Addict Food and Coffee (Fitzroy)

CAFE CRAVING SATISFIED.
Melbourne is made of good food and pretty cafes, and we are obsessed with it and I love it.
Celeste and I have always been meaning to go to a cafe together because she shares the same interest of going out for food, so I thought I could take her to one of the cafes on my list! The satisfaction of crossing off one of the places on the list really brings a smile on the dial. I wanted to surprise Celeste by just going straight to the cafe without telling her, which was nice because she liked it so I was like YAAASSS HAHA.

240 Johnston St, Fitzroy 

Hanging pot plants 

I took Cel to Addict Food and Coffee in Fitzroy on the strip of the infamous Johnston St. Strung with cute plant pots and a simple chalkboard on a plain white wall, I was already in love. The weather was a tad disappointing because it said 33 degrees online :( BUT we still got a table outside so that's okay!

It was absolutely packed inside and out, with no table available outside so Cel and I had to be put on the waiting list because we were so determined to get a table outside. The service was lovely and they were so nice.


Once we sat down, we were so overwhelmed by the menu with it's huge selection of different foods. We had the conundrums of 'coffee or juice' or the 'sweet or savoury', so as usual we shared two plates each savoury and sweet! Cel and I both had cappuccinos (well actually 2 each oops) and we ordered the Wholemeal Buttermilk Pancakes with Poached Pear, Blackberries, Blackberry Syrup and Whipped Mascarpone; and the Eggs Benedict with Smoked Ham on Multigrain Toast, substituting the smoked ham for bacon.

First round of cappuccinos

Eggs Benedict x Wholemeal Pancakes ft. 2nd round of cappuccinos

"Celeste pick up your cutlery and pose please" 

The Benedict was just your average eggs benedict, nothing special however I cannot describe how fluffy the pancakes were. Each mouthful was full of exciting flavours with sweet juices from the blackberries with the refreshing pear slices. The pancakes are definitely a must-try.

The dishes at Addict are definitely well thought-out, unique and very fresh. I would definitely recommend this cute cafe, the service and food are definitely top-quality and we left feeling happy and satisfied. I can definitely see why the place is called Addict.

On a side note, I've introduced another friend Celeste, and she will probably pop up often in my cafe adventures. She is truly an amazing friend and I am absolutely grateful to have her in my life.

Adventure awaits,
Love Mich xx

STAFF PARTY

SO after uploading some cute pics from our annual Max Brenner staff party, I received a raging text from Yvonne with "I SWEAR MB ALWAYS HAVE PARTIES WOT IS THIS SO UNFAIR HAHAHAHA"
Which I admit, she's sort of right in a way. But then again, every day at work is a party. (Only when I'm there though)
BUT ANYWAYS. So for 2015 we originally had the plan of having a little BBQ picnic at the park. That was until it started pouring with rain and claps of thunder. So Plan B was to head to AMF Bowling and play a few games of Laser Skirmish.

I had met with the girls beforehand to get buzzin' before we got there so we were hyped for the game.
As a player I tend to get very aggressive, so that means from me you'll hear me continuously screaming and a lot of swearing from being killed all the time!

SQUAD (left to right): Alex, Jordee, Georgia

The first game were teams so of course, I assembled with the squad (Jordee, Alex, Georgia) and I GUESS Jordee had carried the team. It's all fun and games until you're left crawling around the ground fearing for your safety and being stepped on.
Nonetheless, the first game was a warm up. I thought my score was pretty good (670) until i find that others had gotten like (3k+) and 1k. BUT you know, it's really the effort that counts.
We played another game and bonded over a little 'feast'. AKA free food compliments from head office. It was nice to be together with the family as a whole where we didn't have to worry about coffee orders, snappy customers, long wait times or dirty dishes.
The night ended with ice cream and a ride home with Raj with consisted of loud singing to Ariana Grande and T-Swizzle.
But it was nice to get together once in a while to do something other than work. Definitely a good night, and another memory to look back upon.

Adventure awaits,
Love Mich xx

VALENTINES DAY

Letters and Box of Cupcakes in hand!

Oh my goodness, ANOTHER Valentines Day post?!
Yep! BUT LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY VALENTINES DAY.
Was it romantic? Nope. Sorta. Eh. Nah.
Did I go out with my significant other? Nope.
Do I even have a significant other? Nope.

