CoffeeCat, Bondi Junction

Date Visited: Sunday 7 June, 2020

Many people are aware that there are heaps of great cafes and restaurants near Bondi Beach, but not so many may know about CoffeeCat, a hidden gem of a cafe basically located right at Bondi Junction train station itself. So convenient to get to by train, and very handy for those on the go for a daily coffee, but CoffeeCat also does so much more! It’s such an inviting cafe, whether you’re chilling solo or dining in a group – I loved the newspapers they had scattered around, the filled bookshelf, and even the game of Exploding Kittens I spotted.

I had the very refreshing ‘jungle juice’, which was such a perfect combination of mango, banana and coconut water, though the banana was definitely stronger than the mango. My partner also really enjoyed his mocha, and it was excellent value for the size.

Jungle juice – $6 (left), mocha – $3.8 (right)

It’s hard to go wrong with a big breakfast, and we were certainly impressed with this huge board! There was a great variety that would surely satisfy everyone, from bacon, sausages, hash browns, sautéed mushrooms, spinach and grilled tomatoes, as well as your choice of bread and eggs your way. They also do a vegetarian board that switches out the meat for avocado and halloumi. Most of this kind of food is pretty standard, but I especially loved the sausages and the tomato chutney – definitely made this a more memorable and incredibly satisfying big breakfast!

Big breakfast – $20

I also love a good burger, so the breakfast burger was absolutely my kind of dish. I really loved the combination of everything, especially with the fried egg and hash brown – which made it feel like the perfect breakfast burger. The wagyu beef patty, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar all tasted so good with the Japanese mayonnaise. I would love to try CoffeeCat’s other burgers considering how much I loved this!

Breakfast burger – $14

Another classic is the eggs benedict. We chose smoked salmon to go with this, though you can also choose bacon or ham. I always love how good poached eggs with smoked salmon tastes, and this one was no exception. Unlike other cafes, there was a lot of spinach served on CoffeeCat’s version, which is either good or bad depending on whether you like your greens. I personally didn’t end up eating all the spinach but I still think this is a super solid dish.

Eggs benedict – $17

The other surprise of the day was discovering how delicious crispy chips taste with Japanese inspired curry sauce! Though advertised as a ‘spicy’ curry sauce, it was not spicy at all, which worked better for my tastes. These chips were so wonderfully crunchy and lightly seasoned well and I highly recommend trying these addictive curry chips! The chips were also topped with mozzarella cheese which didn’t do much for me – it didn’t feel very necessary, and if it was going to be added, I think it might’ve been better with melted cheese.

Curry chips – $8

I’d happily recommend CoffeeCat for a great brunch in a cute, calm cafe. I love their logo, Chase the Cat, and the lighting decor! Of the dishes we tried, I especially loved the breakfast burger and having curry chips for the first time. The salmon eggs benedict and big breakfast was also so satisfying, and everything about this meal was honestly so enjoyable. If you’re looking for good food that will not disappoint, need a break while shopping at Westfield Bondi Junction or don’t want to wait at busier Bondi Beach eateries, this is the perfect place to go!

Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of CoffeeCat, but all opinions and photos are my own.

CoffeeCat | Tiffany Plaza, Shop 18/422 Oxford St, Bondi Junction NSW 2022 | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Valet, Cabramatta

Date Visited: Monday 7 October, 2019

This has long been on my brunch list, not only for the aesthetics of the food but for the interesting ideas on the menu. I couldn’t wait to try the Singapore chilli soft shell crab fries and find out what the beach balls actually tasted like. Cabramatta is a bit of a trek for most people and finding parking around the area is a task in itself, but it is well worth the effort. My first impression of the cafe was that I loved how plush all the chairs and sofas were. Very spacious and makes you feel like royalty.

Being quite a warm day we opted for some cold drinks, including the tropicana smoothie. The smoothie was a lovely creamy mix of house-made mango jam and mango blended with honey, yoghurt and ice. I had the watermelon and lychee cold brewed tea, which was super refreshing. There was quite a generous amount of lychees in the drink itself as well which was a pleasant surprise.

