Marrickville Road Cafe, Marrickville

This cafe is unworthy of mention to the point that I forgot its name and had to google it. A friend and I ventured to the Marrickville Road cafe on a Sunday. It was empty and unwelcoming. The feature wall gave the cafe some edge, sure, but there was nothing else to be excited about.

The menu at Marrickville Road Cafe is extensive (and cheap) but nothing really stands out. The menu is also unattractively presented in a plastic booklet for lack of a better description.

Eventually my friend opts for the eggs florentine. The service was quick and we had our meals shortly after ordering. The eggs were poached nicely but the accompaniments are a let down. Butter mushrooms and sauteed spinach were scattered roughly over the plate. The presentation overall was a bit dull and the meal could have been easily replicated at home.

I ordered the big breakfast (both meals were around $10) and my was it a disappointment. The "scrambled eggs" were flat, not fluffy, and cold. The mushrooms had the same flavour of the canned varieties and the sausage was nothing special. The Turkish bread was lathered in too much butter.

We found ourselves disappointed with the cafe, both the dull food and the unfriendly service. And it surely didn't help that the cafe was swarming with flies. 

Marrickville Road Cafe, 212 Marrickville Road, Marrickville

Rosebud, Rozelle

My local, Plunge in Summer Hill, has recently been taken over by new staff. Wondering where they all came from, I once asked one of the waitstaff this very question. "I actually worked at our sister cafe, Rosebud in Rozelle," he said. That day, my fate was sealed. I was going to go to Rosebud; I just had to.

A couple of weeks passed before a visit from my father provided the perfect opportunity to do so. The visit landed on a Sunday morning. We pranced into a cafe-restaurant taken over by mothers and their children, but, lucky for us, the local haunt was not quite full.

The decor at Rosebud is quite typical. A blackboard dotted with chalk-drawn specials; wooden furniture; a pinky-red feature half-wall above the counter with "rosebud" scrawled onto it. The lights are a bit fancy; they dangle from draping cords attached to the panelled ceiling. All-in-all, Rosebud provides a unpretentious ambience for either a scrumptious breakfast or romantic dinner, although I wouldn't say it adds much to the experience.

Dad begins with a cappuccino ($3.8). And that's when we determine that the service at Rosebud was not quite up to scratch. I found the waitstaff rude and unaccommodating. They went about their job without so much as a smile and were neither prompt in taking our orders or very helpful. Nonetheless, like Plunge, the coffee is good. 

Battling through one of my very rare the-thought-of-coffee-makes-me-sick days, I opted for the banana and coconut smoothie ($6). It was nice, but I was looking forward to the coconut taste, which wasn't as present as I would have liked. The drink menu is also a bit pricey. A large coffee will set you back $4.80 and an orange juice is $5.

The first couple of times I dined at Plunge, their food wasn't great. However, now, it is simply amazing; something seems to have clicked and I am more excited than ever for the opening of Plunge for dinner (hurrah!). The food at Rosebud causes a similar level of excitement, and they're already open for dinner--lookout Plunge, my impatience is calling. 

The breakfast menu leaves us spoilt for choice. Blueberry oatmeal pancakes with mascarpone and berry compote ($15), a smoked salmon omelette with mustard dreamed leek and fried capers ($17) have my mouth watering, but I opt for organic poached eggs with Sonoma bread, tomato relish and cultured butter ($9), adding field mushrooms and grilled haloumi with Zaatar for $4 each. Phwoaaaar! My food is scrumptious. The toast is crisp, I slice into the eggs and a gooey, soft yolk oozes out. The field mushrooms are presented in equal slices, soaked in flavour and the haloumi, oh my the haloumi. Salty with a bit of bite, thanks Zaatar!

My father couldn't go past the shakshouka: baked eggs, beef sucuk, spiced tomato, pepper, onion and bread. For $17 this was a purely smashing dish. Presented in a neat clay pot, the egg yolk seeped out upon being sliced, like my own poached. Dad savoured the fragrances and seasoning; slightly spicy and yet too good too resist for a man who generally doesn't handle his spice. Also, accompanied with Sonoma toast, this dish was spot on.

