Santi's

I've been to Santi's quite a number of times as it's walking distance from my workplace, my workmates whom require their daily caffeine fix are also a regular to the joint, so I can safely assume that the coffee is good stuff. Everytime I step in Santis, I just admire their decor, am loving the feature wall with photo frames, the cozy couch area, the calming light blue colour scheme and inspiring quotes written on your table numbers.

The first time I went with my workmates and had the pancakes with honeycomb butter, fresh berries and cream. This was delicious and HUGE. The honeycomb flavour wasn't as obvious as I'd like it to be but the flavour was still there. Pancakes were fluffy and they were very generous with the berries. I also had the chai latte *of course* which was perfection!

Pancakes with honeycomb butter, fresh berries and cream

Chai latte

The next pictures are a few of my workmate's dishes, beautifully presented dishes especially the baked eggs which my workmate devoured.

Baked eggs

I have also tried their caesar wraps, roast lamb wraps and the roast vegetable wraps. My favourite would be the lamb and the roast vegetable. I have tried to replicate them at home but always fail :( I have also tried their banana bread, toasted, with butter MMmm..can't go wrong.

My most recent dine in was when there was a false fire evacuation, so what do we do? we go to Santi's. I had the bacon maple syrup french toast which I have to say was HUGE and the best I've encountered.

French toast with bacon and maple syrup

It's a good thing that Santi's is right next to my work place but also a shame since I've always turned down my friends who have wanted to try the place out, it just feels like I'm going back to work on a weekend. One thing I also would like to note is the excellent service. The ladies are always in a good mood and all so bubbly, a great remedy for the monday blues.

Negatives would be the prices, I think it's abit on the pricey side. They have the most expensive sausage rolls I've ever seen, setting you back $8, but my workmate who has eaten it said it's REALLY good, the filling is a combination of beef and pork. hmmm....I'm still reluctant to pay that much for a sausage roll, I mean how good can it get. I think the reason why their dishes are pricey is because they're so BIG!, two people (ladies) could share a dish and perhaps they're taking advantage of the doctors and surgeons who dont' have time to venture further down Hampton road for a meal. Smart move. Time is really money.

Felix & Co. Speciality Coffee

"THAT RELISH?"

Whilst everyone is enjoying their christmas shut down periods, I am still slaving away at work :( Since most restaurants are closed for the year it makes it difficult for us to find food on Hampton road, the main street with numerous eateries we rely on to feed us. One day my workmate was in need of a coffee fix so we decided to suss out what's open. Most of our usual eats were closed except for Felix & Co. S wasn't a big fan of their coffee blend but decided to give them another go, she is now a convert and loved the blend she chose. Whilst we were chilling away in the little cosy cafe (probably could comfortably seat 15 ppl), we saw a couple having a toastie, it wasn't just a toastie, there was some kind of relish? that came with it and we were intrigued, funny how a relish? could just change the overall appeal of a toastie. We wanted to try it after our discovery.

The next time we visited, we both ordered a toastie. Toasties seem to be the main hot food they serve, they offer different kinds of toasties, toastie with ham and cheese, toastie with three cheese, toastie with mushrooms and cheese and toastie with the LOT! aka the godfather. To me if everything seems appealing, choose the one thats got more value for money. S and I chose THE GODFATHER.

Our toasties looked delicious and we couldn't wait to try the relish? I don't even know what to call it, it tasted like a mixture of tomato, chilli tuna and a capsicum, pecorino, cashew and basil red rock deli dip. Whatever it is, it's yum and it goes so well with the toastie. This has changed how I would eat my toasties now :) I also ordered a Chai latte *of course* to wash down my toastie, I've had better, it wasn't as creamy as I'd like it to be. I'll just stick to my toasties :)

Hours

Monday - Friday 6:30am-4:00pm
Saturday 7:00am-3:00pm
Sunday CLOSED

G' fun Nedlands

"Famous Chicken Rice!"

G'fun cafe has been around for ages, it took over Chilliz on Hampton road offering similar cheap meals. I use to go to these kinds of cafes when I was a poor uni student, meals were cheap like $4 cheap and unhealthy, I remember the Chilliz fried rice with honey chicken was so oily but so good.

Now that I'm a working citizen, I have this snobbish attitude towards these kinds of cafes, like I'm better than that *what a bitch right*. That changed when I just came back from a holiday in Singapore and was rather depressed, I missed the super cheap meals, I was in the process of  transitioning back to my Perth lifestyle, everything being expensive. One day I didn't bring lunch and refused to pay anything more than $5, I decided to try G'fun cafe. Ate my pride and did the long walk all the way to the other side of Hampton Rd from my workplace. Displayed on the window was a sign "Famous chicken rice is back" and I was intrigued, since I just returned from Singapore this is perfect. Went inside and it was rather quiet, I looked in the glass cabinet displaying all the hot meals all being $4.50 consisting of chicken rice, deep fried finger food, japanese bentos and fried rice. I ordered the roast chicken rice. There are also condiments on a table beside the counter where you scoop your own chilli or add soya sauce, I ladelled some chilli in my chicken rice and took a seat.

Looks wise, colour was perfect, chicken looks juicy. Took my first bite and WOW, I have to say it is damn good chicken rice! The roasted chicken was tender and the skin was full of flavour, rice had a good amount of chicken stock maybe a little on the oily side. The chilli sauce is a mixture of sweet and spicy and compliments well with the chicken rice, it is a definite MUST to add to the chicken rice, and it isn't really spicy, I mean if I can take it, I'm sure majority of people can handle the spiciness too.

I did alot of people watching and the business is doing very well, there are alot of regulars who order bulk and is very popular with the labourers, they come in big groups, not to mention students too. 

The only negative I'd say is that the dish needs something green, like slices of cucumber, it just makes the dish much more appealing. The photos outside the cafe are pictures of all the meals they offer and it's just all BROWN, I was quite turned off and was one of the reasons why I never went in, I only gave them a chance coz I had the holiday blues and was having a stingy day. In saying that, business is doing well, but I can't help but think they may have lost alot of potential customers, especially in this day and age where everyone is becoming more health conscious. 

Anyways back to the chicken rice, I've had this 4 times and I'm beginning to notice a pattern. The two times I went early in the morning, actually waiting for doors to open *shame*. In those times, my chicken rice wasn't as tender and was mostly bones. The other two times I went in the afternoon and the chicken was fresh and tender and more meaty. I think the morning batches are just left overs from the day before.

Wow just realised I've written alot, never had that much to say bout chicken rice, though it may not meet the authentic criteria, I will still name it best roast chicken rice! One day I'll buy a few as a take away for dinner and add my own steamed vegies :)