But this was probably one of the happiest days where I couldn't stop smiling and was in such a fantastic mood.



I love doing nice things for other people because it just makes me so happy to give everyone a bit of lovin'! So for Valentines Day, I decided to make all of my workmates a batch of Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting! I work in a chocolate lounge, so generally that means chaos on V Day, so something nice would get them going through the day. I wrote everyone an individual letter (took me up till 2am) and had personalized tags on each cupcake! Funny story with the tags, they actually originally said "Happy Birthday" but I used white-out tape to white out that out and put their names on instead oops.
SO. 10am on Valentines Day morning I went into work with a box of cupcakes with a small slot of envelopes on top. Just seeing everyone light up and smile was enough for me.
After that I actually just went home and did some chemistry study (SOLID) and went back to work when my shift started.

Rose from Raj

Personalised Red Velvet cupcakes

I walked in and got greeted with "Oh my God, Michelle!! You're so sweet!" from all my co-workers so I assumed they liked the letter and cupcakes? It was so nice to see everyone smiling though, you don't usually get that at work from everyone!
So that was a nice feeling. Then I found that 3 of my workmates had all gotten me a rose each and with my love of flowers, I almost started crying. It's just such a nice feeling when you do something small to make someone happy and they go out of their way to give something back! It's just moments like these that you learn to appreciate the people around you.

My colleagues are a second family to me and I couldn't be more thankful for better people to work with. My day sounded pretty boring, but it was honestly one of the greatest days I've had. Everyone deserves a bit of love on Valentines Day, and a reminder of how great they are! I've learned to be grateful for all the good things in life and everything surrounding me that supports me.
But it made me realise that Valentines Day doesn't necessarily have to be about that significant other. Valentines Day is about celebrating love, and what better way to celebrate love with the people you love the most? It can be with friends, or family. I don't believe it always has to be with a partner, because I had the most non-romantic Valentines Day and I had a blast of a day. I didn't need a boyfriend or a guy to have a good day. I spent it by bringing joy to the people I love and that's really one of the best feelings in the world.

Rose from Jordee 

"GRAB A CUPCAKE AND A LETTER, Love Mich xx" 

Adventure awaits,
Love Mich xx
PS HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

New York, New York Pt 2

Wholefoods Market 

So this was the second day and you can't imagine the pain I was in from walking so much.
My phone was dead the entire day so I could only squeeze in a few photos.
But we headed uptown and had the pleasure of eating breakfast at the Wholefoods Market. Think of an all-you-can-eat (but you pay for it) buffet but with healthy, organic food. I don't know about you but that sounded like heaven on earth to me. Only because my body needed that organic kick after the past weeks on constant American junk!

After an appetizing breakfast we walked (yes more walking) through Wall Street and Financial District where we visited the 9/11 Memorial. The memorial was absolutely beautiful and was such a thoughtful memorial filled with gratitude and kind regards. The Memorial features two enormous waterfalls and reflecting pools, set within the footprints of the original Twin Towers. More than 400 trees surrounded the reflecting pools where the design reflects a spirit of hope and renewal. 

Twin Tower Memorial

Following the Memorial was a walk to Battery Park where we took a free ferry boat to Staten Island, where we had cruised past the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was a lot smaller than I had expected, but maybe that was because they always look so big in movies and photos.

Rob Akery 

By then was already pitch dark so we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant and walked back to the hotel and the day was done. But the goodbyes to my sister and her fiance Rob (who is a famous poker player by the way), were so difficult because who knew when would be the next time I could see her? I miss her everyday but definitely won't be the last time we meet. We had a solid two days of countless catch ups and memories which made New York all the more better.

I'll be back, New York.

Adventure awaits,
Love Mich xx

New York, New York Pt 1

The title says it all! I was lucky enough to explore the beautiful city of New York in December 2014. One of the most beautiful, exhilarating cities I have ever visited. New York is definitely not like any other city, and I believe anyone could tell you that. I was thrilled to be in New York because during the two days (hence there being 2 parts to this post), I was able to be reunited with my sister.
Now you may not know but my sister lives in London which means I only get to see this chickie once or twice a year if I'm lucky. Her fiance had also tagged along to the trip, which means the more the merrier.