Tropicana – $8 (back left), watermelon and lychee fruit tea – $7 (back right), butterfly pea flower lemonade – $7 (front)

My friend ordered the homemade lemonade with butterfly pea flower syrup. You know it’s a gimmick but it’s still fun to watch the pouring of the butterfly pea syrup change the colour of the otherwise ordinary lemonade.

Butterfly pea flower lemonade – $7

Croissant for breakfast is a pretty standard choice, but Valet really elevates the humble croissant with two wonderfully runny poached eggs, a unique salted egg yolk hollandaise, smoked salmon and golden flakes for decoration. Even though I adore salted egg yolk, the dish didn’t leave much of an impression on me. There’s also a lot of greens on the plate which you may or may not love. It was still a nice dish, but everything together wasn’t fully cohesive so it didn’t wow me.

Golden moon – $18

Another classic with a twist were the Asian baked eggs with Vietnamese meatloaf, Chinese sausage and Thai pork mince, served with toasted sourdough. I loved the Asian flavours added to this dish and it was certainly very heartwarming comfort food. I feel like I would’ve loved even more of the baked eggs to go with the amount of sourdough given.

Aunty’s baked egg – $15 – df

One of my favourite dishes of the brunch were the beach balls and I really enjoyed these deep fried sweet potato mochi balls. The edible ‘sand’ and butterfly pea flower custard went so well with the mochi balls and this was such a delight for the eyes and mouth. Such a genius idea and so well executed as well. I have such a big sweet tooth I definitely ate more than my fair share of this dish.

Beach balls – $16 – v

For something more filling we tried the katsu sando as well. The chicken katsu was a bit dry and the flavour was a bit lacking, so it was a bit disappointing. Knowing that there are other places that can do a better katsu sandwich, I wouldn’t order this one again at Valet. We did love the fries though, which had awesome seasoning and were a very generous portion size.

Katsu sando box – $17

Another highlight of the brunch was the deep fried soft shell crab with Singapore chilli sauce, bread and fries. For something you just want to stuff your face with, this is the kind of dish you need. Though the chilli was relatively subdued, I was happy about that as I can’t really handle super strong chilli. Loved the soft shell crab in the delicious sauce on its own and didn’t really find myself needing or wanting any of the bread. Considering how filling this dish is and how there are several decent crab pieces, it is definitely one of the best value for money dishes on the menu.

Singapore chilli soft shell crab fries – $18 – df

For dessert, this matcha plate is so stunning. With a matcha brownie, matcha crumble, matcha sauce and matcha ice cream it is definitely matcha happiness. All the elements definitely tasted better together than on its own. The brownie needed the ice cream to cut through the denseness of the brownie, while the matcha crumb added lovely texture to every bite.

Sundae in Tokyo – $15 – v

Valet was such a fun brunch experience and there was something about almost every dish that made me really excited to try it. I love the Asian inspired flavours they’ve added into classic dishes, as well as the creativity in reinventing Asian food for brunch. Though not all the dishes were better than my expectations, it was still an enjoyable meal and my favourites were the beach balls and the Singapore chilli soft shell crab fries. Such a clever menu, I’d be happy to visit Valet again!

Valet | 38 Arthur Street, Cabramatta NSW 2166 | Facebook | Instagram

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Orto Trading Co., Surry Hills

Date Visited: Sunday 1 March, 2020

Sunny and warm enough to wear a dress but not too hot to be sweating every second – if that doesn’t sound like perfect brunch weather then I don’t know what is! The outdoor courtyard at Orto Trading Co was such a relaxing place for a Sunday meal and we were so spoilt for choice. Best to go in a group to try several dishes as it’ll be hard to pick just one! We kicked things off with several refreshing drinks, from various iced teas, fresh juices and even a classic mimosa.

