Did you know that it takes one hour (or more) to get from Sydney... to Sydney!? 🙃 It's all too familiar to work in the CBD, not have any pressing last minute work matters and yet still be late to your dinner reservation because the bus moves centimetre by centimetre at a time. And that teamed with peak hour traffic too, oh my.

But ANYWAY there are so many food choices here perfect for a little celebratory dinner that it's hard to pass up despite the wonderful transport options. Patrick chose Toko in Surry Hills for our anniversary dinner which I have been meaning to try for a while now!



"Sorry I'm late!!!" I sigh as I make my way past the staff and rush to pull out a seat from under the table. Patrick rolls his eyes because on one hand yes, public transport is notoriously unreliable but on the other hand, so am I when it comes to who gets to the restaurant first.

Despite a glossy black exterior, the inside of Toko is surprisingly cosy with its wooden slash industrial fit out and soft but moody lighting. I find it really nice and casual with a crowd that is a mix of friends and colleagues all enjoying themselves after a long day.





Even though it felt like the longest journey to arrive here, I still make it before the dinner rush hits so I get to enjoy the calm before the storm. Noticing the thick bundle of a coat I have placed on the seat next to me, the staff offer to take it to the cloakroom. Love it!

We order our drinks to start and opt to be looked after with the "sora" tasting menu. The cost for this is $98 per person and there has to be a minimum of 2 people dining.

I'm so envious of everyone I can see on Instagram right now taking some time off and going on a road trip! But recently seeing a friend's roadtrip to Bateau Bay to try the Carl's Jr outpost there made me laugh and remember my time there. Thankfully when I went, we didn't go just to try this as it wouldn't have been worth the 1.5 hour drive out of Sydney. But it was still lots of fun to conveniently cross this off the eats list too!

Carl's Jr isn't available in Sydney so when they decided to open up a store in the Central Coast, many were flocking to try the American fast food chain! The day we went it was super empty as the hype has since long passed.





For a fast food restaurant, it's very clean and sleek looking. There is lots of space and a nice atmosphere. Additionally, the service I received was really nice too and the food, as expected, was fast!

There wasn't anything in particular that I wanted to try here nor had I heard any "must try" items so we went with one beef and one chicken burger. Patrick noted that he had tried Carls Jr in Japan and it wasn't anything special except for the hand scooped ice cream shakes so we made sure to get one of those.











So driving all the way to Bateau Bay for Carl's Jr? I wouldn't recommend! But making it a stop on your road trip to spend some time on the Central Coast? Do it!

Hello! How is everyone doing in quarantine? It's been on and then it's been kind of off and now it's looking like it's getting back on again. I've been fortunate enough to be able to continue to do my job from home even if it means having that blur between 'work life balance' when trying to switch off at the end of the day, but mostly I am so much happier than ever!

I haven't written or posted on Instagram for a long time as besides working, I have been navigating this new world by learning new things and trying new activities. From books, cleaning, decorating, games, BAKING (would love to share more on this), it's been pretty swell! But I have been missing this little space of mine on the internet and talking about food so I find myself back at this very familiar corner.

In that fashion, I wish to share about this very pretty brunch cafe I visited with my sister a few months ago. You definitely have seen this on social media as it's noted to be one of the most, if not THE most Instagram-worthy cafe around.





We choose to go to the OG location in Waterloo and find that street parking isn't too bad around 1pm. It's two hours until close but that gives us enough time to avoid the wait lines and general business that comes from the brunch-rush hour. And who doesn't like a good little sleep in on the weekends? 💭

It's hard to miss as even from the outside, the cafe is adorned with it's signature burst of florals and really adorable frilly pink table umbrellas!


The inside is even more stunning as the hanging above on the ceiling are gorgeous bundles of lilac wisterias and assorted purple, white and pink flowers. I've always been a fan of decor that is a little extra and well as floral so this is right up my alley!

The only thing that we notice and don't really enjoy is how close the tables are to each other. It feels cramped like you have to squeeze past everyone. During this time it's not so busy I am guessing any other time, it's very uncomfortable.

To start, the service is a little bit slow when we wait to be seated and then again trying to find someone to take out order. Nonetheless we are happy to peruse the menu, and just soak in the atmosphere.


We already know that we HAVE to try those signature Taro hot cakes and a milkshake in the Social Hideout bathtub cups so we add on something savoury and a warm drink.




It takes a bit of time for the food to come out but it's such a lovely spread once it's all on the table!











Overall, I had a positive and fun experience at the Social Hideout. Loved the Insta-famous dishes that we came to try - Taro Hotcakes and the milkshake in a Bathtub. And loved the decor and fun photo opportunities. I do think the price is quite on the expensive side so I wouldn't be coming here every weekend for brunch. But it's a great place to take yourself, your family or your friends every once in a while.