Category Archives: Sydney & NSW

Earth Food Store, Bondi – Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on September 21, 2012 2 comments

Gluten free + vegetarian peeps won’t starve in Bondi, there are plenty of little nooks to stave off hunger. The Earth Food Store is laden with organic and wholefood produce. Shoppers after an instant food fix can order at the cafe counter.

There’s always a couple of savoury and sweet gluten free options and the staff know their stuff. Expect rice balls, wraps and intriguing beany-based goods – dine at the bar, at the long table in the shop or scoot off with take away.

Gluten free ginger and lemon slice…

And it’s just a hop skip from the beach, snuggled in with edgy boutiques and organic everything shops.

Earth Food Store
81a Gould Street
Bondi Beach
NSW 2026
Australia

http://www.earthfoodstore.com.au/


Earth Food Store/Cafe on Urbanspoon

The best Ice Cream in Sydney – Pompei’s & Messina

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on May 30, 2012 2 comments

If it’s ice cream you’re after, put two places on the radar in Sydney – Pompei’s in Bondi and Messina in Darlinghurst/Pyrmont – forget the rest.

Both have their roots in Italy. Pompei’s is handy for beach beauties, with a new kiosk section allowing ice cream hunters to swipe the goods and keep rolling with skateboard/surfboard/shopping bags. Known for their organic and fresh ingredients, the ‘organic cream and caramel’ or ‘milk chocolate’ (40% milk chocolate) ice creams are sublime. The sorbets (milk free) are also sensational – the menu changes seasonally and the ripe fruit is so tangible – you can’t miss the zing of real apple in the ‘green apple sorbet’, or the pieces of peach in the ‘white peach sorbet’.

The Messina shop is tiny for the constant charge of punters it attracts. Imaginative specials keep connoisseurs returning – offering now are ‘Mr Potato Head’, (peanut butter, gelato with potato chips dipped in white chocolate), ‘Prune and Cognac’ and ‘Muummamm.com’, (coconut custard sorbet with banana jam and fried bits). The ice cream is beautifully balanced on trays in giant ‘scoops’ – always check which are gluten free, though the majority are. Cones are obviously off the menu for gluten free types.

The Messina ‘lab’ is next door and cakes are sold there too – I’ll cover it in another post, but will tell you lucky people now that there are several gluten free cake options and they are works of art. Darlinghurst is great for colourful night time action, whether you’re there for daytime dalliance, dinner or dancing, do not go past this place – it’s the work of genius.

 

Messina
Shop 1/241 Victoria St,
Darlinghurst NSW 2010

http://www.gelatomessina.com/

(there’s also a branch at Star Casino)

Pompei’s
126-130 Roscoe Street
Bondi Beach
NSW 2026

http://www.pompeis.com.au/


Pompei's on Urbanspoon

Gelato Messina Darlinghurst on Urbanspoon

Sideways Cafe Deli – Dulwich Hill, Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on May 28, 2012 None comments

A much loved institution for locals in the inner west of Sydney, Sideways Cafe has magnetised a loyal following and they pack the place out every weekend.

Despite being squeezed on Saturday, when asked about the toasting techniques for the gluten free toast with my vegie breakfast, the waitress asked if I was a coeliac and then said that she would tell the chef to toast my bread on foil and use a separate butter – thank you! And check out that toast – gluten free bread is rarely so light and fluffy. They always have a gluten free main or two to choose from and a gf cake/sweet option.

Sideways cultivate a jovial mixed crowd and it feels like a place where ideas are hatched and pools of intellect merge, + the odd toddler.

Sideways Deli Cafe
37 Constitution Rd
Dulwich Hill
NSW, 2203

http://www.sidewaysdelicafe.com.au/

 


 

Sideways Deli Cafe on Urbanspoon

Wafu – Surry Hills, Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on May 24, 2012 1 comments

Dining at Wafu is a bit like flying with Tiger or Easyjet – you’ll get the benefits only if you successfully navigate the rules. For those who fall between the (many) cracks, humiliation, frustration and financial penalties await. The completely gluten free menu is wonderful for coeliacs (it’s also dairy free, wheat free and egg free) but it’s far from a casual experience.

The reviews of Wafu are hilariously intense – people are polarised and the reactions are strong:
‘Wafu is the most pretentious, disappointing, and infuriating Sydney dining experience I have ever had.’
‘I have never been anywhere so bizare (sic.) in my life’ to:
‘Eating at Wafu is a unique, exquisite experience, not only is the food delicious, but it also exudes the love and care with which Yukako prepares it.’

The Wafu website is even more of an oddity – ‘NOT WELCOME ANY MORE!’ screams the front page in big bold capitals before bemoaning the lack of member integrity. Members are inducted at an elimination-style cooking workshop – general punters such as myself can come on Saturdays and Mondays for ‘vegan nights’.