I’d normally leave pancakes till last as dessert, but this dish looked so good I tried it first, and I was not disappointed at all. Everything about these pancakes was pretty perfect. I love the sweetness and indulgence of pancakes with ample maple syrup and lots of fresh berries between the layers. Nothing to fault about these pancakes and I’d certainly order them again!

House made mix berry and ricotta hotcakes – $18

I was pleasantly by the toasted granola, which was a fresh light bowl of goodness. A breakfast classic with a lovely combination of fruit, granola, Greek yoghurt and some honey to keep things sweet.

Toasted granola – $15

The star of the show was the southern fried chicken eggs benedict. I’ve never had such a dish before, so I loved the creativity and genius of the poached eggs and hollandaise sauce matched with deliciously crunchy fried chicken.

Southern fried chicken benni – $22

Another dish that impressed me was the pumpkin patch. I never knew a simple oven roasted pumpkin with some poached eggs and feta could be so brilliant. Well balanced flavours meant that I was certainly a fan of this unusual brunch dish.

Pumpkin patch – $18 – vegan option available

Moving onto the lunch dishes available only from 11:30am, Orto Trading Co’s tagliatelle bolognese is an order you can’t go wrong with. They really nailed this classic dish and the bolognese sauce was absolutely on point. I think this was the first dish our group finished as it was so hard to stop eating once you had a bit of the tagliatelle!

Our classic tagliatelle bolognese – $20, classic mimosa – $15 (right)

Next up is the house-made gnocchi. I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of this as the parmesan was a very dominant flavour. The gnocchi was accompanied with cherry tomatoes, black olive tapenade, fresh basil and creamy ricotta but I felt that it was lacking something to really tie everything in the dish together.

House-made gnocchi – $22

We also tried one of the specials, the chorizo risotto. The risotto definitely made chorizo the hero and I thought the flavours were super tasty. An easy dish to keep having spoonfuls of. Featured on the right is the pineapple, passionfruit, apple and lime juice, which I really enjoyed. The juice had been sitting on the table for quite some time as we were taking photos, so I gave it a good mix before drinking – it was such a refreshingly delicious combination, and something a bit different to the usual apple, orange or green juice.

Chorizo risotto in napoli sauce, PPAL fresh juice – $8 (right)

For the person craving a burger, there’s the Angus beef burger. It was a very standard burger, with only the addition of roasted capsicum making it a bit different. Unfortunately I’m not a fan of capsicum, but I loved the well seasoned crispy fries that went with this. The burger won’t compare to one you can get from a good burger joint, but it does a decent job as the token burger option on the menu.

Angus beef burger char grilled – $20

For the ultra healthy, Orto Trading Co also offers three salads. Compared to everything else on the table, I personally wasn’t that excited about this and didn’t really try much of it, but this warm mushroom and beetroot salad with roasted sweet potato might appeal more to you!

Warm mushroom and beetroot salad – $20 – vegan option

Last but not least was a side of polenta fries with buttermilk blue cheese sauce. At $2 a chip, it’s quite steep but I guess if you’re a fan of polenta you’ll enjoy this. Otherwise, it wasn’t really a dish for me.

Truffled polenta chips – $12

There were some dishes I really loved, and some not so much, but overall I really enjoyed my brunch at Orto Trading Co! They have delightfully refreshing drinks and some absolutely winning dishes with the southern fried chicken benni, pancakes and tagliatelle bolognese amongst my favourites. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this place before in Surry Hills, and being in such a lovely location despite only a short walk from Central station, this is certainly a hidden gem for brunch!

Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Orto Trading Co., but all opinions and photos are my own. Thank you so much Vivian (@vivifean) for extending the invite!

Orto Trading Co.| 38 Waterloo St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 | Facebook | Instagram

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Dizy’s, Smeaton Grange

Date Visited: Saturday 23 November, 2019

Dizy’s is an absolutely delightful cafe located in Smeaton Grange, a suburb I had never heard of until now. For reference, it’s about 10 minutes drive away from Campbelltown, and is fairly south west. If you’re not close, then just know that the terrific food is worth trekking for! They have indoor and outdoor seating to suit your preference, and a carpark shared with other nearby businesses. There were quite a few spots available even on a Saturday morning.

