Burger Fuel

@ 172 King Street, Newtown

To date, there are three places along King completely dedicated to burgers; Burgerliccious, Moo Burgers and Burger Fuel. This upholds a commendable practice - to use as little packaging as possible. When receiving your burger, it'll not be wrapped, instead it's just placed neatly into your paper bag (made from recycled material). There is a cardboard holder to grab at the counter, whereby after you sit down, you'll drop your burger into this to help you hold it (and not get your hands dirty) while eating.

The burgers cater for all diets, from those who want to keep the kilojules down (the lightweights)to those who prefer not to have meat with their burger to those who prefer to go gourmet style with their bun and meat. Also on the menu are kumara fries which I strongly suggest you get aioli sauce to go with (it's the best!) and there are even soy options for the malt shakes (if you don't like soy, don't choose this option - you can't taste the shake for the soy milk!) if you're a picky eater with a need for some fuel to pick you up, there's only one place to go.

Times hit: 2

Crispy Inn Bakery

@ 203 King Street, Newtown

Morning, noon or night, the Crispy Inn Bakery is here to serve. It's a 24/7 bakery that serves coffee, sweets and bread all baked and brewed on the premises. The staff are sugar sweet and exceptionally helpful. Upon going in once asking for some soy and linseed bread, the lady looked up saw a loaf and told me it was from yesterday whereby she proceeded to check the back to see if a new batch had been made. She returned to tell me that unfortunately one had not and to return the next morning for a freshly baked roll instead of trying to flog the old one my way. Yes, regardless of when you visit the food here will be fresh and have that homemade feel to it. So if you're ever craving something sweet at 2am in the morning, there's only one place to go.

Times hit: 2

Cafe C

@ 281 King Street

Cafe C was given a revamp a number of months back. It pretty much looks the same, though there is one noticeable difference - music. Perhaps influenced by the Funky Cafe across the road that always showcases indie / jazz bands, Cafe C leans more toward the brass instruments. It's a nice accompaniment to a meal - though the music only comes at night.

I've been to Cafe C for breakfast, afternoon coffee and after dinner dessert. All three times the service was exceptional, the prices however are a little much. For blueberry pancakes, you'll be hit with a $14 dent in your wallet and for a florentine brekky of eggs and bacon, it'll be $13 please. The meals are delicious though nothing exception. The real winners here are the cakes. Now that Mickey's has disappeared from the realm of King Street, my new dessert plae is Cafe C. Try the Oreo cake, it's to die for. The cakes also come with scoops for ice cream. The second time I came here and ate a cheesecake the ice cream sadly overshadowed the cake. But with less and less after dinner dessert places about (with the exception of the all-day dessert Max Brenner) there should be no complaining and if you choose right, you won't be disappointed.

Times hit: 4

Funky Monkey Espresso

@ 524 King Street

It's a funky little cafe heading towards the St Peters's end of King Street. There are about five tables on the inside, three on the outside and about the same amount of people working the whole cafe. At the very front is a couch for the kids, and yes, a giant monkey plush toy to go with the name.

The service was prompt and the latte just sweet enough. I asked for raison toast, expecting to be delivered one slice, inside I received two cut into triangles and presented quite pleasantly. The taste was good and so was the price. They even have a stack of newspapers at the ready for the reading, always something nice for a lazy Saturday morning.

Times hit: 1

Kelly's on King

@ 285 King Street, Newtown

I've been staring at Kelly's for a bit now not wanting to go in. The frontage is so thin you wouldn't notice it if it weren't for the bright green Irish sign on the outside. Inside it's nicely furnished, almost every night there's a local playing music on the bottom floor and on the second level you've a pull table, open dining area and a balcony/courtyard to relax in. The staff were friendly, energetic and a great help when choosing dishes. Here's what we dished up - a beef and guinness stew and chicken eggplant parmigiana.

The dishes were huge and both of us only barely made our way through. The food was good, ol' pub grub with a decent pub grub price (average price $17 per dish).


Did you know ... Kelly's used to be a McDonald's back in the 70s. It's possibly the only Maccas known to man that closed due to lack of business!!!


Times hit: 1

Vina Vegetarian Restaurant

@ 395 King Street, Newtown

Vina's Vietnamese vegetarian (now that's a mouthful!). This one came highly recommended by my vegetarian friend at work so I knew it had to be good. The set-up is a normal vietnamese restaurant, the food however is completely vegetarian AND vegan friendly. Equipped with many milk-free options including tofu ice-cream this is definitely one for fussy eaters. My choice of food? Pho - vego style!