So, would I say Rosebud is better than my beloved Plunge? No, but it could be. The cafe-restaurant simply needs to work on showcasing a smiling face, and perhaps needs to develop more of an edge than local competitors.

Rosebud, 654 Darling Street, Rozelle

Badde Manors Cafe, Glebe

Nathan and I are exhausted. It is Australia Day and we've spent ages (forty minutes...) trekking to Sydney University for a Sydney Grade Twenty20. It's also stinking hot and we've just walked half way up Glebe Point Road looking for Wedge Espresso, only to give up and then spot it on the way back. (It was closed, but since then I've been three times--it is amazing!)

Exhausted, bursting to get to the cricket (well, Nathan is anyway) and melting, we stopped at the first cafe that looked decent--Badde Manors.

Every time I have walked past the corner-hugging cafe it has been packed to the brims. I thought we couldn't go wrong.

We swiftly order drinks: a frappuccino ($6.50) and organic orange juice. The pricing for both is ridiculous and the drinks are, really, just horrible. My frappuccino is very weak, and tastes closer to blended milk and ice. There are massive chunks of ice littered throughout and the texture is as uneven as can be. At $5.80 we are equally disappointed with Nathan's "organic" orange juice. It tastes no better than Golden Circle Orange juice which comes at $5.50 for four litres last time I checked.

The menu is quite extensive, and cheap. The stuffed crumb mushrooms are tempting, so are the two risottos available. Among other things, there's a Cajun-spiced eggplant schnitzel, a falafel burger and a Mediterranean platter, but I opt for the sweetcorn, capsicum and coriander cakes. They sound delicious, are recommended by the waitress and are a meagre $12.50.

While we wait, we take the time to observe the service and the decor. A stack of gig posters line the walls, however, apart from this, the space is really low key: spread across a couple of rooms, some booth seating, a handful or two of your average table and chair setting and a nice little display cabinet of goodies in the main area. It's a tad off-putting that general junk and cleaning utensils dot the back end of the cafe (down towards the bathrooms--which are themselves not the cleanest).

Apart from this, the service is okay, if a bit distant. The location is ace: near the Broadway end of the culinary heaven that Glebe Point Road is growing into and roughly 100 metres to Broadway Shopping Centre. The cafe itself is not bad as such, and neither is the food.

My crispy sweetcorn, capsicum and coriander cakes served with baby spinach, sauteed mushroom, fresh tomato and homemade tomato chutney are quite delicious. The texture is a bit doughy and really, they're nothing special, but for $12.50, I am not complaining. The outer skin is slightly crisp, the coriander flavour makes this a pleasant variation of your standard corn fritters and the mushrooms are marinated excellently. The tomato chutney has a bit of bite. Not bad, I say: JUST THOSE DRINKS...

Badde Manors Cafe, 1/37 Glebe Point Road, Glebe

Revolver, Annandale

Revolver came to my attention after its inclusion in just about every list of the whos-who in cafes. Top ten, all the time--so, it's no wonder that I finally made my way there.

This Annandale cafe is an institution, just google "Revolver big brekkie" and look at all the pictures of said dish. With its artsy interiors--including old-school library style wall equipped with sliding latter, antique lighting and lone graffiti wall--hip waitstaff and equally creative cafe menu.

Revolver hugs the corner of Annandale and Rose street. Fortunately, this means double the footpath, that is, double the space for cafe-goers to wait in line. And there is a line.

When we--Mother, Mother's Boyfriend and I--arrive, the cosy cafe is packed. Our name gets taken down and we're advised there's four other parties in front of us. So begins the wait and so, the observations.

The staff at Revolver are as friendly as anything. I watch them so carefully help a lady in a wheelchair to a table and generally conduct wide genuine grins in every which direction. When an elderly man turns up with two bouquet's of flowers for his obvious lover, the waiter doesn't hesitate in fetching a vase and placing the beautiful bunch in front of the tiled wall adorned with mermaid mural. Soon enough, we're seated at a crooked table on Rose Street, with it's very own revolver pattern etched into the woodwork.

The menu at Revolver is full of fancy cafe style dishes with a bit of flair. Everything sounds too luscious and I would most certainly have needed god's help to choose a few to mention here (luckily, picking my meal was a decision cut out for me, I just couldn't go past the infamous big breakie).

