Snapshot: Sydney Cafés V

Sydney is now home to a swathe of new cafés, quickly swelling to Melbornian proportions (well, almost). Quite frankly, the industry has become a rather perplexing beast swaying under the pressures of sky-high rent, keeping up appearances on social media and somehow having 'an edge' over everyone else. Because let's face it, the standards of coffee and café fare at the moment are nothing to be sniffed at (go us :D). Now the rest of us can go forth and reap the spoils! Sydney café society is very much alive and kicking, particularly in the Inner West. Suburbs like Chippendale, Enmore and Marrickville are running red hot at the moment. Here are a few that are leading the charge:

Brewtown Newtown

6-8 O'Connell St, Newtown

I may just have a thing for great typography and signage. Here are the 23 karat gold leaf efforts by Lynes & Co Source: Lynes & Co

Ever since my time as a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed undergrad (back in the day) I've always had a soft spot for Newtown. Not only for its accessibility and character but also all the cafés, bookshops and quirky boutiques that line King Street in their dozens, not to mention $6.50 thai food. It's utterly irresistible. It's a little cultural hub and if I ever lived there...I might never well leave! Ever since opening last year, Brewtown Newtown has had a dream run. I'm thinking the alliteration might have a role there. Taking over the old Berkelouw bookshop site with an 'industrial' revamp, this airy space is now home to a café, micro-roastery and boutique of nice things in O'Connell Street Merchants upstairs.

And so, the battle of the coffee ferns ensues... After watching the Latte Art Smackdown at the Aroma Coffee Festival this year I have a new appreciation for the pouring of milk. Crazy. Person. I feel as though coffee in Sydney has reached a plateau, but in a good way. Not quite to the ridiculous standards of Melbourne (ruthless) but we try!

It's a familiar story, these lads (and ladettes) are serious about their coffee.  Sourcing green beans from a far off plantation in Panama, they are then roasted onsite where all the magic happens under the name of Gnome Coffee Merchants. Brewtown prides itself on showcasing seasonal blends as well as single origin brews. Take your pick from espresso, cold drip or filter; it's all there and if you don't know what I'm going on about, just order your go-to like I eventually did. A regular cap, s'il vous plaît! The menu is nice and concise with options appealing to all. I zoned in on the most unhealthy thing on the menu - there were cronuts involved. I have to say that Brewtown is hitting all the right notes with their set-up. Definitely worth a try if you can get a table! Good luck with that.

Baked polenta with mushrooms, grilled asparagus, poached egg & parmesan ($15). A super popular dish on the Brewtown menu, this is a lovely combination perfect for lunch or brekkie. The eggs were poached well, with the polenta to mop up all the yolk

Elvis burger: ground beef, savoury cronut, canadian bacon, gruyère and mayo with chips and relish ($16.50). It looks half eaten but actually this was the perfect serving size considering how calorie laden every mouthful was. Hidden under the innocuous disc of cronut was a proper hamburger, and very indulgent at that. The relish was a nice touch and potato wedges go with everything...

Bion Societé

Cnr Layton & Lambert Streets, Camperdown

A decent cappucino, or maybe I was just dying for caffeine at that point!

Not far from Sydney University or RPA, Bion Societé is tucked away from the chaos of Parramatta Road. Like a suburban oasis for locals, this is the perfect local coffee shop by all accounts. The interior is quite striking with floor to ceiling windows, larger communal tables and a green wall. With a very warm welcome we are ushered to our table, crowned with a huge pot plant which I discreetly pushed to one side. With coffee orders placed, I was already in my happy place.

Another rather swanky and super appealing café interior Source: Bion Societé

Chef Cherag Baria and the team have devised a very thoughtful café menu featuring plenty of crowd favourites from the all day breakfast  as well as a few dishes with a Bion twist. The crispy skin ocean trout dish with harissa looked delicious! As soon as the dishes hit the table we were pleasantly surprised by the care put into the plating. From the get-go I was pretty impressed by the whole package. The food was also a cut above (in the café food stakes) with a nice attention to detail. A big tick from me!

