If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from repeated viewings of 8 Mile is that you have one shot.

One opportunity.

Eminem taught a generation that you’ve got to lose yourself in the music, the moment, you better never let it go.

Don’t let a chance slip on by or let the moment pass. Who knows whether it will come by once again or just be gong forever.

Speaking of, I could’ve eaten at a number of fine Wollongong restaurants forever.

Here are some of my picks after a long weekend in the ‘Gong.

The Lobster Rolls at Dagwood

Dagwood was our first stop in Wollongong and it came highly recommended by various sauces (shout outs to ketchup, aioli and El Jannah’s garlic sauce for always being there for me). The menu is a slick fusion between Japanese staples and old school diner food which grants you items like a tonkatsu burger, pork buns and double cheese and bacon burgers that come with a side of shaker fries.

However, the stand out item to me were the lobster rolls. I’ve been deprived since I visited Burger Liquor Lobster in November 2014 so I was super keen to dive straight in. The lobster meat was tender and the addition of crunchy celery gave it a nice contrast. I would’ve loved more lobster but I’m pretty sure I say that every time I have lobster.

The Donut Shakes at Sifters

I haven’t really given my 2c on the “freak shake” trend yet so let me get it off of my chest. I think it’s right in line with what restaurants and cafes have been doing since the dawn of time. Imagine a world in which a restaurant makes an item on the menu aesthetically pleasing in the hopes that this will bring them more customers. Oh my, what a brand new concept! I honestly don’t mind that cafes are doing this as long as they’re also doing their due diligence and making sure the shake TASTES good as well as looking like it came from the imagination of a chubby 8 year old boy.

Back to the subject at hand, the donut shakes at Sifters aren’t actually that ridiculous. Is having a donut with your milkshake that strange of a concept? Nope!

The actual chocolate and salted caramel milkshakes are extremely rich, thick and absolutely delicious. And then you literally top it off with one of Sydney’s finest donuts (Malteser Crunch and Salted Caramel Pretzels) from Woah Nelly Bakes and you’ve got yourself a drink that will make you yelp: “holey sh*t!”

The Beef Brisket Po Boy at Hungry Wolf

Before I launch into one of the greatest po boys I’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling, I have to give a special shout out to the members of the Wollongong population I met and spoke to over the weekend. Everyone was just so nice and pleasant.

As someone that grew up unattractive, this was super refreshing. I am accustomed to people being nice to me in order to borrow money, borrow clothes or borrow organs but most people I encountered were just super pleasant and didn’t ask for cash, jeans or my kidney.

Anywho, back to the Hungry Wolf. The po boy I was presented with was easily my favourite dish during my gluttonous weekend. All my favourite ingredients were in this divine sub (beef, rocket, mushrooms and aioli). The bread was also nicely toasted and didn’t dissolve into a pool of greasy mush which is quite an accomplishment considering how much it was housing. I wolfed it down so fast that the lovely annachaannn wondered if I had even received my food.

Am I going back to the Gong for this?

Hell yeah, brisk-et on!

The Croque Madame at Lower East Cafe

Prior to this trip, I was on a bit of a health kick. Let’s say I gave that healthy lifestyle a kick to the curb once I went down south.

Speaking of; I thought my meals would go down south after my awesome experience at Hungry Wolf. I’m so glad I was wrong. I absolutely adored the croque madame at Lower East Cafe. The gruyere hollandaise was slightly sweet and tangy ; the ham was thickly cut and reminded me of Christmas. If it was Christmas then this sandwich was definitely my gift from Santa.

Also, instead of a cherry on top, I got a perfectly fried egg with an oozing yolk.

This is eggxactly what I wanted for Christmas.

The Fat Boy at His Boy Elroy

Lettuce unravel all the components in one of the best burgers Wollongong has to offer.

I’ll start with the bun, it was super soft, sturdy and reminded me of the buns from Shake Shack.

The homies at His Boy Elroy are definitely not stingy with the lettuce as there was a heap in my burger. I don’t mind the crunch and I was ok with it considering this was my entire vegetable intake for the trip.

The patty is cooked medium rare and just melted in my eager mouth the way I melt whenever Anna Kendrick giggles.

The tangy pickles, melted cheese and secret sauce simply topped it all off.

That’s my boy, Elroy.

The Baked Eggs at Lee & Me

My last meal in Wollongong was an absolute doozy. I’m not sure if there’s a place in Sydney that can poach eggs quite like the folk at Lee & Me. Yes, oozy yolk can be done by most folk but have a look at the egg white. Just look at how perfectly prepared it is.

Instead of being served with toast, Lee & Me opts to put some herb croutons in the baked eggs which I really enjoyed. You know how Coco Pops is marketed as a milkshake with crunch? Well er…Lee & Me’s baked eggs are an eggshake with crunch!

You’re welcome, Lee & Me’s marketing team.

Here’s the TL;DR for everyone else who can’t spell Wollongong without looking it up:

– I loved the people, I loved the food and  I loved the proximity to the beach (and I dont even like the beach). I just simply love the Gong!

– This post was not sponsored by Visit NSW or Visit Wollongong. I swear! My debit card can vouch for me.

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