Fun Sized Addictions: July 2017

Tuck Shop Cafe in Northbridge

Tuck Shop Cafe in Northbridge has the second highest rating of cafes in Perth on Zomato. With a rating that high, expectations were high with this cafe. Expectations were met and it did not disappoint.

I was there with Saskia, Basia (or Sassia/Baskia - they can thank Kyle for those nicknames), Marilyn, Jodie and Stella on a Saturday morning last month. 9am to be exact. Nice and early because this place is so popular that you'll be waiting for a table if you arrive later in the morning. We were seated in a lovely spot by the door which was a little chilly for a Winter morning but the chill was not a problem after we had our hands on the warm coffee mugs.

The interior of the Tuck Shop from where we were sitting

The Dirty Details - Dirty Chai Latte

Every time I try a new cafe, I always try their dirty chai latte. If you haven't heard of a dirty chai latte, it is a chai latte with a shot of espresso. (Although the first time I was asked if I wanted a dirty chai latte, the barista described it as a "chai latte that has not showered".)😅 I absolutely love it! The fragrant chai masala spices, the slight acidity from the espresso and a hint of cinnamon sugar, what's not to love?

I really enjoyed the dirty chai latte from Tuck Shop. If I had to nitpick, it was just a tad sweet for my liking. But that's really nitpicking at the tiny details. What I really enjoyed was the balance between the delicate acidity from the espresso and the hints of spice from the chai. It was a very satisfying cup of dirty chai latte on a cold morning.

Dirty chai latte at the Tuck Shop

Almond mocha, soy chai latte and regular mocha (clockwise starting from the front)

Lettuce eat!

The food around the table looked amazing! So vibrant! So colourful! Just incredibly inviting. I ordered the chorizo with paprika potatoes, peppers, Spanish onions and crispy pork belly. Those flavours were YUM! The salty, sweet and slightly spicy chorizo was delicious! But the best thing on that plate was that paprika potatoes! My oh my the seasoning on those potatoes were perfect. The perfect amount of paprika, the perfect amount of salt. My goodness... I really enjoyed myself. Saskia's Moroccan meatballs with hummus on flatbread looked sensational! I was little jealous I didn't order it myself. The mixed berry pancakes that Stella ordered looked so light and fluffy. And as Stella cut into the pancakes, our excitement went through the roof to find berries inside the pancakes. It look divine, and Stella looked like she was in fluffy pancake heaven when she was eating them.

Chorizo with paprika potatoes, peppers, Spanish onions and crispy pork belly

Moroccan meatballs with flatbread, tomato, hummus and za'atar fried egg

Chilli con carne with sourdough toast, tomato, avocado and lime salsa with a poached egg.

The chilli con carne topped with a poached egg

Chicken, white wine and leek pie

Cheddar toastie and smoked cod, potato and leek bake with a poached egg

The smoked cod, potato and leek bake with a poached egg

Mixed berry pancakes with maple syrup and vanilla mascarpone

I mean just look at the berries inside the pancakes!

Hand cut chips with aioli

There is a reason why Tuck Shop is so highly ranked in Zomato. It is fabulous! Great atmosphere, delicious food, wonderful coffee, great selection and variety and best of all excellent service!

Experience it yourself at:
Tuck Shop Cafe
Shop 1, 180 Newcastle Street, Perth
Perth 6000
WA
Phone: (08) 9227 1659

They are open Tuesdays to Sundays 7am to 4pm (closed on Mondays).

If you want to do some research of your own, see what others have said on Zomato or look them up on their Instagram and Facebook.

See you guys next time!

xox,
Stef

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, by Stefanie Lau

Green Tea

T2's Sencha Peach

Sencha Peach Tea, you leave me s-peach-less

I've always been a huge fan of peach teas. From the bottled peach green teas available in most supermarkets to the flavoured peach bubble tea with all the toppings, it is hard to say no to any peach tea. What's great about T2's Sencha Peach tea is the scent: so sweet, so bright and so fragrant. The taste of this peach tea is not as strong as its scent would suggest but it is certainly a very refreshing tea. Another reason why I am obsessed with T2's Sencha Peach tea is how it has a subtle sweetness from the peach bits and flavouring but the sencha green tea is the dominant flavour in this tea. It is not sweet and packed with sugar or artificial sweetener like other peach teas out there.

The part-tea-culars

Brand	T2
Type of tea	Flavoured green tea
Ingredients	Green tea, chamomile, mallow flowers, peach bits (peach, anti-caking agent: rice flour), flavouring
Allergy concerns	-
Packaging	Loose leaf; 100g per box
Brewing guide as per packaging	1 tsp per 250ml 80℃ (or 176℉) 2-3 mins
Stef recommends	Chilled over ice (although it’s pretty great on hot too)
Stef’s Ratings	🍵🍵🍵🍵

"Brew can do it too!" - Iced Sencha Peach Tea

Brewing T2's Sencha Peach tea in the T2's teamaker

There are several ways I like to brew this tea: in the T2's teamaker or T2's "Jug-a-lot" iced tea jug. I don't have a preference over the two brewing methods. My method of brewing this tea depends of how urgently I want to drink this tea. If I am preparing this ahead for work the next day or a gathering later in the evening, I would brew the tea in the large iced tea jugs. If I am desperate for peach tea right this minute, I would brew it in the teamaker.

