A Love Hate Thing

Lobo Plantation.

A little underground Cuban oasis. Dressed as elaborately as the time and setting, this joint is almost like a beautiful badass mirage. Tucked right in the heart of the CBD (and in such close proximity to its neighbouring cousins, Baxter Inn, Grandmas...), this young Havana escape is added into the mix. Just when I thought Clarence street couldn't get any better. 

Love. Cocktails. On Point. Some of my favourites are the Nuclear Daiquiri and Jamaican Julep. This is also the joint where I've had the best Mojito. Although overall, the food isn't impressive enough to hold you breath for, a special shout out is warranted for the three dishes that is just outstanding-- Baked Cheese balls, Tamales and the amazing Black Bean Stew (YES. CHICKEN.) Oh and the Banana Chips (Gadaaymm)! And as we like it, all wrapped up in tropical button up shirts with bow ties and floral ties as finishing touches, the some of the friendliest and finest mixologists are definitely amazing at what they do. 

Here's my cocktails list I'd like to share with y'all : Jamaican Julep, Pre Elixir, Millionaire, Mojito, Meassage In A Bottle, South East Side and my (not on the menu) personally recommended love, The Nuclear Daiquiri. 

However, this place could really amp it up by delivering ace customer service-- specifically to the ones on the floor. I mean, when I ask for 'your recommendation' I'm after a personal answer not a recitation of the menu. This is where we develop a relationship. Don't waste the opportunity. Also, YES, congratulations on the five stars on Timeout Sydney! But a bunch of star rating shouldn't trigger any sort of cockiness so much as to start telling your customers (who most likely spend a couple of hundreds of dollars) to 'get the fuck out' when it's passed the licensed time. I'm pretty sure a simple 'Hey guys, the bars closed. Sorry to see you go but we've passed the licensed time! Hope you all had a great night! Until next time.' To the (not so) gentleman who told everyon to fuck off on Saturday night, you need to educate yourself, take either a Hospitality or People Skills Course or something. Better yet, take some pointers from the bar staff. Prior to this encounter, I've held a little love for Lobo and it has been quite a high personal recommendation of mine to my friends and those who have sought for my advice. Today, I sit here wondering and second guessing myself-- a place I don't like being in. 

Though, besides that little hump, I do love this place. That sexy bathroom, a bar filled with experienced and lovely bar tenders that will create a drink to blow your mind is what makes this world go round. I mean, despite the slightly mismatched choice of music, I come back again and again and again wanting more of those beautiful poison mixes. This is a Cuban rum bar joint. Let it be heard! Change your music (if you need suggestions, hit me up, I've got the perfect playlist), bring Havana to Sydney and get your groove on. This place has so much potential and a little tweak here and there wouldn't hurt.

Oh how I love you and I love you and I hate you and I love you.

Of course, you must check this Carribean pocket out for yourself. (Serious Voice) Thinking of a Friday gig? Unless you love the breath of fresh air and the cry of the city's sirens, get in there early. 5pm early. Let me know what you think!

MARRICKVILLE RITZ HOTEL

Marrickville Ritz Hotel

Fresh off the oven. Who would've thought, Marrickville. 

This place is super new. I've only visited it once so unfortunately I wont be very helpful in giving you an objective recommendation. That being said I wont be attempting to recommend this place, YET. The sweet dimly lit pub, gives off an usually clean vibe. It's interesting to have an ambience of Surry Hills in this part of this city.

The DJ has to go. We came into a blanket of unappealing house music, which led me to ask for some hip-hop vibes. He replied with a confident "Yep, I'm about to put that next." Excited I went back to our party. Then Kendrick Lamar comes on followed by another Kendrick Lamar and the 'hip-hop set ended in Frank Ocean's Super Rich Kids. Now, there are just so many thing I can see how this type of dj-ing is so bad bordering on criminal, but I wont get into it. I'll give him props to putting on Disclosure and yes MJ was thrown in there, but its too late. This place needs a better DJ. SOON.

I hope this hotel take on criticism nicely and work towards bettering it because this is exactly what Sydney needs. Nice little oasis of good food, great drinks and awesome music just to spend the night away.

xx

Last Saturday With Mr Jones

Excelsior Jones, Canterbury

What a nice way to spend a raining Saturday. 

