June 2014 - Page 2 of 2 - Adventure, baby!

Month: June 2014

City Kid Meets Country: Calmsley Hill City Farm

June 10, 2014 / Abbotsbury, Outdoor Play, South West, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

City kids meet country life at Calmsley Hill City Farm. Nestled in a quiet suburb in south-west Sydney, the farm dates back to 1806, when a Land Grant of 80 hectares was given to John Jamieson, a Scottish immigrant, who was the Superintendent of Government Stock at the time. He named the property Coulmesly Hill, but the spelling was later changed to Calmsley Hill. In 1984 Fairfield City Council took up the lease on the land and created Fairfield City Farm, now known as Calmsley Hill City Farm, as a place for families to learn about life on a farm.

The farm features many animal enclosures where you can get up close to farm animals like cows, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs and more. A favorite is the Australian Fauna walk-in, where you can meet free-roaming kangaroos and wallabies. The farm also runs tractor tours for an extra $3 per person a ride.

The best way to enjoy your farm visit is to plan to spend the day there and attend the educational shows. The schedule of events is timed so there is something on every 30 minutes from 10:30am, with a half-hour break for lunch at 12pm.

A sample daily entertainment schedule:

Animal Patting 10.30am
Morning Cow Milking Show 11.00am
Tractor Ride 11.30am (additional $3 per person)
FREE TIME for Lunch
Stock Whip Show 12.30pm
Working Dog Show 1:00pm
Sheep Shearing Show 1:30 pm
Koala Talk/Exhibition 2.00pm
Tractor Ride 2.30pm (additional $3 per person)
Animal Patting 3:00pm
Afternoon Cow Milking 3.30pm

You can also just roam around the farm and see the animals at your leisure. While the farm is quite small, there are a lot of animals and a lot of interactive opportunities.

The farm has baby animals throughout the year, such as this Shetland pony foal Dallas, born late in 2013. The newest baby animals are some multi-coloured piglets.

A small playground situated right in the middle of the farm, next to the barbecues and cafe, is great for entertaining little ones while you take a break (and possibly an ice cream).

Bring your own picnic lunch, or use one of the electric barbecues on the farm to cook your own lunch. You can also pre-order a DIY BBQ pack from the farm. Reasonably-priced take-away food can be purchased at the Farmhouse Kiosk (you can get a hot dog, hot chips and a milkshake for $9).

The shows are extremely educational, as well as entertaining for little ones. We particularly enjoyed the working dog demonstration, where as well as seeing the dogs round up sheep, we learned about the correct way to approach dogs in general, and how working dogs are trained.

Calmsley Hill City Farm
31 Darling St, Abbotsbury NSW 2176
Phone: 02 9823 3222
Open daily, 9am-4:30pm (last entry is 3:30pm)
Get Directions

Prices: Adult $23, Pensioner $16, Child (3-16years) $14, Family $70 (2 adults and 3 children – an internet deal for a family for $50 is currently on their website), Children under 3 FREE. Animal Feed Bags $2.

NASSIM HILL BAKERY: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Orchard Road, Singapore

June 9, 2014 / Food Reviews, Orchard Road, Singapore / 0 comment

I hold a soft spot for Nassim Hill Bakery, and always leave the place so impressed and eager to return. It’s along Orchard Road (right where the Tanglin post office building is), yet very quiet on weekdays and not packed out on weekends. I fear Orchard Road, and malls in general, on weekends. I can’t handle crowds, and a really packed out cafe makes me anxious. With two young kids in tow, we also don’t have the option or luxury to sit around waiting for food and jostle with everyone else.

Nassim Hill Bakery is centraly located, yet makes for a wonderful and relaxed brunch spot. The area is spacious, the staff are friendly, and the food is excellent.

The menu is pretty extensive, but be warned that the Breakfast and Lunch menus are mutually exclusive – the latter kicking in only at 11AM. I wish the dishes were just part of one menu, because the Breakfast options are limited to eggs, eggs and more eggs.