Dizy’s has a huge menu, and I was so excited by the variety and all the choices available. Although it makes it difficult to pick as everything sounds so good, it is especially impressive for a small cafe to have such diverse dishes available, with several catering to the vegetarian and gluten free foodies.

As it was quite a warm day, we opted for a juice and smoothie to cool us down. The tropicool was definitely a very cool juice, with orange, pineapple, watermelon and coconut water. The pink berry blast smoothie was made with vanilla protein, berries, goji and apple juice and was my preferred of the two, though both were great!

Tropicool – $8.5 (left), berry blast – $8 (right)

It’s hard to go wrong with salmon, and Dizy’s Hawaiian salmon was an absolute winner! The grilled atlantic salmon was cooked perfectly with a crispy skin, and the soft tenderness of the salmon was so delicious with the mango salsa. I’m not the biggest fan of asparagus so it didn’t do too much for me, but I adored the salmon and mango salsa together – so fresh and different!

Hawaiian salmon – $21 – gf

We saw mi goreng on the menu and had to try it. With a very generous amount of mushrooms mixed in, this dish is the perfect hearty meal for the day. There’s actually a very good amount of noodles, and Dizy’s have certainly put their own spin on mi goreng with their own additional sauce. I enjoyed the dish, but the sauce was quite strong and needed to be toned down as it became a bit too much after a while. The two fried eggs weren’t anything special, but I always feel happy with some egg yolk with any dish. At the bottom of the mi goreng cup was also some kale and veggies – by that time we were too full to finish it but it’s definitely the mi goreng you want to eat anyway.

Dizy’s have a separate breakfast (7:00-11:45am) and lunch menu (12:00-3:00pm), so it’s best to keep that in mind if there’s certain dishes you want. It’s worth noting that this mi goreng dish is one of those breakfast dishes available all day.

Early morning mi goreng – $18 – gf, v

I always can’t resist pancakes and this was a lovely sweet treat to end the meal. This buttermilk pancake stack was so big! The pancakes were quite dense but balanced really well with the delicious cookies n cream ice cream, chocolate crumb and berries. I have a really sweet tooth so I would have liked a bit more of the syrup – maybe syrup served on the side would better cater to individual preferences. Nevertheless, this was a very respectable pancake stack that was also very filling.

Pancakes – $16 – v

Dizy’s is such a local gem, with so many different dishes to keep you coming back. The service was top notch and very friendly, and I liked how chill the outdoor seating was. You’re right next to bushland and you get the quiet relaxing vibes of being so far away from the city. I really enjoyed the whole meal at Dizy’s and was very impressed with the creativity and flavours, as well as the plating of each dish. This cafe is well worth a visit, whether you live close or far!

Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Dizy’s, but all opinions and photos are my own. Thank you so much Cynthia (@cynthiaeats_) for extending the invite!

Dizy’s | 4/73 Anderson Rd, Smeaton Grange NSW 2567 | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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X23 Cafe, Chippendale

Date Visited: Sunday 6 October, 2019

I’ve been meaning to visit this cafe for awhile, as I love the idea of an Asian fusion inspired brunch. With elements such as pandan, sambal, chilli crab and rendang on their signature menu, it’s enough to get anyone’s mouth watering! I went with a friend on a Sunday morning around 11am and was surprised that the cafe was empty aside from one solo diner. Though it’s a fair walk from Central station and at a fairly obscure location, it’s a beautifully designed modern cafe that deserves more visitors. It got more busy closer towards lunchtime though, with the place almost full by the time we finished up.

