Bitter Sweet, Port Macquarie

I have posted many times about Bitter Sweet (most of the posts can be found here). The cafe/patisserie is the go-to in Port Macquarie for a sugar fix, or luscious breakfast. And, since moving to Sydney, nothing has changed.
Nathan and I visited Bitter Sweet with his family back in February. Like always, it's hard to find a table, the cafe is bustling with patrons of all ages; young and old alike opt for the sweet, sweet cakes. Not a soul seems to find it odd that it's nine in the morning.

I start with a mixed berry smoothie ($5.50) as I'm having one of my anti-coffee days. My drink shortly arrives, and my am I pleased with the choice: the smoothie is full of flavour and silky smooth.

Yes, Bitter Sweet has definitely not changed. The staff are as pleasing and joyous as ever. But while the cafe retains all its good assets--namely the friendly vibe, and that delectable array of cakes--verging on the negative side, the menu is same-old, too. Sure, this isn't necessarily bad, but I've visited the cafe enough times to last a life time for your average-day cafe goer, and I have tried EVERYTHING. My visit suddenly decreases in excitement.

Nonetheless, we order and end up happy. Nathan's beautiful mother, Yvonne, goes light with the bircher bowl with vanilla stewed rhubarb, prunes and natural Hastings yoghurt. She is overjoyed. The muesli is crisp, bursting with different textures and tastes and the blueberries and strawberries are an unexpected, but all the more welcome, addition. For $11, the meal is a steal.

For the rest of our party of four, it's an Eggs Benny day, two with bacon, the other with premium leg ham ($16). Our Bennies look stunning on arrival, garnished with tomato and a sprig of herbs. The hollandaise is fresh and creamy. The eggs epitomise poached, with the yolk dousing the crisp toast and flavoursome ham upon being sliced. Bitter Sweet does one of the best Bennies I've ever had.

Consistent, friendly and scrumptious. Perhaps the largest downfall to my visit is that I didn't leave with a patisserie good. But nevertheless, our breakfast outing was divine. And will we go back--do you even need to ask? 

Bitter Sweet, 48 Watonga Street, Port Macquarie

Cedro, Port Macquarie

I am horrendously behind with my posts. The thing is, I have rediscovered reading and once you find a good book, my god is it hard to put down.

After a long time wishing for a visit to Port Macquarie's Cedro, my father and I finally made plans to visit the demure cafe on December 27 (yes, really behind I know!) Prior to our visit, it had always seemed that Cedro was closed whenever we decided to go. I am just glad I didn't give up! When I finally did visit, the service and food was excellent, sealing the cafe's fate as a new go-to.

Being a public holiday and very early in the morning, the cafe was quiet. This was lucky for us because it was blowing a gale outside. While there's a lot of al fresco seating lining the pathways on the corner of Clarence and Short streets, there is limited seating inside - a communal square table for around eight and a handful of others to seat groups of four to be exact.

The waitstaff at the cafe were incredibly friendly and very talkative which was nice. They were very comforting while I waited for my father who was late, and not in the slightest bit pushy. When my father finally arrived, orders were taken swiftly and jovially.

My father, not feeling very peckish, ordered the poached eggs on Turkish toast, adding bacon ($15.50). He had no complaints himself, but personally, I believe $4.50 for an add on (which also includes tomatoes, mushrooms, smoked leg ham, slow baked beans, chorizo, avocado, crisp chat potatoes) is a bit steep. To be honest, every time I see eggs and toasted listed on a cafe menu I cringe. Not because the old eggs and toast combo isn't damn tasty, but because of the absurd prices that are usually attached. 

I opted for the roasted forest mushrooms on brioche with wilted baby spinach, asparagus and gorgonzola, a poached egg and truffle oil ($17), which was absolutely divine and, unlike my father's meal, well worth the price. The poached egg was spot on - the yolk oozed out when I ran my knife through it -, the mushrooms were excellently marinated and the brioche was so sweet, crisp and soft at the same time. I was thrilled with my meal and couldn't have asked for anything better.

The coffee at Cedro was deliciously smooth. I usually don't like Toby's Estate but this was brewed well and presented beautifully. It was also exquisite because it came with a smile!

It really is a wonder why I let the fact that I hadn't visited Cedro slide for so long. But with a delicious sounding menu including such things as goat's cheese, basil and shallot scramble and a breakfast tagine of lamb, pumpkin and minted yoghurt, I will just have to go back - and oh so willingly will I go!

