Espresso Warriors - Parramatta, NSW

We are in such a blessed time to be living in Parramatta. I almost feel like every single day, I find the area thriving, expanding and become more and more like its eastern counterpart. There have been so many new openings that I've barely been able to keep up but I think out of everything that has recently opened, the Mrs is probably the most excited about Espresso Warriors and for one reason: eggettes. These little bubbly waffles from my hometown have seemingly overtaken the foodie world...with every rendition getting more and more pretty and extravagant. Whilst I personally am not a fan of paying exorbitant amounts of money for things I used to be able to get on the streets of Hong Kong for mere dollars, I do understand the attraction the Mrs (and everyone else) has to these items and as a result, we find ourselves at Espresso Warriors right on the week they opened, having brunch and trying out their delectable food items.

Despite having only just opened, Espresso Warriors seems to be getting a pretty steady flow of traffic and to be honest, they are situated in the MOST optimal position being right next to EVENT cinemas and the escalators from all the other food options this side of Church Street. We were very anxious about finding a table since there's been a bit of 'gram hype about this place so we got there early and quickly parked our car and power walked over just in case it would be packed out. We were fortunate to get there earlier and we got a table straight away! Score!

The fitout is a mix of stripped out industrial with green overlaid in the form of hanging pot plants and a greenery covered ceiling which gives a very serene feeling...a separation or a form of escape from the crowded shopping mall outside. One thing that stands out the most from start to finish is how attentive and how impeccable their service is. You really do feel very well taken care of and they make sure to check in with you very frequently so kudos to them! The menu is extensive and I was very interested in the lunch options but they didn't have the lunch availability times on the menu so I wasn't sure if we could order it. I ordered the Golden Eggs Benedict whilst the Mrs ordered the Morning Hash.

The Morning Hash consists of a rustic potato rosti topped with broccolini, rocket, bacon, poached eggs and salsa verde. A very moreish and delicious package altogether though initially, the poached eggs did come out somewhat overdone but they were more than happy to provide us with two replacements which was fantastic!

In my opinion, my Golden Eggs Benedict was way more delicious though as the eggs were done perfectly: a crispy layer of fried panko enveloping a perfectly poached egg with a gooey, golden centre. I normally don't like kale but I really, really enjoyed it in this dish...a very nice, nutty flavour from the slight sauteed they gave it. I also paired mine with smoked salmon which is always delightful to have over a nice piece of toasted brioche.

We would not have left today without trying the eggettes of course! But which to choose? Since we live so close, we heeded the advice of the staff and started with the Tokyo Waffle so we can come back later anytime and try the LA waffles. The Mrs was watching them prepare the dish with a very keen eye and spent the whole waiting period mumbling to herself about what she would have done when making the eggettes. The Tokyo Waffle is a green-tea flavoured eggette housing mochi, coconut, taro ice cream with taro sauce and as a whole, the dessert was very pretty and the flavours worked rather well together. The only point of improvement though would be the eggette...it sort of came a little deflated so it would have been better if the bubbles maintained their shape and crispiness. It was also hard to pick up the cone and take a photo so I made the suggestion of serving it on a ice cream cone holder instead of a plate (but I'm sure they've considered that as well).

Overall, we had a wonderful time at Espresso Warriors and hopefully, we'll be able to grab a table as easily as we did this time to try their other lunch and brunch options. I doubt it'll be as easy next time though since I definitely anticipate that their customer-base will expand exponentially in the days to come!

Paramount Coffee Project - Surry Hills, NSW

The Mrs has been wanting to go to Paramount Coffee Project for years but we've just never had the chance. I mean, with so many new and exciting places opening up all the time, our list of ever expanding options just grows and grows right? Luckily, a couple of Sundays ago, we had a little breathing space to go out for a shopping spree. Since a majority of Surry Hills eateries weren't open for business, you're effectively left with the ones that are. As if following some kind of god given sign, we walked in, put our name down and waited for a table.

Paramount has been a popular lunch/brunch destination for some time now and you really see why when you walk in. I remember this being one of the first places I saw the minimalist white and wood industrial outfit that's become so popular recently.  The wide open space gives it a really inviting atmosphere and despite the frantic pace, you can feel comfortable tucked away in a corner having a private conversation.