Starting off with drinks, I chose one of the X23 specialty drinks, a taro latte with soy. This taro latte was extremely flavourful and definitely one of the better ones I have had. I was also pleasantly surprised with the super cute paw that was on the top! It was similar to a marshmallow lolly and was a really sweet addition.

My friend opted to try the winter special Mandarin orange oolong tea. Unfortunately, this was far below expectations as it did not have much flavour. It was very watery and we both struggled to taste the oolong or the orange. There were lots of sago balls at the bottom but those were also very plain. Even though it looks really pretty, we did not feel that it was worth the $7.

Mandarin orange oolong tea – $7 (left), taro latte – $4 (right), with soy – $0.5

X23 have a specialty menu and a more standard menu of brunch classics. I always feel that it is better to try the specialty dishes at any restaurant, so one of our first picks was the X23 red eggs. This was probably the most generous scrambled egg dishes I have ever had. Flavoured with homemade spicy sambal sauce, the eggs were certainly the star of the dish. I am super weak with chilli but it barely tasted spicy at all to me. Adding sambal into the classic scrambled eggs was such a clever and unique flavour combination that worked so well.

The portion size was so generous. I wonder how many eggs went into this dish because it certainly felt like a lot. The egg was so filling that I didn’t even really eat that much of the croissant. The few crab pieces were also good but I did not pay too much attention to it compared to the egg. As this is such a heavy dish, I would definitely struggle to finish it myself, but it’s a great one to share.

X23 red eggs – $19.5

Having recently returned from a Singapore trip, I have fallen in love with salted egg yolk, so the salted egg yolk prawn pasta was a must order. The black squid ink linguine with butter glazed prawns and mushrooms was presented strikingly against the yellow salted egg yolk. I really loved this dish. The linguine was deliciously immersed with the glorious salted egg yolk – you could really taste it. I can certainly see why this was marked as one of the suggested dishes to get and I can see why you would pay $29 for this. This was one of the dishes that we pretty much universally saw every table order.

The dish was also marked as being chilli, but it was not chilli at all. The prawns were also quite big and lovely, even though there were only four pieces. It looks like quite a small dish but there is quite a good amount of noodles once it is all unravelled. However, my friend claimed that our dish had less noodles than two of our neighbouring tables. I can’t confirm if this was actually true or if we loved it so much we just wanted more. This was the favourite dish for both my friend and I, and we both wholeheartedly agreed that we would return just for this dish.

Salted egg yolk prawn pasta – $29

We ordered a third dish because I really wanted to try the pandan waffles as well and I didn’t want to not order the eggs or the pasta. These pandan waffles with homemade kaya jam and vanilla ice cream were delicious. Sometimes cafes put ice cream with waffles just to have something hot and cold, but the pandan and vanilla actually complimented each other really well. Admittedly, the kaya was very subtle and not really noticeable, but the consistency of the waffles were perfect and this was another winning dish for me. The lychee and seasonal fruits were lovely as well.

Pandan-lah – $19.9

Having not brunched in over two months, this was definitely the way to get inspired again from Sydney’s brunch scene. The specialty menu is truly original and I love how X23 have rejuvenated the standard brunch dishes with some classic Asian flavours. With such a diverse menu, it is a strong way to stand out from other cafes. There were so many delicious sounding dishes that I would love to have also been able to try. The three dishes we ordered between two was definitely more than enough and we were both struggling at the end with no regrets. I greatly enjoyed my brunch at X23 and am a huge supporter of the Asian fusion concept.

X23 Cafe | 102/18 Park Lane, Chippendale NSW 2008 | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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The Missing Piece Cafe, Macquarie

Date Visited: Saturday, 5 May 2018

Located right outside Uniqlo, the Missing Piece Cafe is a place I’ve known about for awhile. I’ve tried its more famous cousins before (Hattrick and Vogue Cafe), so I was happy to finally get a chance to try this cafe. It was very busy when I went for an early Saturday lunch, but we were seated quite quickly. The waiters were nice enough to move us to a table when I asked (better flatlay opportunities you know), as we were initially sitting at the bar.