For drinks, my mum and her boyfriend, Bret, both opt for the Red Dragon organic ginger beer ($4.50) and I, for the mango smoothie ($5.50). Mum and Bret are rapt with their ginger beers and couldn't give more positive reviews. It is from Byron Bay, organic and apparently damn tasty (I can't stand the stuff), so I'd say it's worth the price. The photo does my smoothie no justice, it is most certainly massive. The liquid itself isn't the best I've had. Revolver has an extensive list of teas.

Our meals arrive promptly, on cute, antique (probably op-shopped) plates. Mum couldn't rave anymore about the nine hour roasted lamb bruschetta with housemade hummus, fire roasted capsicum relish, spiced almonds ($15.50). The lamb was tender and the dish had a bit of grunt thanks to the spiced almonds and relish. The toast was perfectly crisp. Really, it couldn't get any better for less than twenty dollars.

My big breakie of two baked eggs in housemade beans, honey cured bacon, roast tomato, mushrooms, honey mustard sausage and toast ($16.50) certainly was ace. The baked eggs were soft and the yolk melted in the mouth. The bacon was spot on with a hint of honey, the honey mustard flavour was definitely present in the sausage and with toast and pesto on the side, the meal was basically impossible to finish; it was certainly very sizeable. I must admit, however, that I'm not a fan of baked beans, and this failed to convert me. The tomato sauce can also get a bit sickening after a while.

Bret wasn't very peckish so opted for something light: the pocketed bacon and egg roll with rocket and awesome sauces ($8). Simple and yet sophisticated; the meal was spot on in terms of flavour, was presented very cleanly and a godsend to the tastebuds with those "awesome sauces."

Revolver certainly lived up to the hype. Everything about the visit was streamlined to perfection: the warm, caring, efficient service; welcoming interiors; convenient and yet secluded location on a residential road and, most of all, creative and damn tasty menu. This cafe really is the centre of its community (a trend the media seems to preach lately) epitomised by the Revolver community noticeboard that greets you at the door. And for once, a cafe is absolutely worth the label.

The only thing I want to know is where I can get a clay pot a la the Revolver big breakie? Let me assure you, it's a great dish to replicate.

Revolver, 291 Annandale Street, Annandale

Cedro, Port Macquarie

I am horrendously behind with my posts. The thing is, I have rediscovered reading and once you find a good book, my god is it hard to put down.

After a long time wishing for a visit to Port Macquarie's Cedro, my father and I finally made plans to visit the demure cafe on December 27 (yes, really behind I know!) Prior to our visit, it had always seemed that Cedro was closed whenever we decided to go. I am just glad I didn't give up! When I finally did visit, the service and food was excellent, sealing the cafe's fate as a new go-to.

Being a public holiday and very early in the morning, the cafe was quiet. This was lucky for us because it was blowing a gale outside. While there's a lot of al fresco seating lining the pathways on the corner of Clarence and Short streets, there is limited seating inside - a communal square table for around eight and a handful of others to seat groups of four to be exact.

The waitstaff at the cafe were incredibly friendly and very talkative which was nice. They were very comforting while I waited for my father who was late, and not in the slightest bit pushy. When my father finally arrived, orders were taken swiftly and jovially.

My father, not feeling very peckish, ordered the poached eggs on Turkish toast, adding bacon ($15.50). He had no complaints himself, but personally, I believe $4.50 for an add on (which also includes tomatoes, mushrooms, smoked leg ham, slow baked beans, chorizo, avocado, crisp chat potatoes) is a bit steep. To be honest, every time I see eggs and toasted listed on a cafe menu I cringe. Not because the old eggs and toast combo isn't damn tasty, but because of the absurd prices that are usually attached. 

I opted for the roasted forest mushrooms on brioche with wilted baby spinach, asparagus and gorgonzola, a poached egg and truffle oil ($17), which was absolutely divine and, unlike my father's meal, well worth the price. The poached egg was spot on - the yolk oozed out when I ran my knife through it -, the mushrooms were excellently marinated and the brioche was so sweet, crisp and soft at the same time. I was thrilled with my meal and couldn't have asked for anything better.