Cedro, 70 Clarence St, Port Macquarie

Zebu Bar + Grill, Port Macquarie

Zebu is doing wonders to Port Macquarie. It is perhaps the most upmarket restaurant cross bar in the coastal town and also occupies prime tourist territory. The main thing I love about Zebu is what it adds to Port's night life: a very sophisticated, elegant bar with a great range of drinks, extremely creative decor and an absolutely delicious cocktail list. But, after visiting the restaurant half of Zebu after a hiatus, I must say, the bar may not be Zebu's better half.

The restaurant offers a fine dining service that could carry its weight in culinary heavyweights like Sydney and Melbourne. The service is super refined, with friendly yet professional waitstaff, regularly refilled water and swift bringing out of orders. The decor is sleek with patterned walls, glass cabinet alcohol displays, electric fires and floor-length glass windows overlooking the pristine Hastings River.

On arrival, we are quickly seated, and soon find ourselves being given four complimentary oysters - one for the each of us. Luckily for me, neither Mum, Kyle or his girlfriend, Emily, like oysters so I guzzle down three of them. Any restaurant that provides a complimentary starter or bite to eat with the bill - for example, the delicious turkish delight at 3 Olives - instantly gets a place in my good books. And the beauty that was these oysters, almost assured that Zebu's place would be secured.

Zebu has your usual menu, and then there's the above; patrons are literally spoilt for choice. Those who pick something "from the grill" are met with the (aweful) decision of deciding between 11 sides and 12 sauces. With options such as buttered broccollini with zattaar and rosemary and garlic mash for sides, and creamy garlic and shallot and cafe de paris for sauces, the act of just picking what to munch on becomes near impossible. 

After many years deciding, Kyle decided on the apple cider and star anise infused Kurobuta pork cutlet with buttermilk onion rings and dijon mustard, I, the pork with the three cheese cauliflower gratin and cinnamon and star anise spiced apple sauce, Mum, the Rosemary, thyme and garlic marinated Murray Lands lamb rump with duck fat potato dauphinoise and wild mushroom ragout, and finally, Emily opted for the lamb, with thick cut steak fries and dijon mustard. We also ordered the flat bread with rosemary, confit garlic and smokey tomato salsa ($7.50) to share.

The flat bread came out soon enough, presented beautifully on a wooden board. The confit garlic was incredibly soft, and went down very smoothly spread across the bread. The tomato salsa packed a punch.

However, our mains saw some problems. Three of our four orders had been confused - therein lies the downside of their complex mix-and-match menu. I'm not going to go into the who-received-what, because boy could that be confusing. Basically, we all received the right slab of meat, but the sides and sauces, just no. Instead of one serving of each of the following - onion rings, chips, duck fat potato and cauliflower gratin - we received two lots of onion rings and two lots of chips. And, rather than two dijon mustards, one ragout and one apple sauce, we received two apple sauces and two dijon mustards (one to the wrong person).

Oh well, all was forgiven. Not only did we receive all the dishes we had originally ordered soon after the mistake was brought to light, but we got to keep everything we had been given by accident, and sincere apologies were made. On top of this, our food was absolutely faultless.

Oh the apple cider and star anise infused kurobuta pork cutlet with buttermilk onion rings and cinnamon and star anise spiced apple sauce ($34), so tender and full of lovely flavours, and improved tenfold with the spiced apple sauce. My own brother, who I admit, is overly picky, liked the apple sauce. Mind you, this followed much convincing that it would compliment the pork better than any dijon mustard. This was also my first experience of onion rings and I can now safely say that I am hooked.

Our two servings of thick cut chips were a hit (not with me, sadly, owing to my chip ban). They were crisp and had been imparted with a spot on level of salt. The rosemary, thyme and garlic marinated Murray Lands lamb rump with thick cut steak fries and dijon mustard ($36) also received red hot reviews with both Mum and Emily. I was surprised at how tender both types of meat we had ordered were. The slight seasonings on made the pork and lamb near perfect.

The beauty of Zebu's menu is that it is easy to mix and match. Mum and I shared the duck fat dauphinoise and cauliflower cheese gratin. Both were scrumptious, I particularly liked the cauliflower that I chose, which was light and coated with just the right amount of cheese. But, then again, I'm probably a bit biased.

To summarise, I was really impressed on this visit to Zebu. Even if they really stuffed around the orders, the food was so good that such a horrendous error was forgotten. Zebu's presentation is plain beautiful, with everything plated using charming skillets, boards and pots. The service was very refined and yet still managed to retain friendliness. And the food was simply top class.