This little abyss is smack bang on the corner of one of the craziest roundabout/intersection in the quiet streets of Ashbury. Greeted by an awesome waitress with a sick Basquiat hair, she also took our order the way no other have done before- she sat next to us. Made us feel so at home. As she congratulated us with our food for three for two, our coffee and chai came short after :) Great coffee and if you normally like your chai with a little bit of honey, their brew is already on the sweet side. Although I found it rather unnatural to not add honey, it tasted amazingly without it! We missed out on the breakfast menu, so didn't try the granola, but the highly recommended mushroom on toast was on site, with cheeseburger and  Pork hash we were ready to own this joint. The Cheeseburger had sweet potato on the side which was awesome! The Pork Hash was so nice and the Mushroom on toast was definitely the best I've ever had. Besides the fact that I wish the music was a little bit louder, this joint had a chilled vibe with a relaxed non-pretentious Ashfield-Canterbury people (just hungry people) 

One thing Id like to point out was that I wish the music was a little bit louder :) 

Here's a picture, a keep sake. See you there !! x 

LIVNLIFE

URBAN

I've always loved the urbanscape. Perhaps it's the presence of rust, the beauty embedded in dirt, the claustrophobic congestion, the incessant activity, the deafening clashes and bangs and the piercing screams of ambulance and police cars.. It's the overall speed of it all. Could it be the adrenalin? Who knows. 

But what I love most about the city is its lack of space. An abiotic presence warranting the coexistence between elements both organic and inorganic. And here is where architecture shows off, art brings to reality the most vast imaginations. And culture, well it starts to speak for itself. Apparently, Japan does the urbanscape well. So does New York. But I've yet to see them for myself. For now, all I can say is, Sydney, you are one beautiful badass motherfucker. 

LIKE: AWKWARDVILLE BUT BEST MOCHA

Barmuda, Newtown

Finally got to try this gem everyone has been buzzing about on a nice sunny Sunday morning for brunch with my best friend. The talk of the town is that this place is great. Tucked away on the cute Australia Street (one of my favourite streets in Newtown. FYI!) this place was radiating with life. Before I get into the part where I think this place is great, lets knock a few bumps first. Sunday brunches is everything but quiet-- and I understand that there will be elbow bumpings, order swapping, coffee burning, seat disappearing and worse comes to worse order forgetting incidents (This is death when you're really hungry) but I have accommodated for these and I think I'm pretty lenient when it comes to cafe service. But attitude from waiters, that shit ain't cool. If I don't take it from anyone else, I certainly wont have it from someone about to serve me one of my favorite meals of the day.

Two hungry birds with gleaming smiles of excitement, we reach Australia street. The place was packed (good sign)! So we hesitated the usual bulldozer style set up shop wherever you feel like entrance and courteously waited outside instead. The waitress saw - ignored - waited for a minute- spotted an empty table for two- waited for another minute- waitress saw- nothing. Awkward. What do you do? WE awkwardly (almost rudely) go inside past everyone hypnotised with their awesomely looking aliments, towards the table AND had to actually point out the obvious to this girl - We need a table for two. There's one available right here! Can we sit down...? Immediately ordered a mocha and the usual SFW. I will have to point out, I don't mind coffee delays. I understand that there will be a 10-15 maybe sometimes 20 minute delay on the coffee during busy hours but 30? Come on thats pushing it a little don't you think? If you run a joint where people had to wait that fkn long for their "coffee to start of with", that's fucked. Get another barista for fuck sake. Funny thing is the WAIT wasn't the issue, as I called for service to ensure that our coffee was on the way and not forgotten, we were met with more awkward bullshit -

Me: Hey we ordered a while back, a mocha and... (interupted by waiter dude)
Waiter dude: (in the most stoned way)  You diiiiid!!?, did youuuu?
Me: (taken aback) yeah, just wondering if all is well and that its on the way.
Waiter dude: Yeeeaaa were just really busy right nowwww. Its just a little lonnnnger than exxpeccted.
Me: Oh cool. thanks :)
Me and my friend: (what the f? hahaha? awkward?)

My friend went to Planet Newtown - Bacon, bread, eggs, sausages, mushrooms and tomato; while I opted for the Monster Steak Sandwich- scotch fillet, rocket and aioli. Where my order came without the steak.... (Awkward.).

The coffees came after the food - which is totally the norm in Awkwardville. Still anticipating for the coffees - my heart felt the slowly approaching steps as the waiter places the cups down on our table. Coffee was great but across the table is where shit got real. There we were, frozen in amazement - this jaw dropping, mouth watering, sexual orgasm defying, groan producing gift from chocolate heaven in front of us. My friend is so cool and she let me have the first sip, and ITS FUCKING GOOD. And just like that, all the weird encounters and complaints before this moment dissipated into thin air. Like magic. So good and so worth it. BEST MOCHA. THERE IS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE ON THE FKN RIM! I don't know how shit can top this shit off !! Compliments to the sweet barista - he says he calls it the Chocolate Volcanic Explosion.


Oh, explosion it was indeed ;-p