Nassim Hill Bakery do a lovely and smooth coffee, albeit with woeful latte ‘art’. I have never had a chance to try the biscotti, because my kids always pinch it straight off my saucer!

The complimentary bread basket (served with the Breakfast menu items, I believe), is a stunner. All the breads are baked fresh that morning within the premises, and it shows. The breads are all exceedingly soft and fluffy, with a beautiful aroma. A HUGE hit with the kids, being the carboholics that they are!

My interest was piqued by the sound of the Spicy Huevos Benedict. The two poached eggs oozed perfectly, and the seared Spanish chorizo slices added a lovely saltiness to the dish, which was paired well against the subtle flavour of the freshly baked ciabatta.

The only woeful item was the jalapeños guacamole, which was shockingly bad. It was basically mashed avocado, but the avocado was clearly ‘off’. It was brown, mushy, and had the weird brown ‘wormy’ bits all through it. It was absolutely inedible, and very obviously looked disastrous to the naked eye – so I was totally shocked they actually allowed this out of the kitchen (pretty shameful).

Nassim Hill Bakery’s rendition of the Chilli crab pasta ($16/$25) is a stunner, and easily the best crab pasta I’ve had in Singapore.. and possibly one of my favourite overall pastas. Yes, it’s spicy, but it’s worth it. The sauce is spot on, tasty and creamy, and studded with generous amounts of crab meat. It was fantastic and a must-order.

Equally impressive was their Hot Reuben – corned beef with melted emmental, sauerkraut, onions and russian dressing on signature asahi kuronama beer bread ($18). The saltiness of the corned beef went very well with the melted cheese, but was not overly salty. The beef was extremely tender, and came in a generous portion. In fact, the whole sandwich is actually pretty big. Small eaters can easily share one of these sandwiches between two people.

It comes with a side of garden salad, though I’d have also loved to have seen it served with a side of fries as well.

I’d actually ordered the Granola & Berries Parfait for Carter, but I ended up eating quite a lot of this, surprisingly! I generally dislike this sort of breakfast (too healthy, too boring, too fruity), and don’t like fruit in my meals. But I was surprised to find myself liking this, and kept going back for more with my spoon!

The crunchy granola paired well with the smooth yogurt, and the berries and raisins dotted through were sweet. It was very nice all mixed up together, and Carter gave this the thumbs up too.

Last Bite: Nassim Hill Bakery is the place to go to if you want a relaxed cafe right on Orchard Road. Their food is excellent, as is the coffee, but it’s their freshly baked breads (also available to bring home) that wow!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in mall)
Kids’ menu: No

Nassim Hill Bakery
56 Tanglin Road #01-03
Singapore 247964
Phone: 6835 1128
Prices: $$
Hours: Tue – Sun: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm

A Rawther Fancy Tea Party With Eloise At The Plaza

June 9, 2014 / Cheese, Manhattan Munchies, Midtown, Midtown East, New York Food / 2 Comments

Something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time is take little E to an Eloise-themed Rawther Fancy Tea Party at the Plaza Hotel. The Rawther Fancy Tea Parties are part of the special events run under the Plaza Hotel in the Eloise store. I ADORE the Eloise character and have been so excited to share her with my own Miss E. So it happened on a steamy, rainy Friday that the Little One and I found ourselves at the pinkest tea party that ever might be.

Our host, Stephanie, made us feel extremely welcome. Stephanie ran the tea party for us, providing us with pink lemonade as well as real tea (E and I both had citrus chamomile). It was E’s first “real tea” and she flipped out when I gave it to her, because it made her feel like such a big girl to be drinking adult tea with mummy.

Our afternoon tea delights arrived on a three-tiered platter of illustrated Eloise plates. The bottom plate held fruit skewers, the middle plate had sandwiches (egg salad, cream cheese and cucumber and peanut butter and jelly), and the on the top plate, sweets (mini cup cakes, chocolate brownie and choc chip cookies). Please excuse the terrible photo of the tea platter. E was SO EXCITED when it was placed in front of her that she photobombed me and I laughed so hard the camera shook.