Persian breakfast: oven baked eggs and spiced lamb slowly cooked in tomato, capsicum, ricotta & coriander sauce with toasted sourdough ($21). The eggs were perfectly cooked, nice and runny to trawl through the dish. A good effort although I do look back fondly at Kepos Street Kitchen's version

Smoked salmon stack: sourdough toast, avocado puree, feta, smoked salmon, trout roe, fresh herbs, pesto olive oil & marinated black olives ($14.50). A thing of beauty, you wouldn't dream of doing this kind of fancy work at home. And the perfect serving size

BION Café breakfast: 2 eggs (cooked to your preference) with caramelised tomato, herb butter, mushrooms, chorizo, bacon, wilted spinach & toasted sourdough ($20). Old faithful = the perfect hangover cure (not that we were hungover :D)

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xGourmand

Sushisamba

If there's one venue in London that's been hit by the hype machine, it's Sushisamba. Seats have never been such hot property than at this fusion restaurant nestled near the top of Heron Tower. Downstairs to its decidedly tame buddy Duck & Waffle, Sushisamba lets its hair down in a tumble of bamboo and hanging light globes. If you're confused by the name, you're not alone. Describing itself as blending Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian influences I see this going only one of two ways: to soaring heights or a crushing low. And so the bar is set, and it's about 39 storeys high.

Yellowtail Sashimi Tiradito with lemongrass and jalapeño. The yellowtail was a bit on the fishy side for me i.e. could be fresher (shame!). The dipping sauce gave a nice spicy kick however

The Sushisamba name has officially gone global with venues also in Miami beach (well, duh) and Vegas. As you stroll casually into this vast space, you feel like you're at a nightclub in broad daylight...Ou est le dancefloor? CetraRuddy who took charge of the interior design really went to town with a restaurant floor bordering on the excess. I do appreciate the leather 'luggage strap' seats, they look great (and are really comfy). This is a restaurant designed for A-listers and Ibiza-type party people, and I notice the lounge area perfectly positioned for people watching. As for me? I'm hoping there's a bit of substance amongst all this style. I just want some decent nosh (it's all I ask for)!

If it's wow factor they were going for, they have it in spades. The rather dramatic bamboo and light feature sets the scene for a different kind of dining experience... Source: Pure Consult

One glance at the menu and you know it's not for the faint hearted, not only for the unusual flavour combinations but also the prices. Prepare to do some serious damage. If you fancy trying the ishi yaki (grilled) wagyu it'll only set you back a tidy 49 pounds ;) And the serves are not big here, let me tell you. If there's one thing that I will give credit for, it's concept. All those preconceived ideas about food in London being dull and lifeless are about to come crashing down.

Crispy taquitos: wagyu, avocado and shichimi mayonnaise. These were a standout of the meal for me. Delicioso! The combination of wagyu and avocado were divine. This was the perfect dish with a generous squeeze of lime. Must. Try.

Tuna seviche with pomegranate leche de tigre (say what?), maiz morado (translation?), wasabi peas and basil. I thought this dish looked stunning when it came out, like edible artwork. Although the foam was rendered a bit superfluous once it disappeared. After a while the flavours in the seviche sort of amalgamated together, so it ends up all tasting the same with an overwhelming, vinegary aftertaste - am I painting a picture here?

Ezo samba roll: soy marinated salmon, asparagus, onion, chive, sesame, tempura crunch, soy paper and wasabi mayo. Who needs nori when you've got soy paper? This was quite an interesting element. I could happily have eaten this roll with raw salmon (instead of seared). A bit more mayo would have been ideal

Pork ribs, BBQ miso, pickled yuzu apple. What can I say, you can't go wrong with meat that pulls of the bone like this did and a bit of stickiness from the glaze that coats the fingers...yes.