The first thing I thought when I was served my hot soup bowl was; this doesn't look like the pho I know. It doesn't taste like it either. Filled with tofu beef and mushrooms (ontop of the usual noodles and bean sprouts) it was a far cry from the dish I know and love. If it hadn't been called pho, it would have been much better. That aside, as a dish it was a taste sensation. I expected the tofu to be soft and watery as is usually the case, instead I was met with an intriguing mouthful of crunch and some various flavours that, though I can't put my finger on them, were tasty and addictive. The broth was hot, the service was good and the food was filling. I couldn't ask for more from a vego restaurant but calling this pho - that's just not on!

Times hit: 1

Bloodwood

@ 416 King Street, Newtown

I pass this one while walking down the street one day and was intrigued. In the front is a line of low, circular tables for those with a thirst for alcohol and further back there's an upstairs area and courtyard for anyone looking for a bite and an intimate, basement area for functions. The most interesting part of Bloodwood is its decor. Using stark bulbs, a lighted bottle feature wall and old, removed doors that hang from walls and the ceiling, this reeks of the word "modern."

The food is no different. The menu is minimal though unique. Encompassing liver parfaite, milk fed lamb and polenta chips - this is one for the brave and with a more specific palate. Despite the nature of some of the foods, the taste is delicious and the dishes well presented. The quality of the staff varies, from those with more knowledge and charm to those who just spit out the specials.

When ordering the desert, the selection is choice. Ours involved an alcohol infused granita with tamarind, a chocolate fig white chocolate ice cream and and a marzipan concoction with a base that tasted similar to tiramisu. It was the highlight of the evening and left us salivating for more.

Times hit: 1

Thai Pothong

@ 294 King Street, Newtown

It's been hailed as the most authentic Thai restaurant on King Street, possibly the most authentic in Sydney. Having been established for over 30 years, high expectations were warranted when entering this establishment. So of course, I required an expert in Thai cuisine, someone who'd lived in Thailand for 10 years and knew authentic inside out.

Needless to say, this place passed. It's a bit of a showy affair, with its outlay of white dressed tables, wine glasses, golden buddha statues and gift shop - it's borderline sickening how much marketing runs through Thai Pothong. The menu wasn't as extravagant however, with traditional dishes spanning three pages and nothing more. At least they kept the integrity of their meals. The food was well cooked and extremely flavoursome. And, according to my Thai food experts, as authentic as they come. Where presentation lacked, taste made up for it. The fish cakes were chewy, the panag curry was sweet and creamy and the prawns and tamarind sauce was so delectably sweet that one was tempted to lick the plate of every morsel. The service was good, however required a little more attention but overall this was a memorable experience.

Times hit: 1

Max Brenner

@ 142-146 King Street, Newtown

Sydney's caught the chocolate cafe bug and it's caught it pretty badly. When I first noticed that a Max had opened up my first reaction was elation. My second reaction was to laugh. I've never been a fan of Gloria Jeans and, a mere two shops down from Max, is a Gloria. All I had to say was, that Gloria Jeans was facing some serious damage. Nights afterwards, you could see Max overfilled with customers and Gloria, satisfying a party of two or three dedicated customers. Now, let's not jump to conclusions, was this Max all that?

Upon visiting Max, the line was brutal. We had to wait about 20 minutes to be served and find a table. Then, it was another 20 for us all to be served. The waitors were a little flustered (as can be expected from the number of customers) and kept forgetting to bring us water despite our many efforts to remind them of our request. The food was Max Brenner all over. Good chocolate, good white chocolate chair and good waffles. If there's sone thing you can count on, it's that at every Max you can always expect the same (or at least close to) taste and quality.

Times hit: 1

Green Gourmet

@ 113-117 King Street

Chinese vegan. There are many vegetable dishes at Green Gourmet and then, and this won't come as a surprise if you're a vegan yourself, there are many tofu dishes dressed as meat. Now, I've tasted a fair few tofu-meat dishes in my time and I have to admit, this wasn't the best. The food tasted neither like the meat nor the tofu, which I believe it should taste like one or the other. The atmosphere is brilliant however. Large wooden tables, bright open space and friendly staff. On certain days and time they even have an all-you-can-eat-vegan special.

The one thing I would return to Green Gourmet for is its tofu ice cream. Based around typical Asian ice cream flavours like Black Seasame, these have a creamy texture and it was only after I'd over indulged in my dessert that it struck me that it was tofu-based. What's more, attached to this restaurant is a vegan grocery, where you can purchase much of the food bases ... including their tofu ice cream.