The Rawther Fancy Tea Party was held in the party room in the Eloise Store, which is under the Plaza Hotel, next to the Plaza Food Hall. We’ve visited the store before on many occasions and E has always been attracted to the tiny chairs and tables — a perfect size for this little one to feel like a big girl, while at a very special tea party with kids her age in mind.

E tried a little of everything, but particularly loved the mini cupcake and the fruit. I happily ate the sandwiches (LOVE me some tea sandwiches) and can report that they were delicious. The fruit was super fresh and tasty (they didn’t taste like the fruit had been sliced hours earlier, languishing in a fridge), and the baked goods were all kid-friendly crowd pleasers (it is hard to go wrong with cookies and brownies.) As often happens with me and tea, we couldn’t eat all the sweets so we had them boxed up to take home.

Our fellow tea party goers were girls of similar age, along with their mum or mum plus an out of town friend. After our tea party we all wrote letters to Eloise. Stephanie told us that Eloise always writes back, so we’re very excited to receive a special letter in the mail. Miss E “wrote” her letter in some beautiful swirly drawings, at the end of which I added that we loved our tea party and wished Eloise had been able to make it.

The letters were all posted in the appointed Eloise mail box, ready for delivery upstairs to the Plaza’s most famous resident. E loved posting the letter so much that she took out everyone else’s letters and reposted them all several times.

Next came story time. Stephanie read two shorter Eloise books to the party in the back room of the Eloise store, while we lounged on the bright pink ottomans.

And then the party was over! Each child received a gift bag containing an Eloise pencil, postcard, mints, gift voucher to the store, and a book.

We shopped around, said “hello!” to Eloise, and went home. We love, love, love a tea party! Thanks Eloise and The Plaza!

Rawther Fancy Tea Parties are held on Friday at 4pm at the Plaza Hotel. Cost is $100 for an adult and child pair. Reservations are required.

The Plaza Hotel
Fifth Avenue at Central Park South,
New York, NY 10019

ABC Kitchen; Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Union Square, New York

June 9, 2014 / Manhattan Munchies, New York Food, Union Square / 0 comment

For the husband’s big 40th birthday, I decided to spoil him with lunch at ABC Kitchen. With Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the helm, I knew we were going to be in for a great dining experience. The restaurant is situated in the ABC Home store near Union Square. They have a seasonal menu with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients (where possible). Their menu alignes with the farm-to-table movement, and is free of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, antibiotics and hormones. All of the food at ABC Kitchen is also GMO-free, and naturally and humanely sourced from regional farmers and fair trade cooperatives. The restaurant celebrates community and the future of the slow food movement.

Taking a toddler to a fancy lunch is always risky. I planned this lunch to get wiggly E to nap in her stroller on the way so we could get through at least part of lunch before she woke up. The staff couldn’t have been sweeter, finding us a table that accommodated our sleeping toddler in her stroller, and had a place set for her upon her awakening. In the best birthday gift of all time, E slept right through lunch, waking up when dessert was served. A happy birthday to Daddy indeed!

Since it was his birthday, Alec ordered the Wood Oven Roasted Maine Lobster with Oregano and Lemon-Chili Vinaigrette ($39). It was his first lobster ever, and he proclaimed it delicious. Together, we shared a few smaller dishes: Roasted Kabocha Squash Toast with Fresh Ricotta and Apple Cider Vinegar ($12), Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Vinaigrette ($11) and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cipollinis, Cashews and Maple Syrup ($10). The roasted squash toast was probably my favourite – I absolutely love the combination of ricotta and roasted squash. The flavors go together perfectly. I wasn’t a huge fan of the brussels sprouts – I found they were a bit bitter for my liking when paired with the mustard vinaigrette. Alec’s favorite was the roasted sweet potatoes with a hint of heat to them. For my main I had the Housemade Ricotta Ravioli with Herbs and Tomato Sauce ($23). It was absolutely delicious. Big fluffy pillows of pasta stuffed with creamy ricotta, and in a perfect tomato sauce.