The coffee at Cedro was deliciously smooth. I usually don't like Toby's Estate but this was brewed well and presented beautifully. It was also exquisite because it came with a smile!

It really is a wonder why I let the fact that I hadn't visited Cedro slide for so long. But with a delicious sounding menu including such things as goat's cheese, basil and shallot scramble and a breakfast tagine of lamb, pumpkin and minted yoghurt, I will just have to go back - and oh so willingly will I go!

Cedro, 70 Clarence St, Port Macquarie

Hangry, Rozelle

Sometimes, what we originally perceive as foreign and unfamiliar, over time, becomes one of our deepest loves. When I walked into Hangry's wide open glass doors to do a profile on the cafe for the Inner West Courier, I was scared. I had no idea what this place was about, had never before had, or even heard of, half of their menu items and lastly, I was an intern being trusted with a job that needed to be done that day, that hour.

But when I walked through those doors, I was embraced by the staff, the warm terracotta interior and the smile on the customers' faces. The owners, Sam and Lorraine, soon greeted me, making it damn clear that Hangry is more than a cafe, rather being a big happy family. Such atmospheres are the best when it comes to trying something new, especially when one has the Sam and Lorraine's of this world to be their guiding angel (when it comes to choosing from a very different menu than what one is used to).

When I visited the cafe for the profile, Sam ran me through Hangry's most loved dishes - namely the pancakes, Fooul' Medammis and Eggs Taleggio - with great descriptions, tales and talk of the ingredients. I sampled a chocolate brownie, a housemade raspberry and pistachio muffin and a latte. This was more than enough to draw me back.

Nathan's mum, Yvonne, Nathan and I visited on a Sunday morning around 8am. Hangry wasn't very busy meaning we had the gorgeous waitstaff almost to ourselves.

Like my first visit, the waitstaff were friendly and warm, looking the part in their "I [heart] Hangry" t-shirts. They were quick to take our orders and extremely pleasant overall.

Nathan's mother and I both ordered the eggs taleggio with two baked eggs, Mauri taleggio cheese in a clay pot with roasted tomatoes, baby spinach and crusty bread ($15). If you're on the brink of becoming hangry (so hungry that anger starts to sneak in), I suggest you go for the three eggs for $2 more. Nathan, feeling a bit under the weather, opted for a light meal with the homemade muesli.

I must say that our meals took a while to come out. The eggs taleggio, to be honest, fell a little short of my expectations - mind you, Yvonne had just used the wait to rant about how luxurious baked eggs had been for her in the past. For me, the eggs tasted hardly different from those that had been fried in both flavour and texture. Yvonne agreed. On the other hand, the cheese, spinach and roasted tomato was a great combination, and the freshness of the produce (which Sam sources locally) was clearly evident. I must add that it's impressive that Sam ventures to farms himself to source the eggs, so that those his much-loved customers consume are the best there is.

Nathan, still feeling sick when his homemade muesli with yoghurt and strawberries, topped with a dollop of honey ($9) arrived, struggled through it. He said it was delicious but couldn't stomach much more than the yoghurt, strawberries and a couple of spoonfuls of muesli. I thank god for this because that meant that I got to eat it for lunch, and boy, was the muesli tasty, and somewhat addictive. My only wish was that Nathan had eaten less.

Hangry serves Di Gabriel coffee, which, although nice, is not one of my favourite blends. My mocha was okay but could've done with a richer chocolate flavour.

And as for the odd menu at Hangry - I must correct myself and say that it's not that unusual. That is, if you're unlike me and didn't grow up in the restrictive dining hole that is Port Macquarie. Hangry's menu is loaded with Middle Eastern influences and yet still has something for everyone - whether for breakfast, lunch or a cake and coffee.

After sampling some of what it has to offer, I can say with certainty that I will be back.

Hangry, 4/595 Darling Street, Rozelle

If you missed it, read the profile here

Barmuda, Newtown

Barmuda is (so far) my favourite cafe in Newtown. I have now been there twice, and both visits have seen me consume great food and coffee in a warm, friendly atmosphere.

