obviously also another not to be missed destination. Next will be quite interesting- Tennessee.. It is definitely not a city that is considered a tourist hot spot but the reason why we will be there is to visit my uncle and he has reassured me that is an amazing national park near by .

Sin city- Vegas

The White House- Washington DC

Time Square- New York

 Washington and NY are our last stops. I cannot wait for NYC!! All the feedback I've heard of NYC is that it is truly an amazing city and I cannot wait to see the city that never sleeps for my self!

I would love to hear any suggestions you may have of places to go and see in these cities :)

Till next time, thanks for reading

Miss Scribble

Papa Goose

Papa goose is a new edition in the 2013 entertainment book (which is currently out for sale) so we decided to try the place out. Having heard positive reviews from friends, I definitely had some expectations in my mind.

The restaurant is located on Flinders lane, in the CBD close to bars and other popular culinary hotspot like Chin Chin. Our booking was made at 7pm but upon our arrival, we were told that our booking had apparently by been cancelled. This caused a slight confusion as we had definitely not called to cancel our reservations.

from Papa Goose

Never the less, the confusion was sorted was we were seated on the lower ground, which is the more casual dining area. There are also a few private dining rooms towards the back of the restaurant as well as a bar and group dining spaces upstairs. I would advised to dine earlier as we found by 8pm, the ground floor was full and this made it increasingly difficult hear our conversations.

Lower ground seating

The menu is simple with 4 to 5 selections from each of the courses including starters (entree), mains, sides and desserts. There are also the option of share plates, which is similar to entrees but designed more for sharing. We opted for a share plate, entree and 2 main dishes. 

Complimentary bread with olive oil

Entree of the twice cooked quail with game terrine, watercress, pistachios and baby gherkins. I thought the quail was a little under cooked as there were still colours of pink in the meat. The flavors did not 'wow' me, but the pistachio purée was sweet and delightful. The baby gherkins was an odd element of the dish, the taste was over powering and didn't compliments the dish well.

Entree- twice cooked quail

For the share plate, we ordered the the rabbit croquette which was surprisingly nice. Haven't tasted rabbit very often, I must say the flavor reminded me of tuna, although without the fishiness. The tang of the mustard tartare sauce really brought out the flavours of the croquette.

Rabbit croquette

 Time for the mains, S ordered the roasted lamb with pumpkin, peas, dates and mint. This dish was actually upon my recommendation as I had read some reviews before dinner and the lamb was one dish that was consistently mentioned- where the tender meat was to fall off the bone. The lamb that S got was certainly not lamb off the bones. He found it rather tough and the blandness of the pea mint sauce did not impress him. I felt terrible for recommendation the dish- there must have been a recent change in menu.

S main- Roast lamb

My main of the pan roasted barramundi  braised with pine mushroom, caramelised onions with portobello puree was better compared to S dish. The fillet was well cooked with perfectly crisp skin, just the way I like it. Being a big lover of mushrooms, I was impressed with both the smooth puree and the juicy pine mushrooms.

My main- Roasted barramundi

S and I were both quite disappointed in the serving sizes of the dishes. We thought it could have definitely been more generous given the prices paid. Entrees are between $17-20, mains $35-$38, and desserts $15-$22.

On a positive note, I forgot to mention above that we were served complimentary seafood veloute before our entrees. It was served in the cutest little cup and the soup was creamy and delicious- I could have a whole bowl!

Complimentary seafood velute

Would I go back to Papa Goose? Probably not any time soon, but I would completely rule it out in the future.

 Papa Goose
91- 93 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000

Yum: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Value: 6.5/10



Till next time :)

Miss Scribble

The Perfect Winter Coat

Hi everyone,

Winter is just approaching the corner and it's time to get those warm winter coats out and ready.  I don't know about you but I love the idea of treating myself to a new coat each winter, but buying the perfect coat is not a quick decision to make.

There are many things to consider in the search for your winter's coat, here are some of the basics:

1. Style

You should select a style that suits you, whether it be sticking to a more conservative classic style which can become your "go to" winter essential item  ie. double breasted, pea coat, military, duffle or choosing a more stylish and "funkier" style such as a faux fur or a cape coat.

2. Fabric

It is also important to understand the differences in fabric when choosing your coat. Natural fibers including wool, cashmere are ideal to keep you warm for longer, but keep in mind that this will come with the higher price tags.

Man-made fibers includes polyester and viscose which are usually more affordable but may its disadvantages such as it may not be well heat insulators or may cause shrinkage when machine washed. Remember to always check the fabric description inside the coat before purchasing.