For dessert we ordered the special, which, to be honest, I’ve forgotten what it was called (clearly not memorable!), and the Orange “Creamsicle” Tart ($10). The sweet staff put a candle in Alec’s dish and wrote a big “Happy Birthday!” on it in chocolate. With Little E to help him blow out the candle, Alec proclaimed it the perfect birthday lunch.

After eating we adjourned to nearby Union Square for play time.

Last Bite: High-end dining where kids are welcome. Reserve a table in advance so there’s no wait.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

ABC Kitchen
35 E 18th St,
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 475-5829
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon-Wed 12pm–3pm, 5:30–10:30pm, Thurs 12pm–3pm, 5:30–11pm, Fri 12pm–3pm, 5:30pm–11:30pm, Saturday 11am–3:30pm, 5:30pm–11:30pm, Sunday 11am–3:30pm, 5:30pm–10pm
Reservations
Get Directions

COMMUNE BISTRO @ PHOENIX PARK: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Tanglin, Singapore

June 7, 2014 / Food Reviews, Singapore, Tanglin / 1 Comment

Spacious, airy, and not too crowded, Commune Bistro is an excellent choice for parents that want a quiet brunch and lots of space for their child. Service is attentive and food arrives swiftly, a huge bonus in our book.

Look carefully for the non-descript entrance, or you’ll walk straight past without noticing! Parking is free and available just outside the building.

I was particularly entranced with the clean palette of neutrals used to decorate the place. Everything is orderly and decor is carefully arranged. Check out the beautiful (and giant!) vase of flowers by the front door.

Our Iced lattes ($7) arrived in tall glasses and were very soothing on a hot day. The coffee, however, could have been a little more fragrant and stronger.

If you want to be wow’d, make sure you order the Baked camembert with brandy & maple syrup, almond slices, pear ($11.50). It’s outstanding and a must-order if you’re into your cheese. A whole wheel of Camembert comes surrounded by thinly sliced pear (that was super sweet!) and a scattering of almonds. The brandy & maple syrup sounded very interesting, and whilst it lent a sweetness to the dish, wasn’t particularly stand-out.

A scoop of oozing cheese, plonked on a pear slice, and scattered with some almond slices? Talk about a luscious brunch!

We were equally impressed with the Pink carbonara pasta with prawns, scallops, bacon, cream and splash of tomato jus ($22.50). The pasta was presented with FAT, juicy prawns, and gigantic tender scallops. The seafood was full of springiness and freshness, and was complimented well with the subtle flavour of the tomato-cream sauce. Delicious.

The Beef pho ($20.50) was less impressive compared to the former two dishes. It arrived looking very legit, with a plate piled with condiments and a big bowl brimming with beef, noodles and soup. However, the soup was relatively bland (it didn’t pack that rich broth punch we love), and the beef was not that fragrant. It was an “okay” dish, but not a must-order. Especially factoring in the price…

Last Bite: Commune Bistro boasts an airy ambience and a neutral decor. We were particularly delighted with the Western dishes on their menu!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Commune Bistro
308 Tanglin Road, Phoenix Park
Singapore 247974
Phone: 6235 9008
Prices: $$$
Hours:
Mon – Fri: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sat – Sun: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

TUNG LOK SIGNATURES: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Harbourfront, Singapore

June 3, 2014 / Food Reviews, Harbourfront, Singapore / 1 Comment

We’ve been to Tung Lok Signatures at Vivocity a few times, and each time, have left really impressed.

Service is prompt and attentive, the restaurant is brightly lit with sunshine streaming in, and their yum cha dishes are fantastic. They’re especially patient with the kids, and are quick to bring out kids cutlery without being asked to.

Their dim sum baskets range from $4-$5, which is pretty reasonable. The kids will pretty much eat everything at Tung Lok Signatures, save the spicy stuff. We usually order a storm of dim sum baskets, but I only managed to take photos of a handful – it’s all snapped up too quickly most of the time!