I must mention that one of our glasses hadn't been cleaned properly, and was contaminated with what appeared as mucus. To be fair, I found it necessary that I mention this but, in all honesty, I had almost forgotten in light of the wonderful experience that was had by all.

It's best you visit Zebu on a warm, summer's night when the sun's just setting for an excellent dinner and equally stunning atmosphere.

Zebu Bar + Grill, 1 Hay Street, Port Macquarie

Rainforest Cafe, Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie's Sea Acres just underwent a renovation. It's sad that the connected Rainforest Cafe hasn't changed. Rainforest Cafe boasts a prime position, nestled in the coastal town's own luscious subtropical rainforest. If only the food had a point of difference, then this place could be one of the best Port Macquarie has to offer.

We visited the cafe for my Grandfather's birthday. There seated the eight of us at a long table inside. While outside is preferable on a warm summer's day, inside is just as good, with glass windows spanning the entirety of three of four walls. The decor at Rainforest Cafe is refreshing, with soft greens, wood and the rainforest in the background. Sitting among the whistles and chirps of the birds and peculiar sounds of the local brush turkeys is soothing in a way.

This was my first outing with my Canon 600D, so lets just say I was a little bit snap happy. That's not to say that the pictures are great. My current style is more point and shoot.

I can't remember Sea Acres having a different menu. There's nothing worse than getting dragged off to the same cafe repetitively to find that nothing has changed in over a year and that you're stuck with the same-old items.  Rainforest Cafe is in dire need of something new; I am a little bit sick of their sandwiches, terrine and pumpkin tart. Luckily they had a handful of specials so that I could retain my sanity.

I must say that the salad of sauteed prawns, chorizo, potatoes and rocket with salsa verde ($22) of mine was quite tasty. I am a sucker for chorizo and this hit the spot perfectly. The prawns were as prawns should be (if anyone comes up with some appropriate words to describe prawns, let me know). The potato was crisp and the salsa verde brang the meal together.

One thing Rainforest Cafe nails is their presentation. Kyle's girlfriend, Emily, ordered the chicken Caesar salad: cos lettuce, bacon, eggs, parmesan and homemade dressing topped with chicken breast and Sumac ($18.50). The chicken was so tender and a great contrast to the crisp croutons. The Sumac added a lemony tinge, and overall, the salad was lovely.

I've had the roasted pumpkin, ricotta and sage tart with a mixed salad and toasted macadamias ($16.50) before and it was quite disappointing. The pumpkin, ricotta and sage mixture didn't stay together and was a bit bland in terms of flavour. The macadamia element of the salad was also very small. I didn't ask my Grandmother if she enjoyed this but she seemed content.

The wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce ($8.50) were a hit with my brother who doesn't fancy heavy lunches. The sour cream and sweet chilli sauce combination always goes down well.

Rainforest Cafe also does a mean range of cakes and desserts, which go down best with a nice coffee. They have everything from creme brulee (sorry, it had to get a mention - it's my favourite dessert after all) to a variety of gluten free cakes. A lot of their cakes and menu items have a French touch. I've had a sesame seed macaron in the past, and although the texture was a bit off, the flavour was certainly there.

As I mentioned, Rainforest Cafe's coffee is quite good. On a warm day, you can't go past an iced coffee, and theirs is smooth and creamy with the perfect balance between milk and coffee.

The staff here can be a bit unfriendly and distant, but the odd waitress/waiter is a keeper. Orders are taken and come out at a decent rate, but really, there is nothing outstanding about the service.

Also, you should probably note that given its location and focus on the outdoors, Rainforest Cafe isn't the best venue on a dreary, gloomy day. On the other hand, if it is warm and sunny, a visit can be quite rejuvenating, and is made even better if following a stroll along the 1.3km Sea Acres boardwalk.

Sea Acres' Rainforest Cafe, Pacific Drive (near Shelley Beach entrance), Port Macquarie

Scampis, Port Macquarie

The Scampis Seafood Bar and Grill that I knew and loved is no more. Nowadays, Scampis sits below the Observatory Hotel, overlooking Town Beach. Sure, it's a suitable location given this is a seafood joint after all and the beach is a stroll away, but I loved the shanty Scampis on the marina, with its wooden decor and quaint charm. The new restaurant tries too hard to be sophisticated - with its crisp table settings and generally minimalistic decor - and the food has also suffered.

We started with the house bread with a selection of dips including rocket pesto, garlic oil and tomato compote ($6) Served on a wooden board, it was beautifully presented. The bread itself was crisp and the dips were full of flavour. I especially enjoyed the tomato compote, the garlic oil not so much.