Times hit: 1

Astino's

@ 284 King Street, Newtown

The beauty of Astino's is that every time I pass it, it's open. It's a great little place for breakfast after a big night out, which is what I used it for one time. With a wide selection of toasts and bacon and egg options, it's a good place for fussy eaters. The food is as good as can be expected and the portions substanial. When I say as good as can be expected, I do mean it did the the job as a good hangover meal.

My friend once commented that she had the best milkshake ever at Astino's and then returned to relive the moment only to be disappointed. What I find is that this cafe isn't consistant in its quality. Somedays it'll be better than others. Most days it does the job and most of the time, that's all you can ask for.

Times hit: 2

Chedi Thai

@ 74-78 King Street, Newtown

With its wide frontage and wicker seats, this is a gorgeous looking restaurant. As I recall, a while ago there was an on-the-floor seating option. Not anymore I'm afraid.

Upon enterting Chedi, the venue is dimly lit and extremely spacious. We were seated in one of the wicker seats with a table that was a little too high for someone of my stature. No worry, the service was prompt and the food delivered in a timely manner. As to the actual food, I've no recollection of it. With so many Thai restaurants on the street, it's hard to distinguish one from another, but aside from its exterior, Chedi wasn't too memorable. Just like its prices, I'd say it was fair. 

Times hit: 1

The Italian Bowl

@ 255 King Street, Newtown

Every time I pass this place later at night, it's packed. Sure, there aren't that many tables in The Italian Bowl to begin with, but despite that, this place is undeniably popular. Why? The Italian Bowl allows you to create your own pasta meal. There are pre-sets, and then, there is a create your own where you first choose your pasta type, then your sauce and all your extras. The kitchen is completely open, so you can see your meal being cooked to perfection and the staff, well, they feel like family.

Times hit: 1

Splash

@ 226 King Street

Mediterranean and seafood, this looks more appealing on the outside than the inside. With its slick blue logo, it's easy to spot. Inside however, it's quite narrow and dimly lit. The service was wonderful however, we were seated immediately and in a nice prominant position at the front window and the waitress who served us was flexible with our food needs.

There's a 3 course meal on most dates that goes for something along the lines of $30 and is well worth it. The food is lovely, clean and light and the serving size, just right.

Times hit: 1

Dumpling King

@ 194 King Street, Newtown

Oh Dumpling King. I've been staring at you for way too long, so I decided to pop in one evening for a bit of good old Chinese. It was good. It was old. It was delectably perfect. The interior is quite dark, but accommodating for parties of varying sizes although, larger framed people beware, it's a bit of a squish getting between the tables to the counter, but well worth it.

I ordered hand made noodles with fried pork and for a portion of it's size, I'm surprised I polished it off so easily. If you read the rest of my blog, you may notice that I don't take to large portion sizes very well. The noodles were imperfectly authentic, ranging from long to short, thick in some places and thin in others and dripping with the most finger lickingly addictive sauce you can imagine.

Waiting time for my meal was neither short nor lengthy and the staff were very attentive. I can still taste the sauce on my lips and my mouth is watering. My one disappointment - and this was COMPLETELY my fault - was that I didn't try their namesake, the dumpling.Next time, Dumpling King, I promise.

Sacks Coffee Roasters

**Sacks Coffee Roasters has been given the, erm, well, sack! It'll soon be replaced by a new coffee place - will update when it opens!

@ 343 King St, Newtown

The idea behind this cafe is a commendable one. Fully organic coffee and chocolate. The decor is gorgeous inside, with wooden seats and a well stocked array of coffee beans, also available for purchase. Everything else within was a disappointment.

Whether it was the early morning wake up or something else, this was a strange experience indeed. I requested a soy chai latte and a couple of moments later, the brewer asked if I'd like honey in it. I said no. She then proceeded to insist that honey should be added. At last I relented. To top that off, she handed me a giantic tall cup. I always thought if you don't mention a size and you're not asked what size you'd like, the answer would be, make it a medium. Apparently not so here. To make matters worse, after drinking my tall cup of wake-me-up I felt sick. On the upside, I am now aware of my allergy toward bonsoy milk. Thank you Sacks, you've made my day - not. I'm sure under other circumstances, this place would have been much more pleasant, although don't quote me on that. The only other customer in the place at the time was an interesting character who didn't exactly seem like the approachable type ...