So – a vegan and a coeliac walk into a restaurant. We were super reverent, it reminded me of my church-going childhood. There were only two other diners (when we arrived and for the whole night) but we were still ignored for a few minutes before being greeted by Yukako (the owner & only staff member), who asked if we had doggie bags. I showed her one, ‘Do you have two?’ she needed to know. We did. Phew! First hurdle. ‘Do you know about chewing?’ Yes, we said, trying to keep a straight face, we’ve been practising. ‘How many times?’ Jeepers., lucky we knew the answer (30 btw), we were in!

Enjoying the unusual experience of being able to eat a set menu without any ingredient dramas, we were blown away by the tastiness of the colourful first course. It was a mix of mainly raw or slightly cooked food bulging with nutrients. Hello tempura – it’s been too long! Curly kale, eggplant, tofu, sushi…

Yukako served the tamari sauce with a giggle and said to only pour what you need – now listen up – don’t be fooled by the girly japanese routine, there’s a review out there saying that a diner was told to drink a bowl of sauce because he had poured too much. Seasonings are food and food at Wafu is not to be wasted.

In principle this is great to see. I’m what Oprah would call a ‘clean plater’ and have often been horrified at food wastage. One of the hardest things about being gluten free is been that I can no longer hoover up my children’s leftovers and I’ve often been looked down upon as stingy or poor in restaurants when I’ve asked to take-away the leftovers.

The other rules at Wafu are pretty sensible too – for anyone who has ever vomited and been astounded at how ‘whole’ the food seems, it’s a good idea to be mindful of chewing and give your digestion a leg up.

Wafu is an educational centre as much as it is a restaurant. Yukako frequently visited our table and talked extensively about her ideals. She happily volunteered the ingredients for anything we liked (the miso & agave sauce was our favourite + the tempura flour was brown rice, cornflour and buckwheat). Yukako spoke with evangelical fervour, often looking upward with her eyes closed in concentration, she is particularly aggrieved by restaurants that claim to be organic and eco-friendly but waste lots of food, cook with aluminium and wash with harmful detergents – fair point. It’s not like you’re being asked to stand on one leg or paint yourself blue – the requests are in your own interest, ‘for your own good’ as your mother would say.

We learnt that it’s hard to eat beans with chopsticks, or to chew sweet potato 30 times. I wasn’t a big fan of the orange soy cake dessert and forgot that I wasn’t supposed to ‘wash food down’ with water – we both lost it then and laughed till there were tears.

BUT….

We got a discount for being good girls and eating or taking all our food. I definitely crunched up my cereal more than usual the next morning. If you can avoid a militant showdown from Wafu it’s somewhere everyone should go to at least once.

Just don’t forget your ‘sturdy’ container or ‘doggie bag’ – and it’s not for your dog btw.

Wafu
460 Cleveland Street
Surry Hills
NSW 2010

http://wafu.com.au


 

Wafu on Urbanspoon

Orto Trading Co., Surry Hills, Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on May 15, 2012 None comments

With a bit of rummaging you can find a good gluten free breakfast and Orto Trading Co., has one of the best I’ve seen, check this out:

This was one of several gluten free brunch options. Snug under those mushrooms, the sautéed spinach, the poached egg and the hollandaise sauce is a slab of ‘rosti’; that fancy hash brown claimed by the Swiss Germans. This version is made with feta cheese and it’s got lots of zing.

Orto Trading Co. is a breezy, sunlit urban pocket. The outdoor area features a stack of potted herbs, perfect on a sunny Sydney Winter morn.

Another ‘gf’ option listed on the brunch menu is the ‘Boston Baked Beans’:

I don’t think Howard (below) would have been so down if his beans were made with maple glazed onions topped with a poached egg, crispy pork belly and clumps of thyme.

‘Howard the Celeriac’, my gf twitter buddy in Brixton, London, has kindly allowed me to reprint one of his cheeky cartoon illustrations here. If you’re a coeliac and haven’t come across his work, check it out at www.howardtheceleriac.com and have a good laugh and cry at your own expense. Does this scene look familiar???

Better go to Orto – open for lunch and dinner, (with gf and vegetarian options), closed Mondays and Sunday evenings.

Orto Trading Co.
38 – 55 Waterloo St
Surry Hills
NSW 2010
http://www.ortotradingco.com.au/

 


 

Orto Trading Co. on Urbanspoon

Brioche – Balmain, Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on April 19, 2012 3 comments

You know you’re in good hands when a cafe selling gluten free goods is founded by a coeliac.

