@topspeedthai

We have finally paid a visit to Top Speed Thai. It had been on my list of top spots to take Alvina, because I love the food and practically have it at least once or twice a fortnight. The quantities are enormous, and two mains with an entree will definitely leave two people full!

Soft shell crab

Crunchy yet soft and juicy in the inside. The sweet chilli sauce complements the crab so well. The first moment I tried this I became obsessed, but now it’s sorta died down. Thankfully.

Singapore noodles

This is my absolute favourite at this place. Probably 4 out of 5 times I will order this, and still not get sick of it. Every Thai place I go to I check the menu for Singapore noodles, but they never have it. Then again it does seem a little odd to have it though…at a Thai restaurant.

I was so glad Anna took me to this place, because i discovered this dish called “Singapore noodles”, it was so well flavoured but warning: the flavour may accumulate to saltiness later. Overall it was TOP stuff alright..

Massaman chicken curry with Roti bread

The curry is smooooooth and the chicken is so tender it breaks apart with a spoon and melts in your mouth. I’ve actually only had the massaman beef prior to this visit, and enjoyed that thoroughly, so it was no surprise the chicken was just as good.

This curry melted in your mouth whilst allowing supple chicken pieces to add a slight sweetness to the flavour. Usually a lot of places get this curry wrong by making it too sweet but this was just right, perfectly combined with the chewy Roti bread.

Monkey-ing around

After dinner we headed to a dessert place that had just opened up, but then didn't really feel like any of the options, so headed to a bar instead for some cocktails. We were greeted by this cosy space!

The interior was gorgeous, there was definitely a mystical and oriental element in the air, and we loved the fact that it was empty. I strongly recommend going to a bar on a Sunday night, because if you are not stinking rich already (as most of you are) it is quite a bit of fun speculating…As Anna and I entered, I chicly uttered "Yeah, I hired the whole place tonight.."

Didn’t even know Alvina took this photo! And there’s our “personal” bartender working his magic. "Personal", because, well..he was only serving us (ignore the fact that there was no one else there for a good 20 minutes!).

Cosmopolitan; a style conscious mix of Smirnoff No. 21 and triple sec fused with the fresh flavours of cranberry juice and lime $12

It was quite pleasant but personally, compared to other cosmos i’ve had, this one lacked the refreshing kick down the throat. But it did the job of creating some atmosphere.

The Kremlin; an imperial combination of Smirnoff No. 21, the original Russian vodka, shaken with vanilla, pineapple juice and fresh lime… delectable! $12

I went with the bartender’s recommendation on this one…and as Alvina puts it, you can never trust a guy’s opinion on drinks. It was okay, definitely drinkable, but there were a few other options that I was leaning towards, but his suggestion coupled with the “delectable” (none of the other drinks had it!!), I caved. Also, when it came out I was a little disappointed because it wasn’t very visually stimulating… especially after seeing Alvina’s beautiful corally-red one come out.

Chatswood Monkey Bar

53 Orchard Rd

Chatswood

Phone: (02) 9413 1755

Trading hours

Mon-Sat 10am-3am

Sun 10am-Midnight

@gpk

Bacon & Mushroom; penne with bacon, mushrooms & fresh herbs in a garlic and parmesan cream sauce, topped with shaved parmesan & fresh chives 17.50

This sounds rather delicious on paper (in fact it looks it too!), but if you take away the appetizing description, you’re left with a bland, almost tasteless pasta dish. Sounds pretty harsh but you either have to cover it with pepper or salt for it to have some sort of flavour. For me the mushrooms were the highlight (and that’s saying something as i’m not usually a fan), so I just started picking out the mushrooms. Another let down was the spaghetti. Not because it’s spaghetti, but because the original dish comes with penne, however they had run out so we had to settle for this.

Correct me if i’m wrong, but I did hear that in Italy, the pasta is enjoyed bland. However, from a Korean background of spice, kimchi and choc blocked flavoured foods, i instantly sprayed the spaghetti in cracked pepper. There was no fault in the texture or the combination of ingredients, just needed that extra saucy flavour in my opinion.