On the first full day of adventure, the plan was brunch at the famous Katz Delicatessen, followed by strolls through Central Park and finishing the day with ice skating at the Rockefeller Centre and Times Square. Was an extremely long day with no rest and ongoing walking, but that burned all the junk food I'd been consuming on holiday!

So apparently the 125 year old Katz Deli is one of the most iconic restaurants in New York and I wanted to know what all the hype was about. But being naive, I had no idea what I was expecting. And what I got was absolutely jaw-dropping. Literally.

These sandwiches were piled on with stacks of meat slathered with a layer of mustard, in between slices of Rye bread. After two bites of this bad boy, I felt absolutely sick. The sandwiches were ridiculously overwhelming, so kudos to those who finish it within a blink. I've never seen such thick sandwiches before with so many slices of meat. The sandwich spilled meat on the sides, and overflowed with tender slices of salami. Overall, I left my dad to eat the rest of mine. I simply just couldn't handle it but maybe that's just me. Katz's Deli is a famous joint for a reason, and I knew exactly what they were famous for.

After a ridiculously sickening brunch, the next stop on the itinerary was to visit Central Park. Central Park is set in the middle of crazy Manhattan, away from all the street chaos. The park sets ground as a safe haven for athletes, daydreamers and musicians. This is where I got giddy and imagined myself being interviewed for 'Humans of New York' and visualized SVU being filmed under the tunnels and bridges.
Central Park was absolutely breath-taking. No matter how cold it was, the beautiful scenery around every corner of the park made up for it. There was a cute little ice skating rink on the side of the park, with gorgeous hundred-year old trees guarding it's ground. We probably walked about 10km of the park and still didn't manage to explore the ENTIRE park. Yet I couldn't get over the simplicity of how beautiful the trees were. During the Winter season, the trees embraced their naked beauty that infatuated me to the nature of the park. I guess it was like falling in love with the atmosphere because during those moments were when I couldn't stop smiling. Sharing this moment with my sister had made it all the more better.



So after Central Park was a session at the Top of the Rock in Rockefeller Centre. This is another one of the most iconic places in New York. From the top of this building, you are exposed to one of the most beautiful sights of the city. With the view of the Empire State Building and the surround blocks of gorgeous buildings, the city lit up by 4pm and put on an amazing show of it's stunning art of light. We made sure to enter the building during the 3-4pm session. This is because we wanted to be there for the sunset to see the view during the day and see it's gradual fade to night. The weather at this point was at negative 2 degrees Celsius, and boy was the view worth all the coldness.

My sister and I went ice skating afterwards and found ourselves gliding through the ice rink with natural ability to balance (sorta). We were in New York during the Christmas season so we were gracefully surrounded with an enormous Christmas tree and fairy lights hung around everywhere. Additionally, we were blessed enough to witness a marriage proposal on that ice rink. The Christmas vibes had just brought out the happiness in everyone, and for that I was so thankful.

We ended the night with Times Square. Times Square. Nuff' said. Times Square is one of the most buzzing tourist magnets and one of the most visited places in the world. Times Square during the night time was filled with ambiance and vibrant electric billboards. This was too much fun as we mucked around on the screens trying to get our faces onto the board for too long. Times Square brought so much excitement and added to my issue of not being able to stop smiling.

 One of the best experiences of my trip was to explore the beautiful city of New York. With my family including my sister, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Adventure awaits for Part 2,
Love Mich xx

One Origin Specialty Coffee (Malvern)

83 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern

Jess and I stopped by this cafe as a resort because she said 'no driving past city', so my original plans were rescheduled. However, this cafe was already on my list so I decided to try this one out today!

I must say, this was definitely not a regret. The weather today was extremely hot, but that never stops me from taking a seat outside (even though the cafe even had "aircon inside!" written on their window). First thing that caught my eye was the cute herb garden they had set up outside. With a wooden table set up with a small flower pot, I was already won over.

Cappuccino x Ice Coffee 

Jess ordered a Cappuccino and the Omelette with Spinach and Chorizo, and I ordered the Ricotta Pancakes paired with an Ice Coffee. Every cafe we go to, we always have the dilemma of getting drinks before the food, and not touching the drinks until the food comes. During this period of time, the milk foam of the coffee starts to bubble and that's when it gets ugly. Every. Single. Time. I know this sounds tacky just because we want our photo, but you can't just take a photo of your food without the drinks?! The iced coffee was served in a jar, and I am a sucker for drinks served in jars. 