Fiona Wilkinson opened ‘Brioche’ in Balmain just this year and diners will happily munch through the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If you’re here for the freshly baked gluten free bread, you can choose from a crusty high-GI loaf (pictured above), or a squarer low-GI loaf made with chickpeas, brown rice and almond meal. Gluten-full bread is also for sale.

I visited at lunchtime and the range of gluten free savoury pastries was exciting:

How often are gluten free meat pies on the menu? Spinach and ricotta roll anyone?

Not everything sold is gluten free, but the daily specials always include a gluten free option, be that risotto, pasta or soup. Regular gluten free items include a quinoa/beetroot slice and this wonderfully sharp tasting sweet potato and polenta number:

Gluten free cake variations are abundant. Many of them – including the tofu berry slice below – are both gluten and dairy free.

Having been a coeliac for 20 years, Fiona has dodged the ubiquitous ‘flourless chocolate’ and ‘orange and almond’ cakes (I’m very grateful for these, but it’s nice to have other options!). Brioche cakes are baked with thought and imagination.

The airily delightful marshmallows (below) are incredible. We had to go back for more. And $1.30? What can you get these days for that price? A heavenly mouthful I tell you.

Brioche is a food haven whether or not you’re gluten-free – ingredients are carefully considered and preservatives kept low. My only quibble is that the ambience is more brusque bakery than loungy cafe, I’m sure many customers would loll for hours if it were cozier.

Brioche has all meals covered – eat in or take-away – fingers crossed it flourishes.

Brioche
349 Darling Street
Balmain NSW 2041

http://brioche.net.au

 


 

Brioche on Urbanspoon

Iku – wholefood cafes in Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on April 3, 2012 None comments

There are a bunch of beautiful Iku Cafes in Sydney. The original is in Glebe, with another 12 dotted around the city. Most of the food served is gluten-free and all of it is dairy, GM, preservative and additive free. There are tables for those with company, benches for those after a quick bite and everything is available to take away if you need to – it’s fast food with nutrients!

This is an Iku rice ball – I wish I could replicate them at home. They are made of brown rice with teeny rice-sized pieces of carrot and celery, onion, parsley + crispy sunflower and sesame seeds. A perfect snack for anyone or whole lunch for a toddler.

Below is the delightful Iku laksa – all the usual suspects are here; chilli, galangal leaves, coriander and rice noodles in a gently spicy coconut soup. Surprise entries are zingy pickled sprouts (that leave a residual craving), pickled tofu, almond meal and a smidge of bush tucker with native lemon myrtle.

Iku have dairy and gluten free cakes too. Highly recommended is the Iku black rice pudding and the orange and lemon sago – handily packed in take away tubs if you can’t fit anything else in.

Menu options, ingredients and store locations are listed on their website. I’m very fortunate to live just down the hill from one of the Iku Cafes – so stay tuned for updates…

http://www.iku.com.au

 


 

Iku Wholefood on Urbanspoon

Pages Cafe – West Ryde, Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on March 29, 2012 None comments

‘Pages Cafe’ in West Ryde, Sydney, has an extensive gluten free menu. It also has a sheltered outdoor soft-play area (free to patrons) especially great for coeliac kids or parents – with the added benefit of a quieter section inside where kids are less likely to venture. Located near the West Ryde train station, the cafe is part of a large Christian book store, but diners from any denomination are welcome.

Matthew Eagleton, Pages Cafe Manager is very aware that many cafes and restaurants claiming to serve gluten free food are inadvertently sabotaging the gluten free status of their food through improper handling – and damaging intestines in the process.

Matthew’s wife Bec was diagnosed as a coeliac several years ago and regularly polices the gluten free pipeline at Pages. Despite not having a particularly large kitchen area, Matthew has introduced a separate gluten free toaster (+ designated gluten free butter), a wheat-free preparation area which is routinely cleaned after each use and green handled tongs only to be used with gluten free cakes. Staff are trained in what it means to be a coeliac and what ‘cross contamination’ is all about.

Pages Waitress Marlene shows off the cafe’s gluten free tongs.

Gluten free sandwich fillings have their own containers in a gluten free section of the fridge and gluten free food is prepared with designated cutlery. Gluten free mayonnaise and a gluten free alternative to vegemite are at the ready and ‘Silly Yaks’ Anzac Biscuits and individually wrapped gluten free ‘Byron Bay Cookies’ are on the counter.

Matthew keeps a comprehensive ingredient list so that vegetarians, wheat, dairy and nut-free customers can tell at a glance what is safe for them to eat.

‘My wife and I go to cafes and ask ‘Is your hot chocolate gluten free?” says Matthew – they encounter blank faces ‘You just know from the first reaction if there’s no basic knowledge’. Hot chocolate, incidentally, is often not gluten free.