Broome; finely sliced chicken breast fillet, Australian mozzarella & GPK’s tomato sauce 16.90

I can’t be as harsh about the pizza as I was for the pasta. Main reason being, this goes waaaaay back for me. Like 10 years back. I remember every time I visited my grandma’s house I would get this to eat. So I guess it kinda just stuck. Even now it’s the default choice everytime I go to GPK, and because of this Alvina has had to eat it one too many times haha. Anyway, this too is slightly bland, but nothing cracked pepper can’t fix!

As i said above, perhaps the Italians, prefer their pizza with no overwhelming flavour, but i agree with Anna when she says nothing cracked pepper can’t fix.. The chicken breast complemented the cheese perfectly, and the doughy flavour was not too overpowering. Just a little flavour again is all i ask for =)

Thought the pink lemonade matched the ring perfectly!

Soft drinks; 3.80
Peach iced tea; 4.20

Pretty negative review on my part, but i’ve tried a couple of other options on the menu and they’re actually really nice. I love the taste of wood fired pizza so for a decent range with affordable prices, you can’t really pass up GPK.

Not the best Italian i have had in terms of flavours, but it did fill the tummy and was affordable.

Gourmet Pizza Kitchen (GPK)

60 Archer St

Chatswood NSW 2067

Phone: (02) 9411 8000

One cafe

Well first of all I must emphasise the service here was absolutely astonishing, utterly RUDE & bled with unwelcoming tendencies (I was tempted to storm out & I am actually normally quite a patient good tempered girl! Which just says something). The other waiters were fine but just one person who didn’t wear the waiter uniform but anyway, I understand that it was busy but that doesn’t mean you can talk to the customer as if they wronged you in some way or persistantly asking for the menus back as if we are about to cause a terrorist attack. I will stop my rants but i suggest if you don’t want to risk your lovely brunch ruined by some #$%! then you do not come here =). Enough with my rant and to the chicken & mushroom crepe I ordered.

Chicken crepe $19.95; sauteed mushroom, crisp bacon, melted gorgonzola cheese

 As you can see from the picture, the crepe was almost burnt, some may argue that it’s more tasty that way but personally i prefer my crepe lightly panned with that buttery/egg flavour. The sauce was creamy and the mushrooms were pleasant however the dish was overwhelmed with just TOO much chunky DRY chicken. By the end i felt like my mouth ran a marathon. Overall, I will not come back here because i can find plenty of other cafes that are friendly and better in flavour.

C1 club sandwich $18.50; tomato, lettuce, chicken breast, bacon, egg, mayonnaise

 I have a not-so-secret love for club sandwiches. In my opinion, they're just so tasty even though they don't take too much time and effort to make. So I have to say that these, like most others, were tasty and pleasant to eat. Because of this reason my opinion of this place isn't as strong and clear as Alvina's, but I do definitely agree with the service (which was an absolute shocker). I mean I had always walked past this place thinking "Hmm this might be a nice place for lunch, I should try it out sometime", and to have my first encounter be one of dissatisfaction is definitely a huge let-down. I probably wouldn't go back either, regardless of the taste of the club sandwich, because even that can be found for a better price and taste at a cafe which we actually do frequent (which we should probably do a post about actually!).

C1 Cafe Brasserie Chatswood Chase
Ground Level, 345 Victoria Ave
Chatswood NSW 2067

Phone: (02) 9410 0700

Sunny Side Up - 30/10/10

For our first stop we went to Raffi’s, a new cafe on Victoria Ave in Chatswood



The atmosphere was that happy local vibe



Scones $6.90

 Came with cream and jam, was the average scone that you can get from cafes everywhere.

Big Breakfast $16.90

Was a hearty typical breakfast meal with chargrilled mushrooms and tomato, baked beans, sausage, bacon, scrambled egg, and toast.





Ventured around the neighbourhood. It was a fine sunny day.



Haunted house