We were lucky we ordered the bread. A while passed before the waitress came to take our main orders and after that our mains took half an hour to arrive. All the while the waitresses were distant, not one said anything about the wait or asked how we were doing.

The arrival of our meals didn't excite. The presentation was sloppy and did little to pique the senses.

Nonetheless, my pan-fried salmon with spicy fried rice and soy dressing ($26) fell apart on the fork, that is, it was deliciously tender. A hint of soy also bettered this beautiful fish's flavour. The rice, on the other hand, was gluggy. It was dressed nicely and the odd prawn nestled in the mess was a good touch, but the texture was off.

My brother, Kyle's, fillet steak with tomato, mushrooms, red wine jus and hand cut chips ($34) gains mixed notes on presentation. While I think it looked unpleasant, I have Nathan at my side watering at the mouth. I guess what counts is that Kyle said it was one of the nicer steaks he's had; even better than that of Hog's Breath. It was a juicy chunk of meat, perfectly cooked as requested. He said the chips were spot on with that perfect degree of crunch.

The steak in the Surf and Turf (sirloin steak, king prawns and calamari with garlic cream sauce and house potato) just couldn't match up. Complaints were also made about the lack of a strong "surf" element in the dish which had only three prawns. Overall, we weren't too happy about this dish. The $32 price tag was also judged to be steep.

For a seafood restaurant, the barramundi steak fried in beer batter with chips ($28) was nothing special. The portion was small for a start, and the flavours were lacking. My mother was also disappointed with the chips, questioning why she hadn't received hand-cut chips like Kyle. The salad was also a let down with wilting lettuce leaves and chopped tomato. The dish could've done with some garnishing.

The service did pick up when we received our food. Unlike before, the waitstaff did not seem to leave us alone, although unwanted.

Overall, our dinner wasn't something to remember. The service was indifferent and distant and Scampis decor is common, although it tries to be special.

Perhaps summarising the night, one waitress took off with an unfinished drink. And, although it was replaced, I believe this incident epitomises the inattentive and impersonal new Scampis.

Scampis also does breakfast and lunch. I only hope these are an improvement from dinner and the restaurant that previously occupied the location.

Scampis, Ground Floor, The Observatory, 40 William Street, Port Macquarie

Fig, Port Macquarie

Fig, with Zebu, is one of Port Macquarie's newest venues. And again, like Zebu, has excellently replicated the restaurant by day/ bar by night scaffold. Although Fig pales in comparison to Zebu Bar + Grill, which is only a short stroll across Town Green, it was nice to visit somewhere different for a change. I had previously been to the restaurant a handful of times, all disappointing. I found the portions - especially for the dinner sitting - to be horrendously small and the service was quite rude. But alas, I went back and some things had changed.

For one, the lunch menu is quite decent in terms of prices. Both my caesar salad with baby cos lettuce, shaved parmesan, soft-boiled egg, crispy prosciutto and housemade caesar dressing ($16) and my father's piri piri burger were generously sized. I couldn't finish the salad. My salad was plain, but nice. The prosciutto and bread were crisp, the chicken was tender and the dressing was spot on - I find that restaurants and cafes rarely perfect caesar dressings. Overall though, the meal was quite boring. It had no special elements and nothing to set it apart from this cafe staple. The elements were perfected, yes, but the dish could've been made more exciting. And still, the service at Fig is rude and unfriendly. I should also note that orders have to be placed and paid for at the counter - not the perfect venue for a fancy lunch. I probably won't be back.

My father, on the other hand, was a fan. Of his piri piri chicken burger - marinated chicken breast with avocado, cheese, tomato, lettuce and piri piri sauce, served with chips that is. He doesn't usually back avocado, but this burger converted him. He also said the chips were perfect, but balanced this with a comment about there being too much lettuce on the burger and not enough chicken. He also agreed that the service was lacking. We sat there for about ten minutes ready to place our orders, not knowing these needed to be placed at the counter. Countless waitstaff had walked past and failed to alert us to this fact.

Fig's decor is pretty cool. The cement ceiling creates a basement feel. The bar is backed by fluorescent lights that change colour, and the black wooden tables and gigantic chairs are juxtaposed by hints of bold, bright pink, green and orange in the lights and artwork. Fig overlooks the playground at Town Green making it an appropriate place for families to dine while their children play.

