Raw Energy - Review

Order 

Scrambled eggs on multi-grain toast 

w/

Large flat white

Total

$13.50

Hands down my favourite part about my local Raw Energy is that is four leg friendly, aka dog friendly. Being right beside beach, I love that families can take man's best friend for a swim, then take the whole family out to breakfast. It's just one of those aw family moments. They have bowls of water for our doggie pals and shady place to tie them up if need be. 

Paws aside, Raw Energy is the place to be for the health food junkie. They have all the latest and greatest food trends from whole chilled coconuts, to acai bowls, to dinosaur green juices. They've got the lot! But, if you are more like me and the sight of a green juice turns your stomach and a smoothie bowl just confuses you, don't give up hope. They serve the usual breakfast and lunch foods, all day. Hallelujah! 

I am particularly partial to a good scramble. I would say I am a self professed scramble snob. While Raw Energy does not have the best mind blowing scramble I have ever got my mouth on, it hits the spot. After a walk on the beach or a poke around the weekend markets I am very happy to be served a plate of their scramble. I am also a lover of seeded and rye bread so always appreciate when my breakfast doesn't come with the usual slice of Wonder White. 

To the coffee. Raw Energy is known for their fresh juices, not their coffee. If you can juice it they've juiced it! However, I am not a huge juice lover and will always order a coffee. Flat white with two please! I have found the coffee to be hit or miss. Sometimes it's fantastic, sometimes it's not. Perhaps it's down to barista skill or the volume of customers. I'm not sure, but bad coffee really gets me going. Don't mess with my coffee! 

Overall Raw Energy has a great atmosphere with generally friendly staff. My mum is one of these gluten-free-dairy-free-egg-free-flavour-free types so we end up at Raw a fair bit. She loves it because she can order most things on the menu. It's four paws friendly and most allergies friendly. But don't write Raw Energy off if you are not a health food fanatic, the food is decent and the atmosphere is super chilled. If you are a juice fan Raw Energy is a must, if you are a coffee enthusiast give it a miss. 

Australian Species and the 'burbs'

Insert David Attenborough voice. 

Let's set the scene. It's a beautiful summer evening. The magpies are on the front lawn, the crickets are chirping, and the trees are gently rustling in the warm summer air. 

We see our first species, bogan suburban dad. Bogan suburban dad is a common creature, often seen mowing the lawn in board shorts, thongs, and a Bintang singlet at 8;00AM. Or seen walking the RSPCA special in the middle of the day. Today, we see bogan suburban dad caring for his young. He teaches his young to ride their first bikes on the road into on-coming traffic. His young are also taught the uselessness of cycle safety features such as: helmets, reflectors, and closed in footwear. Startled by my lack of thongs, bogan suburban dad and his young quickly retreat into their mid priced brick home. Bogan suburban dad will venture out again but for now he and his young are in for the night.

Next we spy young exercising girl. Young exercising girl is a unique creature who's sole purpose is to attract a mate. Young exercising girl does this by wearing Lorna Jane sports wear, white headphones, a high ponytail, and a generous coverage of make-up before embarking on her quest to exercise for a mate. She walks the streets, being careful not to break a sweat, searching for a mate. Young car guy and young tradie are often attracted to young exercising girl. If they approve they signal their availability with a mating call from a car window. However, young exercising girl does have to be careful to fend of the advances of older tradie. Older tradie will also signal his availability with a mating call. Young exercising girl must quickly move on if she encounters an older tradie.

Further up the road is middle aged car guy. Middle aged car guy is dying species, falling prey to displeased wives. Their home can be distinguished from others by the large volume of assorted cars in and around their driveway. It is not known why middle aged car guy collects these cars, as the functionality and practicality of the vehicles does not appear significant. Middle aged car guy enjoys retreating from displeased wife onto the front lawn to simply stand around his collection. He will, on occasion, preen puff out his chest and take a particularly attention grabbing vehicle around the block. It is important on these trips that middle aged car guys alerts the block to his presence with loud reving. This can often be interrupted as obnoxious but is merely middle aged car guy alerting his neighbours of his vehicle.  

