14 January 2012

The Coffee Barun - Adelaide, South Australia

Our new favourite breakfast spot is The Coffee Barun on Main North Road at Sefton Park.

front of the menu

The car park behind The Coffee Barun is quite small and usually full so we usually park just across from it in the shopping centre car park instead. As you walk in the front door, you'll notice the large open plan kitchen/dining area and plenty of friendly staff. You can grab a bottle of cold water, the morning paper, and menus to the left of the entrance and have a seat at an empty table, or if you know what you want to order go straight up to the counter. They'll give you a white table number on a stand after you pay. You can then have a read of the newspaper and soak up the cafe atmosphere while you wait, and usually you won't have to wait long before your order arrives. There's even a small wooden train set for the kids to play with.

inside Coffee Barun

Coffee beans are freshly roasted on site weekly at the Coffee Barun and they're available for sale in the store along with a range of espresso machines, grinders, manual coffee makers and accessories. Coffee beans used in the cafe are rotated based on availability so you might get a slightly different flavour depending on the origin of the beans when you visit. Coffees here are consistently smooth with a good crema. Here's a Large Cafe Latte ($4).

Large Cafe Latte ($4)

I've had quite a few overly strong or overly sweet Chai Lattes in the past, but this one was just right. This is the Large ($4).

Large Chai Latte ($4)

In addition to coffees and chai lattes, Coffee Barun also sells Belgian Hot Chocolates. This one's not as thick as the one at Bracegirdle's, but still has a nice strong Belgian chocolate flavour. It's $5 for a Large. Note: The normal hot chocolate is made with a very average chocolate powder. Definitely go for the Belgian if you want a hot chocolate here.

Large Belgian Hot Chocolate ($5)

With a name like The Coffee Barun, you'd think the drinks would be the main attraction. However, the delicious food is what has kept me coming back. The classic breakfast of Bacon & Eggs is $11.50. Free range eggs and good quality bacon on sourdough toast. So satisfying!

Bacon & Scrambled Eggs ($11.50)

Eggs Benedict fans will be pleased with the Barun Benedict ($15.50). The hollandaise sauce was slightly tangy, creamy and everything hollandaise sauce should be. The poached eggs were perfectly cooked as well.

The Barun Benedict ($15.50)

If you're really hungry order the Barun Breakfast ($16.50). It comes with bacon, eggs, sourdough toast, sausage, tomato and mushrooms. Big and delicious!

The Barun Breakfast ($16.50)

The Coffee Barun is a great coffee shop with awesome food. The quality of ingredients and the care from staff really shines here. They're open Mon-Sat 8am-3pm and Sun 9am-1:30pm. They also serve lunch (burgers and sandwiches) from 11am to close.

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09 January 2012

Kenton Valley Cherries - Kenton Valley, South Australia

Cherries are synonymous with the holidays in South Australia. If you're in the Adelaide area in December or January, you should have no trouble tracking down some awesome local cherries nearby in the Adelaide Hills. Check out the Cherry Growers Association of South Australia website for the latest Cherry Map for all of the options.

One of our favourite stops is Kenton Valley Cherries (open in Dec & Jan), signposted off the Gumeracha-Lobethal Road. Not only can you purchase fresh cherries here, but you can also sit down for a cup of tea or coffee and some delicious homemade cherry desserts as well!

Cafe

First things first - The cherries! On our latest visit, we selected a 1kg bag of Seconds Cherries ($6) and 1kg box of 26cm Cherries ($10). They also had 1kg boxes of First Grade 28cm Cherries for $14. The Seconds bag has a mixture of cherry sizes (including the gigantic 28cm ones), some of which have imperfections or are missing their stems. If you want pretty looking cherries, go for one of the boxes, but if you're on a budget and don't mind a few splits in your cherries, the Seconds bag is excellent value. Seconds also come in a 5kg box and First Grade Cherries also come in 2kg or 5kg boxes.

on left=1 kg Seconds cherries ($6), on right=1 kg First Grade 26mm cherries ($10)

While the cherries are the main attraction, you can't come to Kenton Valley Cherries without getting at least one Cherry Slice ($4). In my experience, this is an absolute winner every time. It's served warm with delicious whipped cream and a cherry on top. Divine!!

Cherry Slice ($4)

Other options on the Menu include Cherry muffins, crepes, scones, pie, crumble, ice cream and milkshakes.

Desserts menu

To go with your cherry dessert, you can choose from the drinks menu which includes a nice selection of tea and coffee choices.

drinks menu

Shed Doors are always fun to visit and Kenton Valley Cherries has made theirs even better by offering a cute cherry themed cafe as well.

01 January 2012

Lyndoch Bakery - Lyndoch, South Australia

If you're driving in the Barossa Valley in South Australia, you're sure to pass plenty of wineries and cellar doors. But if you're like us and on a budget, sometimes you just want some quick grub without all the fuss or the big price tag. Let me introduce you to Lyndoch Bakery, serving up excellent bakery fare.
(Note: The bakery also has a restaurant attached but I can only comment on the bakery itself as I haven't eaten at the restaurant.)

Lyndoch Bakery

Lyndoch is a little town (population of about 1500) located between Gawler and Tanunda in the Barossa Valley. There's a cute IGA grocery store just up the main street from the bakery which often has local produce for sale.

Lyndoch Bakery

As you step inside the bakery, this is the scene that greets you along with the seductive smell of baked goods wafting up your nostrils.

Lyndoch Bakery

At this point you might look down and say to yourself "pies, pasties and sausage rolls...oh my!" All hot, fresh and baked on the premises daily.

Pies, Pasties & Sausage Rolls, oh my!

The original meat pie:

Meat Pie

The potato pie:

Potato Pie

Inside the potato pie:

inside Potato Pie

Ned Kelly pie:

Ned Kelly Pie

Everything we've tried has been delicious every time. The pastry is never dry or from frozen, always fresh and perfectly cooked. They have quite a selection of sweets as well, including whoopie pies, cheesecakes, cream puffs, tarts, danishes and more. If you're in search of a great bakery in the Barossa, the Lyndoch Bakery awaits you.

Lyndoch Bakery on Urbanspoon