3. Colour

Coats may come in a range of different colours including the classic and more versatile colours which will go well with almost everything like grey, black and camel.

For those who want to add a splash of colour in winter, maybe opt for the more vibrant and bright shades such as red, mustard yellow or pinks.

4. Price

You should decide on the budget you want to spend and find a suitable coat to suit this.

Here are a few coats which I quite like from this winter's collection, suitable for all budgets. 

Forever New- Harriet belted military coat $149.99 AUD

(In grey)

Forever New- Lili double breasted coat $99.99 AUD (In red, cream, mustard, black and blue)

Forever New- Eva pea coat $99.99 AUD (In mustard, cream and blue)

Forecast- Gigi double breasted coat $109.95 AUD (In black, camel and red)

Country Road- Felted duffle coat $349 AUD (In black)

Portmans- Emma aline coat $229.95 AUD (In latte and blue)

Marcs- Mary Jane clean 60's coat $399 AUD (In pink)

Which is your favourite?

Stay warm!
Miss Scribble

Easter Adventures- Otways

Hi everyone!

Happy belated Easter! Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable long weekend.

It is not often that we are lucky enough to be able to have a long weekend, I spent mine catching up on lost sleep, eating almost every 2 hours of the day and enjoying the company of good friends. One of my favourite things to do is road triping, I just love getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoying the serenity of mother nature.

On Easter Sunday, some friends and I decided to drive down the Great Ocean Road for an adventure day out at the Otway National Park. The Otway is about 162km south west of Melbourne and the drive takes approximately 2.5 -3 hours. Thankflully for us, one of our friend was extremely organised (can you believe, he is a guy too?!) and devised an itinerary for the day.

Our first stop was a small town of Birregurra where we dropped by the local Sunday market, which is held on the first Sunday of every month. Although it was not large in size, it was filled with warm community spirit. Small stalls were set up in the local park selling a variety of things from local produce, handcrafted ornaments, decorations to books and games (however, the bf did comment that the games were little out dated). We even found the cutest ponies which can be rode for only $4 (for only a short distance of course). I couldn't pass up the opportunity and gave it a go- my pony was so cute and it even had bunny ears on for the Easter spirit.

Cute pony

The girls

Cute little bear we adopted

From Birregurra, we made our way pass Colac for a quick lunch and made the most of the beautiful sunshine by taking some happy "Korean Drama" snaps at the local botanical garden. The boys just couldn't wait to put on their cheeky boy band poses! There are definitely more photos of them on my camera than the girls lol. It was heaps of fun and a great laugh!

Check out the poses (Lol)

After that, we were on our way to the destination- Otway National Park. The Otways is largely a rain forest with a number of beautiful waterfalls as its main attraction. We chose to go to the Triplets fall, as it is one of the iconic and most visited waterfalls in the park.

Walk to the falls

Triplets fall

We also did a few treks around the nature walks at the park as well as enjoyed a DIY picnic meal. There's just something about being surrounded by nature and beautiful views which transformed a simple experience into something perfect.

Before leaving for the night, we made one last visit to the Melba Gully in hopes of witnessing the glow worm night display. We waited patiently for after dark before venturing into a pitch black forest (it's probably a good idea to stick together in a group, so you don't feel like you're in the Blair Witch Project). It wasn't long till we spotted on the banks of the walking track, twinkles of little lights illuminated from the tiny little creatures. I would advise to bring a torch but avoid shining it directly at the glow worms as this disturb them and cause them to 'turn off their lights'

The "Big Tree" (which has actually fallen)

There are many other things to do and explore in the Otway, depending on your preference and adventure styles. Some suggestions include:

1. Camping - there are many suitable camping grounds around the park, whether it is at a caravan park or setting up your own tents underneath the stars.

2. Walks and treks- there are a number of different walks and trails which can explored, suited for all fitness levels ranging from easy short walks to longer and more challenging hikes.

3. Otway fly tree top adventures- this is probably the most popular attraction in the Otways, with the options of a tree top walk or a zip line tour (which is basically like a giant flying fox through the forests). We did not have enough time to try either of these but did check out the information centre. The Tree top walk is approx $25 and zip line tour is $125 (I think most people just stick to the safer walk option).

The tree top walk

Overall, we had a lot of fun on this trip! It was a shame that we couldn't find any last minute over stay accommodation and had to endure a long and exhausting drive home.

I would definitely recommend the Otways for those who are looking for some adventure or just wanting to get away from the city.

DIY Group shot :D

With the "Big Tree"

Scribble you later

Miss Scribble