Ricotta Pancakes (right) & Omelette (left) 

The food took a while to make it's way down but I guess it was worth the wait. My Ricotta Pancakes were bursting with flavour when you had a bite with every ingredient on the plate. This included a sweet maple syrup, fresh strawberries, blueberries and apple. The pancakes were quite small and I wouldn't say the entire dish had filled me up because there were only three pancakes, but can't complain because the flavour made up for it.
Jess ordered an omelette which is a big deal considering she never likes egg! Her omelette was stuffed with chorizo and spinach, with a slice of toasted bread (so I guess it's called toast?) on the side with a handful of rocket to top off the dish. The crust of the bread was quite tough to eat, but maybe it's just cause Jess is weak?! 

One Origin Specialty gives you quite a limited range of dishes to tickle your fancy. You've got options such as Waygu Beef Burgers, Salmon Benedict, Chicken Quinoa Salad etc. Nothing too fancy but nothing I can really complain about. 

Considering the cafe has only been open since October 2014, I am impressed with how high ratings it has already received. However, I'm not surprised. 

Adventure awaits, 

Love Mich xx 

So Who Am I?

This is an interesting question that can be answered in many many ways. My friends can describe me as crazy and outgoing, or they could describe me as annoying and loud. I get easily intrigued by the smallest things, I find everything exciting and the drive to live life exhilarates me.
I wouldn't exactly say I'm the most exciting person out there but I like to think I add a bit of recklessness. As my friend Jess would say, I'm "over-reckless". So what does that mean?
That means I'm the type of person who will drag you out at 2am in the morning to come get something to eat with me. I'm the type of person who will suggest a spontaneous road trip to the middle of no-where. I'm the type of person who will do something immediately when I want to do it (eg, cut off 35cm of my hair, spontaneous piercings etc). I'm the type of person who will travel all the way to the city early in the morning just to lie down in the park.

I have a passion for adventure because I thrive for the feeling of experiencing new things and exploring places I haven't seen before. One of the things that contribute to this is my love of cafes. On the side of my blog you will see that I have a list of cafes I want to visit in Melbourne. These places are far far away from where I live, but what is really stopping me? NOTHING. I love the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans, food served onto a wooden board and the beauty of drinks served in a jar (not sorry). All pretty food (that's instagram-able) is definitely worth the travel. I love going to parks and gardens. Displays of flowers and plants attack me right in the feeeeeels, just of how beautiful they are. When people say "flowers are so boring, they don't do anything and they just die", YOU BETTER WATCH YOURSELF. I think flowers are one of the most beautiful things with world has been blessed with. I guess my favourite things in life are coffee and flowers.

I love meeting new people. I find that I am always talking to strangers (yeah whoops sorry mum) but I love doing so. You meet new people, you learn more about them, you learn THEIR STORY. When I meet someone, I want to know all about them. Their goals and ambitions, their hobbies, their past experiences, their perception on the world. Even a simple smile at a stranger will be nice. I think it's an amazing feeling doing something that's out of your comfort zone.

You'll learn more about me as the blog posts keep coming.
Love Mich xx

BIENVENUE

SO. My title's in French and well, I speak no French at all. So not sure if the title really means 'WELCOME' but hey let's trust Google Translate.
HEY MTV WELCOME TO MY BLOG.
But on a serious note, hello!
I'm new to the blogging society but hopefully I can fit in easily.

This blog is probably another one of those blogs around 'life'.
What kind of life you ask?
The life of adventure and excitement. Exploring.
I live in the city of Melbourne, Australia and oh my it is the most beautiful city.
In my life you learn to appreciate the little things. Whether it's the brick walls that scream out the authentic antiquity of yesterday; or flowers that scent the light of life; or pretty food that feeds on your craving taste buds; latte art that models the elegant way you drink coffee.
We don't often think about these things enough, because really, who has the time?

But when we stop to think about these things. What was going on around the time that the walls were built? Who took the time to carefully plant the flowers and pick them out? Who makes the pretty food and what is the story behind each idea of the food? Does the barista have a passion for coffee like I do, and how did they get into it?

Questions like these really make you think about life surrounding you.
These tend to be the questions I ask myself whilst I perceive everything around me. Everything has a story.
This blog will be about mine.
Love Mich xx