We wandered to the cafe on a Sunday morning. It was busy and we were seated in a room upstairs that I hadn't noticed before. 

The decor at Barmuda is wonderful, with rustic old floorboards, big blackboard menus and tightly-packed yet cosy furnishings.

I ordered the chargrilled polenta with pan-fried haloumi, spinach, chargrilled zucchini and chilli napoli. The presentation was exquisite, the bold greens, yellows and reds contrasted excellently, making the dish extremely pleasing to the eye. The meal is everything it promises to be on the menu. I do, however, think that the polenta gets a bit boring after a while and could do with more seasoning.

One friend orders the potato stack crispy potato cakes with scrambled eggs, roasted tomatos, (ham), rocket and tomato relish ($15). Her request to replace the eggplant with ham is given the okay, but she is charged extra. I should note that overall our waitress was quite pleasant and very quick to take our orders, unlike my last visit. My friend thoroughly enjoys stack and is in awe of the crispy and damn tasty potato cakes.

The other two diners (boys of course!) opt for the Planet Newtown [free range eggs with bacon, sausage, balsamic and rosemary mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and toast ($16.50)], one of Barmuda's specialities. Both are overly pleased and neither, despite being "growing teenage boys", are able to finish their meal. The sausages and marinated mushrooms get a special mention.

Both times I visited this swanky cafe on Australia Street, a splendid time was had with delicious, creative food and good company - in my fellow diners, but also in the general atmosphere of the restaurant and the waitstaff. The only downer was trying to split the bill - and I should warn you that there is a ten per cent surcharge on Sundays.

Barmuda, 283 Australia Street, Newtown (opposite the police station)

Cinque, Newtown

Cinque is a bit of a let down. The menu is extremely large - there is two pages worth of salads, risottos, pastas, quesadillas, burgers, seafood, steak and all the breakfast staples as well as another eight specials.  I first set my eyes on dining at Cinque after a journo meeting. I only had time for coffee, but decided I must come back after one glance at the menu (I ended up visiting Cinque the two following weekends). Such things as mocha bread with vanilla marscarpone ($5.90), seared scallop and sauteed leek risotto with parsley and lemon zest ($19) and grilled Atlantic salmon with cauliflower puree, green peas and dill ($23) just pull you in. But, to be honest, the meals I ordered, on two separate visits, in no way met my expectations.

The first visit was a catch up lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in yonks. We both ended up ordering omelettes. I go for "The Red" (chorizo, potato, tomato and basil with toast) - the mention of chorizo forced this choice on me - and he chose "Bourke" (smoked bacon, butter mushrooms, tomato and toast). Both were $12.90. Mind you, this was after a pushy waitress had asked us whether we were ready to order about five times, and had then continued to make herself scarce when we had finally decided. The omelette was a real let down. First of all, the eggs were not fluffy to the slightest, but rather a thin, overcooked, flavourless shell - and with nothing inside it. Well basically anyway. There were perhaps two thin slices of chorizo and I don't remember there being any potato. My friend's omelette was exactly the same. The toast, despite being a bit burnt, was nice - but that's only because it was layered in so much butter.

I gave Cinque a second chance. I had waited a while for a table when visiting with my friend, the cafe was packed and the menu was so extensive - perhaps I had picked a dud.

Mum ordered the zucchini and feta croquettes on rocket and parmesan salad with tomato and basil salsa. The presentation is poor. The croquettes look like packet chicken strips; the salad is equally unexciting. She says that the meal is okay, but only consumes half of it. The dish is quite cheap at $12.90 and, really, she gets what she paid for.

I am a sucker for pork belly, so the obvious choice was the crispy pork belly on white bean puree, Dutch carrots, baby beetroot and red wine reduction ($22.90). What I receive is beautifully presented and instantly increases my expectations of the dish. The carrots are all of equal length, the reduction is drizzled artistically across the plate and roasted baby beetroot dots both ends of one diagonal. The white bean puree oozes out from underneath the carrots upon which sits the golden crackling of my pork belly. All elements of the dish bar the main attraction are spot on. The carrots are soft and contrasted excellently by the smooth white puree, made even better when mixed with the reduction. The roasted beetroot has an intense yet sweet flavour that reminds me of cold winter nights. Unfortunately, the pork belly is almost impossible to eat. It's as if the actual act of consumption is a fight, the pork resists at every chance. Eventually I lose and just give up. The main attraction ruins what could have been an excellent dish.