Fig, Town Green (located at the end of Horton St), Port Macquarie 

Bitter Sweet, Port Macquarie

Although Bitter Sweet is a cult favourite in Port Macquarie, as well as one of my go-tos for a sugarcoma, I think a lot of the praise it receives is superficial. Sometimes, when someone else is buying for you and a measly cake costs 8 dollars or more, you just want to tell them it's good. The same situation hits you when you're eating out at a place one your dining partner has chosen: we internalise that it would be rude to let them know that they just wasted our money. I think this situation happens a lot with Bitter Sweet.

The selection of patisserie goods on offer is awesome - I will give them that. But too often, they look a lot prettier than they taste. This is especially the case with their baked cheesecakes, which, despite being advertised of different flavours, are differentiated in taste only by the toppings: the cream, fruit, ganache, nuts et cetera.

This is why I was astonished when confronted with the baked macadamia and honey cheesecake ($8). The macadamia and honey flavours were very evident, and the cheesecake different to all others I had ordered from the patisserie. This creation was almost perfect: the chocolate ganache tucked away in the waffle cone had a beautiful velvety texture that contrasted the crunchy macadamias that surrounded it well. The only let down was the small waffle-like cone. Upon glancing I expected a crunch, but when I bit into it, it was soft and chewy, disappointing.

This visit was with my grandparents; Bitter Sweet is one of their favourite cafes in Port Macquarie and they visit frequently for a mid-morning coffee and toasted banana bread. They both ordered the gigantic white chocolate and almond cookie ($3). My Gran was unable to finish it, so wrapped it up tenderly in the accompanying pink serviette. My Gran is quite the cook and the treats at Bitter Sweet continue astound her, if that says anything. As do the friendly waitresses, who know most of my family by name and are some of the warmest, most genuine waitstaff in Port.

The iced coffee at Bitter Sweet is one of the best I have tasted. I find other drinks there - like lattes and cappuccinos - a bit bitter, but something happens when they make an iced coffee (maybe the sugar and ice cream balance the bitterness out). Whatever it is, their iced coffee is smooth and deliciously creamy.

Of course, Bitter Sweet doesn't only deal with coffee and patisserie goods: they have lovely summer menus for breakfast and lunch, with the items I have so far sampled being quite decent.

Just a warning though, the inside area can get a bit loud, with people walking through the middle of the cafe to place orders and grab their takeaway coffees, then there's the purring of the coffee machine to consider. I recommend you visit on a nice sunny day to laze about in the outdoor area. But even then, the view isn't the best. Sure, you're overlooking the pristine Lighthouse Beach, but you're also situated in the middle of a car park. Bitter Sweet does their best to hide this fact with gorgeous little flowers dotting the outdoor area and tables.

Bitter Sweet Cafe, 48 Watonga St, Port Macquarie

The Corner, Port Macquarie

I usually love The Corner, but this time my meal wasn't the best. And, like always, the service was uninspiring and distant. To a degree, I think that the staff at The Corner care too much about sophistication, which comes at the cost of warm, friendly service.

The Corner rotates their menu quite frequently but, it seems, not frequently enough for me. I've tried all the dishes that best meet my palate: the chicken burger, the pancakes, the chilli caramel glazed pork belly (YUM!), the mushroom risotto and the smoked chicken salad. Next on my list was the salmon. I must say, after conquering it I was severely disappointed.

For one of the most expensive items on the lunch menu, the seared Atlantic salmon w/ pomegranate and parsley salad and hazelnut dressing ($22) neither had the most intricate, well-paired elements nor a decent serving size. The salmon itself was delicious, seared perfectly with a touch of salt and oil. The salad, on the other hand, I barely touched. Their was too much pomegranate, making it overpowering and, apart from the three hazelnuts on the plate, no evidence of hazelnut dressing. The serving size was also horrible: hardly any greens, a tiny slab of salmon and three hazelnuts. The dish really didn't leave anything to be admired.

Nonetheless, the smoked chicken salad w/ avocado, Ricardo Tomatoes, haloumi and orange dressing ($17) was a hit with mum. She usually hates haloumi, but she loved the way The Corner had cooked it. The chicken was also tender. But again, the serving size was small, especially for a salad that usually doesn't make one feel full. My brother had the grilled chicken burger on Turkish w/ bacon, tomato, The Corner chutney and served w/ beer battered fries ($17) - seriously, what is with teenage boys and burgers?! - and was content with his choice. Looking at the picture, I would have been too - it looks divine, as does the beer battered chips (this coming from a girl who hasn't consumed chips in over three years and only recently became hooked on burgers).

To be honest, I think The Corner needs to lift their game. The quality of their dining experience is slipping and customers won't return if the unfriendly, dull service continues.

The Corner, 11 Clarence St, Port Macquarie