As with any brunch, we ordered coffee as soon as we sat down. Maybe owing to how busy it was that weekend, our coffees didn't come out until we decided to order food (which was sometime after we'd seated and got comfortable). I wasn't sure if it was just me or if I was losing my palate but I really couldn't taste anything special or outstanding about the coffee at paramount. Granted, I remember it being creamy and nutty but it lacked depth for me.

We were seated right next to the little window where food went through the pass and so we could see when our dishes came out. The Mrs ordered the soft baked eggs which came out in a little clay ramekin. A good dollop of creamy labneh sat on top of a red chorizo sauce and green relish. This also came with a slice of sourdough toast, the Mrs at a bit and said that it wasn't suiting her palate as it was a bit too spicy. Good for me because I didn't much enjoy my dish so we swapped.

I ordered the southern fried chicken and waffles which on paper sounded like the most substantial and satisfying meal. I was rather disappointed with my first bite as the combination came across far too sweet for my liking. I suspect that there was maple syrup added to the waffles which in addition with the maple hinted gravy, overpowered the chicken a fair bit. I was also disappointed inthe batter of the chicken in that it lacked the crunch and spice you typically expect from southern fried chicken. The chicken itself was juicy and full of chicken flavour but the choice to use coloured meat may have affected the texture of the chicken. I knew I should have gone with my gut feeling and ordered the cheesesteak but, in the end, the Mrs ended up liking my dish more which meant it all worked out in the end.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I'm rarely this negative about food in general  (to be fair: it was still a good, hearty delicious meal) but I think the two years of anticipation really set us up for a bit of a let down. Though, that said, I'm also very willing to return since I'm convinced that the fault lied with me ordering the wrong thing. I've also recently had my southern fried chicken craving satisfied so if I do return, I'd be happy to try the other things they have on offer.

Chef's Palette - Strathfield, NSW

We've had quite a scorcher of a long weekend right? For some odd reason, these last couple days have been unbearably hot for spring but that's just Sydney weather for you I guess. As the warmer weather heralds the coming of Summer, most people would be heading to the beach to enjoy the surf and sand but the Mrs and I decided to go to brunch instead (obviously to avoid the crowds). We decided today to try a place that we hadn't yet had the opportunity to try: Chef's Palette.

Situated where My Sweet Memory "used" to be (more on that later), the cafe's quant looking but quite a bit more spacious than it used to be...mostly a result of doing away with the stationary section and replacing that with a kitchen. It wasn't as busy as we'd expected it to be which was great since we could have a pick of any table we wanted. The Mrs and I quickly seated ourselves and once we'd decided what to order, I got up and ordered our food and drinks at the counter.

As expected, the drinks came first: the Mrs' iced coffee and my iced monkey. The iced coffee was pretty standard...nutty coffee mellowed out by creamy ice cream and then chilled to a refreshing coolness which really helped fight off the heat. Definitely not the worst we've had but nothing all too spectacular either. My drink (the iced monkey) was like a blended chocolate frappe with banana powder in it which meant  it tasted like korean banana milk with a hint of chocolate...definitely something different and worth a try.

The food came after a short wait which was great because by this point, the Mrs and I were starving. The Mrs blew out and ordered a house made ricotta cheese dish with extra spinach, bacon, grilled tomato and eggs (she didn't know it came with one egg but the more the better right?). The house made ricotta was really nice and creamy which really worked well with that doughy sonoma toast and overall it was a delicious dish but my one criticism was that they were a bit light-handed with the truffle. As it was, we really couldn't taste any truffle (though we did choose to have the dish not as it was intended so that could be a factor). 

My dish was certainly a highlight: pull pork eggs benedict with a really well made hollandaise sauce and saucy pulled pork that made it a really satisfying dish. You get that moreishness from the eggs and that beautiful hollandaise sauce which gets cut through by that tart tomato based pulled pork. The abundant meatiness made the each bite more enjoyable. I can't say I was a big fan of the slaw though (mainly because the Mrs and I don't like apple) and I found it a bit too sour which really numbed my palette quite a bit. 