Often found on the front lawns of these species are magpies. Magpies are a common Australian bird, best known for swooping children at parks, causing cyclist to attach zip ties to their heads, and waking up a neighbourhood at 6:00AM. Magpies will bring their children onto suburban front lawns and allow them to loudly request food. The parent will walk swiftly around the lawn searching for food to quiet its young. The young will follow the parent at a distant and increase the volume of the request. Once food has been found, the young will quieten while swallowing then loudly being to request food again. The parents pacing will increase in speed with the fustration of the demanding young. Eventually the parent will become fed-up and fly away, leaving the young to cry loudly on the front lawn. It cannot be classified as a suburban neighbourhood without the presence of these Australian birds. 

Grill'd Healthy Burgers - Review

Order 

Garden Goodness Burger 

Veggie pattie, beetroot, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, relish, herbed mayo, hold the onion

w/

Zucchini chips for one

Total

$16.30

I've been a long time fan of Grill'd. I am obsessed with their Garden Goodness Veggie Burger. The veggie pattie is flavourful and filling. I love that it comes with cheese, avocado, and herbed mayo. It's a delicious well thought out burger. All of the ingredients are fresh and each burger is made to order. I can never resist ordering a side of Zucchini chips. These are crumbed, deep fried, herbed sticks of finger-licking goodness. I think I could easily eat my body weight in these tasty chips. Grill'd has a liquor license for those who want an ice cold hipster beer or cider to wash down their healthy burger. I'm thrilled that a burger bar has created a genuinely delicious veggie burger that rivals its meaty mates. The atmosphere of my local Grill'd is relaxed and casual with inside and alfresco dinning.

This is certainly not the place for a quick in-and-out-I've-got-10-mintues-for-lunch burger. Service is not the speediest, but to be expected when making dozens of made to order burgers. From ordering to eating it's about a 30 minute wait, so grab yourself a cool drink, some good company, and settle in. I have found the staff to be relatively friendly but it can be hit and miss. The restaurant seems to be predominantly run by younger people, which is great, I love to see young people rule the world!

As someone with a fairly significant onion allergy I do have to be weary when eating at Grill'd. An allergy to raw onion is not that common and despite that fact I say please no onion every time I order 9 times out of 10 my burger arrives with onion. They usually happily replace my burger and bring me a fresh one but I have had some staff roll their eyes and pick off the onion and bring it back. People with allergies be ware!

The complication of allergies aside, Grill'd is a great mid price range burger bar. As the name suggests they have a healthy range of burgers and cater to most eaters, carnivores, vegos, gluten free, low carb. The service is hit and miss but I personally feel that is to be expected when it is operated by younger people. The option to wash down a juice burger with a cold beer is great and I love the alfresco dinning. If you go to Grill'd do yourself a favour and order some zucchini chips with a side of herb mayo, you will not be sorry!

Mad Mex Fresh Mexican Grill - Review

Order

Regular Burrito 

w/ chicken, brown rice, black beans, mild salsa, pico de gallo, corn salsa, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole

Total

$12.90

Hi I'm Teagan and I'm a Mexican food junkie. I have run out of fingers to count the Mexican I have eaten. Having spent sometime living in South America I have an understanding of authentic foods and flavours. I love Mexican but I am not a spicy food lover, it's a real bug bear of mine going for Mexican and being slapped in the face with spice spice spice. For me Mexican food is about freshness, light food that can be enjoyed on a hot summer afternoon with an ice cold Corona.    

These burritos come wrapped in bright red foil and are Mexican rolls of heaven. Peeling away the foil bit by bit and revealing the fresh Mexican goodness inside is euphoric. Mad Mex is hands down the best Mexican I have come across. Put aside the cheese, sour cream, and Western fillings, the spices and flavours used at Mad Mex are as authentic as they come. The staff are consistently energetic and bubbly and I love that they use Spanish all over the store to label the bins, cutlery, menu items, drinks, ect. They always have Spanish music playing and the staff frequently speak Spanish with each other. Mas arroz por favor! The atmosphere is open and friendly, although my local store is more takeaway than eat in being in the middle of a shopping centre.  

The fresh ingredients make the food a roaring success. Everything is always fresh, you can watch the staff cut kilos of avocado to make the guacamole, grill huge volumes of chicken, and cook jumbo pots of rice. Mexican food has to be full of fresh ingredients for me and Mad Mex nails it. 

I would recommend Mad Mex to any Mexican lover. The price is great for the quality of the ingredients. The staff are always friendly. They have a great loyalty program. They have a liquor license for those who love a beer to wash down their Mexican or a frozen Margarita over lunch with the girls. The food is consistent, whether it's lunch time peak hour or closing time. I will be back for more delicious burritos!