The char siew bao is a favourite of my kids’. The bun is fluffy and soft, and the BBQ pork meat encased inside is not too sweet, so I’m happy to give them the entire thing to eat.

I’m not sure what the correct Chinese name for this is, so I simply call this the crispy yam yumcha dish. The swirls on the outside make this a very pretty dish to look at, and is conveniently bite-sized for little fingers.

I thought this bowl of noodles with fish puffs was a bit strange, but my kids lapped it all up, so I’d order it again next time for them! The silky noodles come in a fine broth, and the soft airy puffs fascinate the kids. It’s a pretty plain dish, but it’s satisfying.

I adore their spicy dumplings. The tender pork dumplings are juicy and moist, and generously laced with minced garlic and chillis. Admittedly, I push the chili aside (I’m a bit weak and can’t hold my spice), but the soy sauce mixture they come sitting in is spicy enough for my taste buds and gives the dumplings a real kick of flavour. It’s a must-order dish for me!

No yum cha lunch is complete without liu sha bao, otherwise known as Salted egg yolk and custard buns. I only recently discovered that these buns exist, and have been ordering them at every single yum cha joint around Singapore. They’re AMAZING!!!

And this is what’s inside. Molten, gooey, creamy custard mixed with egg yolk. It sounds like an odd combination if you’ve never had them before, but it works oh-so-well. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and salty, and I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t like them (except those that are health conscious, because these babies pack serious calories!).

Last Bite: Tung Lok Signatures can always be counted on for excellent yum cha and attentive service. Their spicy dumplings are a winner!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: No

Tung Lok Signatures
#01-57, VivoCity
1 HarbourFront Walk
Phone: 6376 9555
Prices: $$$
Hours:
Mon – Sat: 11:30 – 15:00
Sun & PH: 11:00 – 15:30
Daily: 18:00 – 22:30

Goodbye to all that

June 1, 2014 / Cheese, Family, New York Life / 2 Comments

Three years ago, I flew to New York alone, and four months pregnant. Meeting Alec at the airport I was apprehensive, scared, extremely nauseous, and not sure that we’d made the right decision. The years that followed were the hardest, most challenging, most frustrating years of my life thus far – compounded a million by having a baby in a country far from our family.

But in the middle of these difficult years, something extraordinary happened. We created a tiny New Yorker and made a home in this big crazy city. We explored. We dreamed big. We discovered what we were truly capable of when faced with adversity. New York is a hard place to live. It’s fast, it’s dirty, it’s expensive. It’s also aggressive, strong and fierce. Each day can be like a battlefield – just taking a subway ride solo with a small child requires serious commitment and resolve.

I learned a lot about myself thanks to this tough city. That I, too, can be tough, resilient and resourceful. That I’m capable of starting over in a new country, of making so many wonderful friends.

Living in this city plus motherhood broke me down, and built me back up again into a person who is more confident, more certain of her own worth, and who is happier with who she is than ever before. Thank you New York for toughening up this soft girl from Sydney suburbia.

Saying goodbye is something I don’t want to be doing. It feels too soon, too unfinished. But things don’t always go to plan, and our priorities have changed. Alec, Cheese and I will be returning for a time to Sydney to be closer to our families. We feel that it’s the right thing for us to do at this time in all of our lives, and we are embracing this decision while walking away from a life we also love passionately. Something I’m finding really hard to do. We are beyond lucky that we have such a wonderful life to return to back in Australia. Family and friends whom we love, and a country where it’s truly great to live.

So goodbye (for now) to the piles of garbage on the sidewalk. To the smell of dog pee and sticky pavements in summer. To rats, lunatics and rappers in the subway, polar vortexes and hurricanes. So long to loving friends who embraced us into their lives. To Cheese’s playmates since birth. To tulips and daffodils in the spring, and fields of orange and red leaves in the fall. To carousels and whoopie pies, Broadway and world-class ballet. Goodbye to a life we loved, and hello to a brand new chapter for us all.

New York, we love you, and we will see you again soon.