I normally really like to see and emphasise the good points of each restaurant I visit but for my experience at Chef's Palette, I unfortunately had to admit that it wasn't all too impressive. Don't get me wrong, the food was definitely not bad or anything but it definitely wasn't substantially different or impressionable either. The items were lacking in the refinement and ingenuity we normally see when we dine out and I was also a little shocked to see My Sweet Memory show up on my banking app after. I'm not too sure if this was a transitional thing or if Chef's Palette is really just a rebranding of MSM...regardless, if they really want to be competitive (especially with such a great little cafe just a little further down the road) they really need to get a few things that help them stand out.

Roastville - Marrickville, NSW

The Mrs has been a bit busy this weekend with the in-laws heading off on a holiday for a few weeks so she this morning, she had to get up early and help drive them to the airport. Knowing the Mrs, she wouldn't have been all too happy about that (she loves her sleep) but one definite benefit of going to the airport is that you're extremely close to where all the brunch action is. That's exactly what the Mrs had planned and as soon as she dropped off her parents, the three of us (the brother-in-law, her and myself) all headed off to Marrickville to checkout a place we've been hearing about: Roastville.

 

The original plan was to go there and check out their fried chicken and waffles which has been circulating instagram lately but unfortunately, upon arrival we'd learned that the waffles were only available from 11:30am onwards...shame. Still, that didn't deter us from having a great meal there so we promptly ordered coffee and food. The coffee beans are roasted in house and therefore, it's obvious that you have to try what they have on offer. The Mrs looked impressed so that's a good sign but I'll be honest, despite being great there really wasn't any outstanding or notable differences...then again, I'm really no coffee connoisseur.

Well, I really didn't come here for the coffee but for the epic looking food. The brother-in-law and I both ordered the dirty bird benedict (which I didn't actually know was their signature dish) and I have to say...it was amazing. The excessiveness of the dish is the first thing you'll notice...when you look at the dish, the first thing you ask yourself is "how am I even eating something like this in the morning?" but it totally works. There isn't too much hollandaise (a crime a lot of other eggs bennys are guilty of) but what you get really helps to accentuate the dish. It's a perfect amount of moorish creaminess and tartness with what a really delicious kick from that mild harissa. The chicken is super tender and juicy (so juicy) with ample tonkatsu-like crunch (the Mrs said they probably use panko bread crumbs). Finally, that bread...it was so moist and flavoursome that it was almost biscuit like in texture...definitely my highlight of the day.

The Mrs wanted to be different and ordered the eggs on toast with a side of chickpea, kale and tomato ragout as well as some chorizo...which surprisingly, totally worked. The toast is nice and rustic (just the way she likes it) and the beetroot relish really helped cut through the butter egg yolk and give it some sweetness. The ragout was delicious in it's own simplistic way with crunchy kale, chickpeas and a slight tartness from the tomato which to me, tasted like there was almost a middle-eastern spin on the ragout. The chorizo was also great in that they didn't use the smoked variety which at times, ends up a bit dry when cooked. Instead, they opted for the unsmoked kind which made it really sweet fatty and meaty.

Although I am admittedly slightly disappointed that I didn't get to try the fried chicken and waffles, today was definitely no loss as I got to try their spin on my favorite breakfast and we are extremely impressed with their execution of the food. They strike a very fine balance between healthy, raw ingredients and excessive yet satisfying and soulful dishes. Marrickville was already an amazing foodie destination but I believe it's now gotten even better with it's addition of this delightful cafe.

Buttermelt Cafe - Strathfield, NSW

The Mrs and I really haven't had the chance to spend any quality brunching time together this week. She's been pretty inundated with the planning of a very special event we have coming up. Normally, I'd be a lazy one and just stay home cause my food buddy isn't with me but today, I decide to get off my butt and go out for a nice bite to eat and a haircut and boy, am I glad I decided on that. I will only ever get my haircuts from two locations within Sydney and since today, I'm not inclined to head into the CBD, I decided to head to Strathfield as see what was on offer.

Since I missed my partner so much, I decided that I wouldn't be boring and have what I always had (the deluxe set from Tomoya). No, instead I walked around a bit to assess my options and I stumbled upon Buttermelt cafe, situated in the old "Moochi" location. Upon walking past the cafe and seeing the outfit and staff, I decided to head in and grab some lunch...best decision I've made today. The cafe is small and in typical cafe-fashion, has an industrial outfit which lends to the simplistic atmosphere. the cafe if very open so you get to see all the action whilst still being detached and sheltered from it all in one of the cosy tables inside.