In the teamaker
Here's what you'll need:

4 tsp of T2's Sencha Peach tea
500mL water
T2's teamaker or medium to large teapot

Here's what I do:

Brew the water at 80℃ (176℉) and add the water to the teamaker or teapot.
Add the tea leaves into the teamaker or teapot and brew for 3 minutes.
Fill serving glasses with ice.
Pour brewed Sencha Peach tea over the ice. If you're using T2's teamaker, you'll have to place the teamaker over the glass to dispense the tea.
Enjoy!

Dispensing T2's Sencha Peach tea from T2's teamaker

Stef's notes:

This recipe is good for 2 tall glasses.
I add the tea leaves to the water rather than add the water to the tea leaves to ensure that I'm not burning the tea leaves.
Be careful not to brew for too long or with water that's too hot, it might make the tea bitter and you'll loose the natural sweetness from the green tea leaves.
If you wish to sweeten the tea, I would recommend adding a little sugar or T2's Turkish Apple between step 2 and 3 (after brewing the tea and just before distributing the tea over the ice) so that the sugar can dissolve completely.

In the iced tea jugs (option 1 - hot brew)
Here's what you'll need:

8 tsp of T2's Sencha Peach tea
900mL water
Ice
Thinly sliced apple and/or pear
T2's "Jug-a-lot" Iced Tea Jug (small holds up to 1.2L) or large heatproof jug/bottle
Teabags (if your large jug does not contain an infuser)

Here's what I do:

Brew the water at 80℃ (176℉) and add the water to the iced tea jug
Add the tea leaves into the infuser of the iced tea jug. If you're using your own heatproof jug/bottle you can add the tea leaves into tea bags before adding it to the jug.
Brew for 3-4 minutes and remove the tea leaves.
Set the jug aside to cool for at least 1 hour, longer if possible. If you're using the T2 iced tea jug, you can put the lid on while waiting for the tea to cool but do not screw the lid on tight as pressure will build up from the hot tea.
Once cooled, you may refrigerate the tea to chill further before serving.
When ready to serve, add the ice and thinly sliced fruits to the tea jug and enjoy!

T2's Small "Jug-a-lot" Iced Tea Jug with the lid a gap between the lid and the jug for hot steam to escape

In the iced tea jugs (option 2 - infuse/cold brew)
Here's what you'll need:

12 tsp of T2's Sencha Peach tea
1.7L water
Ice
Thinly sliced apple and/or pear
T2's "Jug-a-lot" Iced Tea Jug (large holds up to 2L) or large heatproof jug/bottle
Teabags (if your large jug does not contain an infuser)

Here's what I do:

Add the tea leaves into the infuser of the iced tea jug. If you're using your own heatproof jug/bottle you can add the tea leaves into tea bags before adding it to the jug.
Add the thinly sliced fruits to the tea jug,
Fill the jug with water and set the jug in the fridge overnight to infuse.
When ready serve, remove the tea bags from the jug, add the ice into the tea and serve.

T2's Sencha Peach tea in T2's "jug-a-lot" iced tea jugs. Hot brewed tea in the small jug (left) and infusion/cold brewing tea in the large jug (right)

Stef's notes:

This recipe is good for 4-5 teacups using the smaller T2"Jug-a-lot" iced tea jug and 6-7 teacups using the larger T2 iced tea jug.
I highly recommend adding sliced fruits like apple, pear or peaches to the brewed tea with the ice after the tea has cooled to make the tea fruitier and slightly sweeter but you may omit the fruits if you wish to.
If you wish to sweeten the tea, I would recommend adding a little sugar or T2's Turkish Apple to the brewed tea as it is cooling so that it can dissolve completely.

Iced sencha peach tea

Witches' Brew

I have yet mixing the Sencha Peach tea with many other teas. I am a huge fan of adding rose buds/petals to fruit teas. It provides the fruity teas with a subtle floral taste which I am very much in love with. The rose buds I use are from T2's Just Rose.

That's all I have for you today. Share your love for T2's Sencha Peach in the comments. If you have a different brewing method or concoction involving T2's Sencha Peach I would love to hear it!

Until next time... Have a good week ahead!

xox,

Stef

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, by Stefanie Lau

Pages

Fun Sized Addictions

Tuck Shop Cafe in Northbridge

The Dirty Details - Dirty Chai Latte

Lettuce eat!

T2's Sencha Peach

Sencha Peach Tea, you leave me s-peach-less

The part-tea-culars

"Brew can do it too!" - Iced Sencha Peach Tea

Witches' Brew

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Fun Sized Addictions

Tuck Shop Cafe in Northbridge

The Dirty Details - Dirty Chai Latte

Lettuce eat!

T2's Sencha Peach

Sencha Peach Tea, you leave me s-peach-less

The part-tea-culars

"Brew can do it too!" - Iced Sencha Peach Tea

Witches' Brew

About me

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