Pages Cafe uses Choices (www.choicesglutenfree.com.au) three seed bread that’s already sliced – this is an example of their gluten free Turkey Toasted Sandwich – it has turkey breast, cranberry sauce, swiss cheese and avocado. If you rarely eat bread like me, a decent sandwich is a wonderful thing.

 

 

Pages Cafe
28 West Parade
West Ryde
http://www.koorong.com/info/store/westryde.jsp

 


 

Pages Cafe on Urbanspoon

Bottom of the Harbour – Gluten Free Fish and Chips!

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on March 28, 2012 None comments

The beach is good for the soul. It puts niggles in perspective and snaps the big picture into focus. And water is King for kids! They’re so active on the beach – running, swimming, cartwheeling – busy being happy and content and revelling in nature. I can kick back and congratulate myself on being such an effortlessly wonderful parent (NB – This is not always the case!). We’re really lucky to live in Sydney at the moment and spontaneous after-school trips to the beach are common – we often stay for dinner, dragging our sandy butts home when the sun sets.

But how do you know if what you order at the local fish and chip shop is really gluten free?

Our local beach is Balmoral in Sydney, it’s absolutely divine with an island connected by a little bridge, a rockpool and snorkelling spots. There’s a shark-netted swimming area with rumoured seahorses and circling pensioners in swimming caps. Away from the ‘drink’ there’s a playground and ginormous Moreton Bay fig trees for the kids to climb if it gets too cold to swim.

The main fish and chip shop is ‘Bottom of the Harbour’ and as far as chip shops go, it’s fancy – not the all-in-one super-portion-wrapped-in-white-paper variety. It’s not cheap but the fish is fresh and their awareness of gluten free issues will have me coming back.

Firstly – they offer grilled fish. It’s grilled on cotton seed oil and is made in a separate area to the battered and crumbed goods. There is no flour used on any of the grilled fish – the only dusting is cracked pepper.

Also – the chips are cooked separately to the battered bits so are not contaminated by flour particles in the oil. This is really important for coeliacs, where even a crumb of flour will cause internal damage. At Bottom of the Harbour, the production line is visible and the chip frying area is reassuringly separated from other frying by a work bench – the battered fish and potato scallops (that’s potato cakes to you Victorians) are fried on the other side.

So my advice is to try to plan if you’re off on a beach adventure. ‘Grill’ the chip shop on the phone before you set out – don’t wait until you’re exhausted and hungry and desperate to eat.

And once you find a good one, let them know you appreciate their awareness and care – top spots need to be nurtured!


Bottom of the Harbour
21 The Esplanade
Balmoral NSW
Australia
02 9969 7911

 


 

Bottom of the Harbour on Urbanspoon

Burnt Orange – Sydney

Posted by Glutenfreewheeler on March 24, 2012 None comments

I learnt a new phrase while celebrating a friends birthday today. ‘Purple patch’.  It refers to an unequivocally positive period of outstanding achievement. It’s even in wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_prose. I’m experiencing a purple patch of high teas. Today was my second one this month – how often does that happen? Definitely purple.

Today’s high tea was on the sparkling headlands of Mosman overlooking Sydney Harbour at Burnt Orange. It’s a goodie. Having sampled The Tearoom at the QVB (http://glutenfreewheeling.com/?p=416), and the Gunners Barracks a while back (possibly pre-gf days), this one is the best value at $30 and for gluten free peeps, it’s a winner.

Above is the triple-stack gluten-free High Tea ( this fed two gf ladies). The menu changes but today’s gluten free options were (from the bottom up), oyster mushroom frittata, chicken and tarragon sandwiches, pumpkin tart with carrot jam and goats cheese, salmon and dill with chives on a crouton, and the top level had grapefruit sorbet, chocolate mousse with honeycomb sprinkles and orange and almond cakes with cream cheese icing.

My highlight was the pumpkin tart (above) – goats cheese is always a treat and it’s one of those ingredients that  ‘Gluten Free Girl’ in her fantastic book of the same title (http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Girl-Found-Loves-Back/dp/0470137304) talks about when she discusses how cutting out gluten has made her determined to eat the best quality foods she can afford – especially those that vary so much in quality like chocolate and cheese!

Burnt Orange also does gluten free lunch and breakfast (they’re not open in the evenings). It’s a spacious two-storey place with a gorgeous shop selling sumptuous goods from the likes of avoca (http://www.avoca.ie), colourful clothes and quirky homewares. There are also knock-out harbour views through the tree tops, kookaburras cackling and fluffy bunnies bouncing through the grass.
Definitely somewhere to take your mum.

Burnt Orange
1108/1109 Middle Head Road
Mosman NSW 2088
Australia
02 9969 1020

http://www.burntorange.com.au


 


 

Burnt Orange on Urbanspoon