So Cinque is full of negatives, but surely there must be some amazing dishes to cause such queues? For one thing, their drink menu is amazing. I had never heard of a frosted latte ($4), but am now hooked. The presentation is excellent; the contrast between the coffee brown and crisp white is alluring. Equally defined is the rich coffee flavour and vanilla tones of the "froth." Cinque's other drink offerings almost ascertain that I will be back, but perhaps just for them. There's my favourite childhood biscuit in a drink: the "Iced Vovo," a coffee thickshake and a banana-hazelnut smoothie among others.

From the reviews on Eatability, I get the impression that this place used to be great and has gradually declined in quality. In order for Cinque to survive in the bustling King Street cafe strip, the restaurant really needs to up their game. With their profitable location in the entrance to Dendy Cinemas, once great reputation, creativity (as seen in their drink menu), they have certainly got what it takes.

Cinque, 261 King Street, Newtown

Monday-Sunday, 7.30am til late

Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Espresso Train, Summer Hill

Espresso Train is decorated with children's drawings. As you walk in, you're greeted by these, the inviting red leather couch and Judi's, the owner, warm, welcoming smile.

Judi and her staff know most of their customer's name. But not only this, they remember the small things about their regulars. In my case: my university degree, my hometown, my boyfriend's travelling, my internship. They don't fake customer service, they own it.

Both Espresso Train's food and drinks menus are limited. But this is not to say that you won't find something to tickle your fancy. My Muffin Top, Drummoyne's gourmet muffin bakery, is owned by Judi's daughter, and thus, it's to no surprise that Espresso Train stocks their muffin. These make the cafe really, and well, if I had the choice of sweet or savoury, I know what I would pick. Their muffins are some of the best in Sydney. The passionfruit and coconut My Muffin Top muffin ($4.50) I had was purely divine. Unlike some other muffins, it was full, to the brim of big, juicy chunks of fresh fruit. The passionfruit icing had bite and perfectly complemented the shaved coconut. The iced coffee was different to most iced coffees, although still nice. An Espresso Train iced coffee is more like a milkshake, with some ice cream thrown in. The presentation is also not the best, I'd rather be able to see what I am drinking and how fast I am consuming it, but this doesn't lessen the taste.

The decor at Espresso Train isn't special, it's simple - with wooden stools, wooden benches, framed drawings from regulars (albeit most baby cino drinkers), a blackboard menu, and that couch. Nonetheless, simple isn't bad, but rather inviting and homely.

Inviting and homely: not much more can be said about the joyous cafe family I have found at Espresso Train.

Espresso Train, Shop 2, 2 Lackey St, Summer Hill

My profile of the cafe for the Inner West Courier

Coogie Yeeros, Coogee

A while back now, Nath and I headed down to Coogee to watch first grade cricket (specifically Monty Panesar) down by the beach. I was recovering - very, very slowly - from what I think was food poisoning. Needless to say, I had no appetite and did not feel the best. I must say, being a foodie and being sick is THE worst, most ironic combination - no appetite and no taste buds. Even worse, on this particular occasion, the mere thought of food made me feel sick.
Regardless, Nathan craved a burger, as always, and I had to eat something, so we headed down to Coogee Yeeros. I don't really know the area and couldn't give a damn about the quality of the cafe/restaurant I was giving my money to. So, we stopped at the first place we came across, beside McDonalds. With a view of the beach and a rather extensive burger menu for Nathan, it would do.
A blueberry smoothie ($6.50) was a refreshing addition to the menu. Such smoothies are rare. And the fact that this smoothie was thick, smooth and full of blueberry flavours made it all the more delicious. It made me feel better (although only temporarily) when I was feeling horrible.
Nathan raved about the burger. He has a thing for juicy, beefy, burgers with the right balance of salad and sauce. Coogee Yeeros' burger hit the mark.

 Coogee Yeeros, 206 Arden St, Coogee