When it came to ordering, the ‘air’ dish caught my eye as I feel like it’s quite rare to see a salad with duck at a cafe. Alongside the confit duck fillet was beetroot, baby spinach, rocket, parsley, walnuts, chickpeas and orange slices. The duck was really tasty, and went really well with everything. I really enjoyed the flavours in this one, but I feel like more orange and walnuts would have made me love it even more. The presentation of this dish was a little messy, and I feel like there would be a way to plate it in an even nicer way. One of the best things about this though was that the serving size was massive, and there was so much duck, spinach and rocket that it will definitely fill you up.

Air – $19

Next to be ordered was something a little different that other cafes might not have, but also something kind of healthy. The ‘sea’ dish caught my eye, as I haven’t really had many salmon salads before. What especially won me over was that it had a poached egg in it, while a lot of the other breakfast or main dishes didn’t.

This was a very refreshing dish, and I loved how generous the serving size was. There was a plentiful amount of the in-house smokehouse marinated wood-smoked salmon, mixed with a lot of kale, quinoa, chia seeds and almonds. There wasn’t an extra punch in the dish that really made it stand out, but I did really enjoy the natural flavours of all the ingredients. When I cut into the egg it made for perfect yolk porn and I especially liked how I had an almond or two in every spoonful, as it added a crunchy texture to the salad.

Sea – $19

We both couldn’t resist ordering a smoothie, since they make some very aesthetic ones. I was interested in trying their dairy free cacaonut smoothie, which consisted of cacao, coconut milk, organic maple and maca. This smoothie was exactly as described, but I think it reaffirmed for me that I’m not a big fan of cacao. Hence, I personally didn’t enjoy it that much, but I’m glad I tried it and my friend thought it was really nice. The other smoothie he opted for was one of the weekly specials called the superfood slam, which included raw cacao, banana and peanut butter. Apparently, it tasted great as well, with a stronger cacao flavour than mine, but it was also a tad thick, making it hard to finish with the straw.

Cacaonut smoothie – $8 – df, gf, v (front), superfood slam smoothie – $11

Whilst both dishes we had were salads, we left feeling incredibly satisfied! I struggled to finish my salad, and we both ended up leaving a bit of the greens behind. Having the two smoothies probably accelerated the process of getting full, but the food was definitely worth the price. The dishes were two of the most filling salads I’ve ever had, with tasty natural flavours and a very generous serving of duck and salmon.

Additionally, even though basically every table was filled when we went, the service was very prompt and attentive. I love it when I don’t have to use any energy trying to catch the eye of a waiter or waitress. I counted about 7 waiters and waitresses, and at least another 7 in their small kitchen, so the cafe definitely seems like a well oiled machine. I think Missing Piece Cafe is an awesome spot for food before or after shopping, and is a fantastic staple cafe within Macquarie Shopping Centre that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

The Missing Piece Cafe | Level 3, Macquarie Centre, North Ryde | Facebook | Instagram

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Two By Four Cafe, Blacktown

Date Visited: Sunday 5 May, 2019

Two By Four Cafe feels like a totally hidden local gem. It is nested within Fairwood Sales and Display Centre overlooking a lovely little lake and is an incredibly peaceful spot. The outdoor seating would be so perfect on a sunny day, but being windy when we went we enjoyed the modern and cozy interior instead. I had some trouble finding the cafe but the food was definitely worth the effort. Although Google Maps lead me to Greenbank Drive, where there is plenty of residential street parking, it might be easiest to turn into the Fairwood Sales and Display Centre car park off Fairwater Boulevard.

I have to firstly rave about one of the weekend specials, the corn fritters. The sweet potato and corn fritters were served beautifully with a watercress salad, tomato salsa, poached egg and bacon. I think it was the addition of sweet potato that made the fritters so delicious and full of flavour. I haven’t had a brunch dish in ages that has blown me away like this one did. I absolutely loved these fritters and could have easily devoured it all by myself.