Teriyaki poussin, japanese-style mayonnaise, yuzu kosho. Poussin is basically a fancy name for a young chicken. The salty soy hit from the teriyaki sauce went beautifully well with the mayonnaise (which was itself a high point). A good effort, and the meat was well cooked

The Brazilian-Peruvian-Japanese fusion thing is admirably conceived and executed. As if going through some sort of identity crisis, the only similarity I can see between those cuisines is the use of raw fish (i.e. sashimi and ceviche). It still remains a little on the weird side and 'niche' for me, but I have to applaud the effort of it all. The plating for one is some of the best I've seen; full of vibrancy and delicate touches. Perhaps this has come at the expense of developing flavour. The more traditional Japanese dishes, the sushi and sashimi were nothing to write home about sadly. But look, it's difficult to criticise this emerging empire which is doing so fantastically well i.e. book well ahead. As a unique dining 'experience' Sushisamba certainly gets top marks; just be wary of becoming a victim of the hype.

My rather amateur photog effort - I'm blaming the equipment here! Haha

Thanks for reading!

xGourmand

Sagra

Sagra evokes a celebration of Italian cuisine. Taking its name from the numerous local festivals occurring around regional Italy, this is a neighbourhood diner with a difference. Channelling the very best of Nonna's cooking, Sagra creates seasonal dishes with a menu that changes weekly. Chef owner Nigel Ward takes great pride in process, baking fresh bread in-house and doing their own whole-animal butchery (you might've seen those photos of him with a lamb slung rather awkwardly over his shoulders on the interwebs). As is often the case for me, this was just one of those small scale restaurants I've been busting to try.

Source: Luisa Brimble for Broadsheet Sydney

The vibe is pared back, minimalist and decidedly casual - it beckons you in for a light lunch or candlelit dinner. Sagra sits unassumingly in a corner block on Stanley Street, also home to iconic Bill & Toni's and Bar Reggio close-by. Sometimes when you can't be bothered to cook, you secretly want the comforts of a home-style dish, and Sagra fits the bill perfectly. It's a little Italian oasis for those who don't make it as far to Leichhardt, or Rome for that matter! It was probably a good sign we were sitting next to a couple of Italians animatedly chatting away!

Light and airy, this is the place to be for a sunny Sydney lunch, no? Source: Luisa Brimble for Broadsheet Sydney

The menu makes a whole lot of sense, making it's way up from antipasti, primi to secondi (and lets not forget dolce!). Mix and match as you please, they've also got daily specials. And on the first Wednesday of the month, they run regional 4-course dinners for the bargain basement price of $50 (rad). Italian staff run the floor, some with such thick accents that there was almost a language barrier at times (my bad). My only issue was the limited choices of wine by the glass. I would love more than 2 choices! Note that portion sizes are on the small side, so be prepared to add-on (liberally). 

Violetta artichokes, capers, parmesan & radish. This was a lovely palate cleansing salad with the perfect amount of tartness and crunch (and also I'm a huge fangirl of artichokes so it's an instant winner)

Fried mussels with aïoli. A daily special; something a bit unusual, a bit different (in the words of Kath & Kim). Let's face it, most things that are deep fried taste good and these mussels were no exception

Pumpkin & goats curd ravioli, pinenuts & sage butter. A classic of the classic pasta dishes, this is a combination that has stood the test of time. The pumpkin filling was ridiculously creamy with super delicate pasta

Rabbit agnolotti with sage butter. On the meagre side but packing a punch, I couldn't get over how good the pasta itself was...like silk! A rabbit ragu is the perfect pasta filling for the cooler months. A small but satisfying portion, the boys definitely need another dish to back this up!

Passionfruit meringue, a simple dessert with a good balance of sweet and tart thanks to the passionfruit

Lemon Tart, caramelised on top for sure this was a decent version although I found the custard filling a little on the thick side. I keep having flashbacks to Heston Blumenthal's lemon tart (which is rather unfortunate, for those guys)

On the food front, I think Sagra certainly delivers and with reasonable prices to boot. As diners I think what we look for is food that is tasty, and enhanced by the use of seasonal produce treated with respect. In this current bipolar hospitality industry, I do hope Sagra has the staying power because it's a little gem. 

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand