Chanoma Cafe (A Japanese Cafe in Sydney)

Was supposed to go to my usual Korean cafe for some coffee after work when I suddenly felt the urge to pass by inside the Regent Place. I noticed in the past months that there are new restaurants that has opened recently there so I thought to have a look. 

I was taken at the sight of a pretty Japanese cafe called "Chanoma Cafe" that takes pride in their matcha shakes, floats and desserts. I was more convinced to have a meal when I read the menu that said "Japadogs" a.k.a Japanese Hotdogs. Hubby and I learned about Japadogs in one of the Jdrama we've watched (I know right, if we're not watching Kdramas, we are watching Jdramas haha) and since then we've always been curious to have a taste. So I messaged the Hubby, "I've found a place where we can eat Japadogs!".

Chanoma Cafe's brown and green motif gives you that clean and refreshing feel. I like that they're trying to be eco-friendly that all their cutleries are made of wood.

As much as I would love to try one of their matcha offerings, I needed coffee last Friday as we were to shoot Vivid Sydney that night. Hubby and I had a cup of coffee each, a large Long Black for me and a regular Iced Mocha for him. I hoped that they'd serve Japanese coffee but instead, they used an Australian brand. Oh well, it's not entirely a bad thing but, I wish someday they'd offer coffee from Japan too (since they are a Japanese cafe anyway). 

While I waited for the Husband, I started with dessert. Their Cheesecake was wonderful. It seemed like a fusion of the New York Cheesecake and Japanese Cheesecake. It was smooth, light and wasn't cloying. 

As soon as Hubby arrived, we ordered two Japadogs: Tonkatsu Dog and Kim-Mayo Dog. I'd like to say that both were tasty and a must-try when you visit.

The Tonkastu Dog is a hotdog wrapped in thin tonkatsu. The tonkatsu gives that extra crunch for when you bite into that delicious hotdog.

The Kim-Mayo Dog is a Chorizo hotdog with a sauce made of Kimchi and Mayonnaise. I ordered this because I wanted to try the Kimchi and Mayo sauce. It was a lovely combination! It wasn't hot at all, it just had the right heat in it to make you realize that there's Kimchi in it.

The best thing I love about their Japadogs is the size. Compared to other hotdogs we've encountered, their ones are good enough to keep one full especially if you will eat it with chips and dessert after. Plus, they're reasonably priced.

We are definitely coming to try out the rest of their Japadog offerings.

Chanoma Cafe

Ground Floor, Regent Place

501 George Street, Sydney

Phone: 02 9266 0667

Daiso and Yogurberry, Now Open in Blacktown

Two new places opened in Blacktown that will add to one's dining and shopping experience.

Yogurberry, the Korean frozen yogurt shop is currently aggressive in making Sydney the frozen yogurt capital of Australia. They've been opening new branches in different suburbs in Sydney Metropolitan. Their newly-opened branch in Blacktown is located near the train station, going towards Westpoint. The well-lit dining area can accommodate about 20-25 people and has a small TV that plays KPop video. I notice a lot of people coming in for take away yogurt. 

My Watermelon and Taro Yogurt with sprinkles of almonds, kiwi fruits and Maltesers

DAISO has finally reached Blacktown! A lot of people from Metro West are relieved that they don't have to go far now for their AUD$2.80 knick knacks from this Japanese store. We liked this store in Blacktown because they're spacious enough, well-lit and seem to offer more products. We hope it stays that way.

DAISO is located on the 2nd level of Westpoint Blacktown (near JB Hi-Fi). 

Beauty Stash: Zoya Nail Polish

Here's my favourite brand of nail polish...ZOYA, one that I discovered when a relative from America brought this little bottle and gave it to me. 

Why I love it:

1. Easy to apply--it glides and covers easily!

2. It stays on for 5-7 days even if I wash the dishes everyday.

3. It's lasts long and doesn't easily chip.

4. It's a non-toxic nail polish.

Zoya Nail Polish was created by Zoya Reysis who, as a pregnant aesthetician and salon owner in 1984, wanted to create a healthier option. While it is not water-based, it is free of toluene, formaldehyde, and DBP. It's the top-rated and longest wearing natural nail polish. It receives top ratings in fashion, health, and pregnancy magazines world wide. It is also used in the finest salons and spas world wide and is available in over 240 fashionable colors. (source)

I've never seen ZOYA available in stores here in Sydney. With salons, I wouldn't know too as I've always done my nails on my own. But I found out recently that there's an online store here in Australia that sells them.

The Art of Beauty Australia website currently has a clearance sale and I was able to buy three ZOYA bottles.

From L to R: 

Laney. Silver metallic duochrome. A frosty hint of green creates a unique "oil-slick" look.

Lana. A very different rich red metallic duochrome. A frosty hint of orange creates a unique "oil-slick" look. (By far, the most complimented nail colour I've worn)

Reece. Rose metallic duochrome. A frosty hint of gold creates a unique "oil-slick" rose-gold.

While I still use an array of nail polish, ZOYA is my favourite from all nail polishes I've used. 

Jamie's Italian (Sydney, Australia)

It's been a long wait to have the opportunity to dine at Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Sydney. Jamie's Italian has been open for quite a while and luckily my friend invited me to have dinner there two weeks ago. 

We arrived early so we got a good table. The place is darkly-lit in the evenings and even becomes darker as the night progresses. The ambiance is perfect for intimate dinners with loved ones. 

We started with the complimentary selection of Italian bread: house-made focaccia, sourdough, ciabatta, tortano and wafer thin carta di musica. The bread is drizzled with basil olive oil and it came with an EVOO and balsamic vinegar for extra dipping. I enjoyed this bit as I do like munching on good bread. 

For our antipasti, we chose to have the Stuffed Risotto Balls made of smoked mozarella and porcini arancini. Arancini is the Italian equivalent of fried rice. In Italian homes, they turn their leftover risotto into balls coated in flour (and sometimes in egg too) before going into the deep fryer. Our Risotto Balls came well-coated and hot, with smokes oozing out as we cut the ball in half.  The risotto is smooth and glides easily on the mouth. However, I find this dish a bit bland even if I dipped it on the fresh tomato sauce that came with it. 

The wait for our pasta dishes took a long time to arrive. So long that I wish I ordered wine so I can savour it while catching up with my friend.

For my pasta dish, I chose the normal serve of Spaghetti Vongole. I commend the al dente pasta and the fresh cockles of this dish. However, the flavours were a bit lacking that I had to put salt and pepper twice. The flavour of white wine and chili underwhelmed my tastebuds.  The Husband wasn't supposed to join us but since the pasta dish took awhile to arrive, he was able to catch up with us and eat half of my pasta.

The highlights of our meal were the desserts. I enjoyed their Poached Winter Fruits which came with Vanilla ice cream and honeycomb. So fresh! It was a mixture of sweet and tangy inside my mouth. I loved this!

Jamie Italian's Warm Brownie was another hit for us especially to my Husband. It's rich in chocolate flavour and the sweetness was just right. 

While I wasn't totally blown-away with our dining experience, it wasn't also a let down. I did enjoy dinner because I was with great company. The quality of food was good and staff were accommodating to us. There were just a few misses that had to be noted. Will we come back? Yes. I wouldn't mind trying out their other offerings in the future. But maybe not too soon.

Jamie's Italian
107 Pitt Street, Sydney
Phone: 02 8240 9000
Booking a table is highly recommended