Although I missed my other half very dearly, I can't say I didn't enjoy myself because one of the benefits of not eating with your Partner is that you don't need to be considerate of her and you get to order what you truly desire. In my case, I'd spotted another cafe-goer eating a delicious looking mushroom pasta and that pretty much told me what I needed to order and trust me, I was definitely not disappointed. Aside from looking absolutely on point, the dish tasted delightfully fresh and was delicious to boot. I loved the fact that they included two slices of buttered bread to help you soak up all the sauce and I was really pleasantly surprised when the buttered bread turned out to be mildly sweet which helped enhance the moorish and creamy flavours of the pasta.

I'm a die hard carnivore and even I didn't miss the meat in this dish because the addition of the chunky king oyster mushrooms added a really nice textural bite to the whole package. The pasta was cooked al-dente and the bits of cheese and stringy enoki mushrooms made it a delight to eat. 

The coffee was also unexpectedly and amazingly good. Buttermelt stocks Sensory lab beans and whilst I'm not a big bean snob, I know good suppliers when I see them. After a deliciously satisfying meal, I'd normally just gulp down my coffee like it was water but the aroma and taste of the beverage actually managed to slow me down to little sips as I'd enjoyed it so much I subconsciously just wanted to sit there and enjoy the moment.

After my meal, I went off to grab my haircut and on the way to collect my car, I stopped by again to grab a drink for the road. I settled on the green tea smash which I saw someone else have earlier and again, was thoroughly impressed with how well they did it. A bit on the pricier side in terms or iced drinks but definitely well worth it, an intense matcha flavour permeates the whole drink and is well complemented by the mild sweetness of the vanilla ice cream. If you let the flavours just roll in your mouth, near the end, you'll notice a slight bitterness which helps round off the whole drink.

I actually cannot wait to bring the Mrs back to Buttermelt, not just because it's so accessible to the both of us but also because I can't believe that such a little gem was hiding under our noses the whole time. A sincere thank you to you guys at Buttermelt cafe, you'd given me a lovely lunch experience and set my weekend off to a great start.

Cafe Oratnek - Redfern, NSW

It's the weekend and it's brunch time again! This time, it's me who personally made the request to go for brunch (thanks for bearing with me Mrs). News on the grapevine is that there's a fantastic new cafe located in Redfern that's serving delicious katsu sandwiches...and I'm a sucker for katsu sandos. I was also quite intrigued because I knew that it was headed by Kenny Takayama ex-head chef of bills, Darlinghurst That's how we found ourselves driving through Redfern for a Japanese fusion brunch. Upon arriving, we were lucky enough to grab one of the last two tables available before the rush came in.

We quickly ordered our coffees and shortly after, once the Mrs had decided on what she wanted, ordered our food as well. They stock Mecca coffee at Oratnek and being one of my favourite coffee roasters, I had no issues just sipping and waiting for our food to come. The Mrs however (grumpy from a busy night) was not nearly as patient. Still, kudos to her for sitting out in the barely risen sun waiting for food with me. Additional to her standard coffee, I also ordered her a detox water as compensation.

For food, the Mrs ordered the spicy pork stuffed chicken wings served with chilli jam, chips, green laver (aonori). In my opinion, the wings could have been coated a little better (I like my fried chicken with more crunchy/crispy bits) but in terms of flavour, the dish was spot on. Each bite yielded a piping hot mouthful of juicy chicken and a spicy porcine goodness. The wings are only made better when dipped into the sweet tasting chilli jam. The only issue the Mrs had was that there weren't enough wings after sharing with me.

Now...regarding my dish, I could effectively rant incessantly about it and even then I'd probably still have more to say... I was simply that impressed by it. I'd seen multiple pictures from other food-bloggers and I had wondered if it'd be a bit small for my appetite but that concern was quickly addressed when the sandwich actually arrived at the table. The portion was sized quite well and the juicy tonkatsu had an ample thickness to it. The combination of the slightly-thicker-than-standard bread and the mustard covered cabbage made for an excellent accompaniment to the delicious piece of fried pork. To me, this was heaven in a sandwich.

Overall, I'd say I had a really good time. I mean compared to most other times when I have brunch, this meal really satisfied me. The outside courtyard would make a wonderful place to sit and have a conversation in spring or summer and I can't wait to see what they bring to the menu when the season does change.