Times hit: 1

Thai Yindee

@ 186 King Street, Newtown

Now Thai Yindee, I wasn't sure if this was a renovation or a change on management. No matter. I return to the scene of the crime anyway. Inside, it feels as though there are less seats than previously, the back has been converted into a storage area and the front right is now the kitchen. Ordering a chicken yellow curry and a beef satay with peanut sauce, the food came in a flash. The food as not so flash, but not unacceptable. For the price we paid (less than $10 per dish) it was to be expected. The service was fantastic and the servers very pleasant.

Times hit: 1

Previously Five Stars Thaitanic.

I will admit, it's been a number of years since I went to this restaurant, so please excuse my vagueness. I recall it being dimly lit within, that the food was blisteringly hot (a good thing, considering this is Thai food) and that my sister thought Ben Lee was sitting at the table beside us (he was not). Prices are more than reasonable and I recall the service being good.

Times hit: 1

iiza

@ 184 King Street, Newtown

This one's still a baby on the street. It's been around a year since it appeared and after reading a couple of reviews on it over its authenticity, a coupe of friends and I decided to make a night of it. Starting off at 6pm, it was a pretty quiet night. Less than an hour later and the place was packed. The service was extremely slow, the dishes coming out every 20 minutes or so, by the time one person was done with their meal, another was just starting.

The atmosphere inside is quite transient, with the frontage displaying sake bottles while the back leads into a quieter, darker, more romantic feel. The food in general was nice, but I will admit, it was nothing special. And from the prices, which are fairly steep for pretty typical tasting Japanese, iI doubt it'll be worth a return trip soon.

And after our meal? We headed down the road to Max Brenner. Not because the food wasn't agreeing with our paletes, but because we were still left hungry.

Times hit: 1

The Viet

@ 152-154 King Street

No surprise what sort of cuisine is served at The Viet. There were quite a number of people when we arrived, but we were served quite promptly. Sitting on wooden seats close to the door, it was a bit annoying having people come in and out while we were eating, but what can you do.

We ordered a dish of pho each to test the waters and were not disappointed. The dishes came out steaming hot and in large portions and were just enough to fill us.

Times hit: 1

Chao Thai

@ 299 King Street, Newtown

**Another sadly missed. This is not Spencer Guthie and I'm excited to try it out asap!

Searching for a quick bite, I spied Chao Thai and, with a craving for pad thai, decided this was the joint to hit up for my meal. The decor is gorgeous, with a plush brown sofa and colourful pillows at its entrance, a lot of work has been put into making this one aesthetically pleasing. But was its meal as nice?

The sub-title to its name says "greeat tasty modern Thai food" what they mean by modern I've no idea as all the traditional Thai dishes were laid out on the menu before me but nothing unusual aside from the prices. Yes, this one is on the higher end of the scale, the cheapest meal being $10 and then it's all up from there.

I ordered my pad thai and it came extremely quickly, which is always nice when one's famished. What I liked was that my pad thai wasn't that sweet, which is how it should be. What I found strange (perhaps this is where the modern comes in?) the noodles didn't taste plain, but had a tomato flavour to it. It was interesting and not unappealing, but not my idea of pad thai.

If you're after Thai that tastes as you know it, don't come here. If you're after a little bit of something different, give it a go. The food overall was enjoyable and the portion too much for this girl to handle.

Times hit: 1

Daytao Thai

@ 543 King Street, Newtown

With it's colourful sign and corner positioning, it's not hard to notice Daytao Thai. It has a takeaway section on the right and a dining section on the left with a gorgeous courtyard down back. The food isn't half bad either. The portions are extremely substantial and for the price (my vegetarian curry was $8) was pretty decent. On the upside, they also have a selection of Thai deserts including mango and sticky rice - which I always find a treat to find in Thai restaurants. Pictured below is the custard sticky rice, very heavy with just enough sweetness to do the trick.

Times hit: 1

Peasant's Feast

@ 121A King Street

**Sadly missed. Probably my saddest miss to date. This was a real gem and a great fit for King Street. Things will never be the same again.

To be honest, I'd been sceptical about this one for quite some time. It touts itself as organic, chemical free and everything else that is just a little too flower-child for my liking. However I was pleasantly surprised upon my visit to this place.

Not only did it not feel like the hippy house I thought it would be, but the food was in fact delicious, felt clean and delicate, freshly made and was filling. The servings were substantial enough for me, we ordered a a duck, chive and ginger crepe and vegetarian/lentil lasagne. We finished the meal off a chocolate tart and an apple, orange and date crumble.

The service was lovely, the food was delicious and we came out feeling as though we'd actually done ourselves a healthy deed for the day.

Times hit: 1