The poached egg was beautifully runny, and the fritters had a brilliant crunch you don’t get at other cafes. This was by far my favourite dish of the day and it was so damn good I would love to see it stick around on the permanent menu. It’s a dish I would revisit to have again. The specials run for 3 weeks, with this dish sadly ending on 19 May, so I strongly recommend heading over to try these fritters before they end.

Corn fritters – $16

The other special was the lamb burger, consisting of a lamb kofta patty on a brioche burger. This was a pretty classic burger done very well. Served with a side of crunchy and well seasoned beer battered chips, you can’t go wrong. The chilli aioli added enough of a kick and ensured that the burger wasn’t dry at all. Like the corn fritters, this was one of the dishes I enjoyed more, so it’s a bit of a shame this one also ends on 19 May. Another option is the zaw chicken burger, which we were recommended on their permanent menu. If it’s anywhere as good as the lamb burger, it would be a great choice.

Lamb burger – $16

For the more healthy, the 2X4 bowl is packed with nourishing goodness. Featuring kale, quinoa, mixed slaw, spiced chickpeas, toasted coconut and 2 poached eggs, it was a dish that left my palate feeling very cleansed. It was seasoned with a vinaigrette but was still very much on the bland side. Some vegetables have enough flavour on their own, but unfortunately not the ones in this bowl. It really needed a a dressing to bring it all together and make it a cohesive dish. We also added some marinated grilled chicken for a little something extra. The chicken was well marinated with a distinct flavour, but not moist at all and it didn’t really elevate the overall dish. My least favourite of the day, but it might be a good option for vegetarians or those more health conscious.

2X4 bowl – $14.5 – v, with marinated grilled chicken – $3

A classic cafe dish, the french toast here was pretty respectable. By no means the best I have had, it was still a decent rendition. The brioche toast was accompanied with some mascarpone, berry compote, maple syrup and seasonal fruits. I felt like the brioche relied heavily on the extras for flavours, without doing too much itself. This dish ticks all the boxes but doesn’t exceed expectations like the special corn fritters.

The frenchie – $14

Another classic brunch option is Two By Four’s version of the eggs benedict. With two poached eggs perched carefully on top of smoked salmon, spinach and a toasted English muffin, the dish was a delight for the eyes and for the tastebuds. Though the eggs are meant to be the star of the dish, I could not get enough of the smoked salmon. Combined with the smokey paprika and hollandaise sauce, getting a bit of everything into one bite gave me such a sense of delight. The muffin was also toasted super well, not too hard that it was a struggle to cut. You can have this with shaved smoked ham instead of salmon but I have grown to love salmon in brunch dishes. I really enjoyed this one!

Benny English – $14, with smoked salmon – $2

Moving on to a few last comments on the stunning drinks. I am not a coffee person so I didn’t have a taste of the large mocha, but it sure looks great! It gets extra kudos for keeping its appearance despite my group taking nearly an hour with the food photoshoot.

Mocha – $4, large – $4.5, with soy – $0.5

I am also not a chocolate person, but for anyone who does enjoy chocolate, this iced chocolate with cream would be so perfect. It looks like just what you need sometimes to indulge and treat yourself.

Iced chocolate – $6

We also tried two juices and the green rose tea. Though not made in house, they were still a refreshing accompaniment to the food. The cafe offers four teas from T2: earl grey, peppermint, green rose and english breakfast. We chose the green rose for something a little different, and I really enjoyed the mix of the subtle green tea with the flowery rose. The juice options are from Hrvst St. They ran out of the ones on the menu so we tried a pineapple and lemon juice, and a cloudy apple juice. Both were lovely alternatives.

Pineapple and lemon juice – $5.5 (top left), green rose tea – $4.5 per pot (top middle), cloudy apple juice – $5.5 (bottom right)

Ultimately, I had a thoroughly good time at Two By Four Cafe. It’s a completely unpretentious, wonderful little cafe in Blacktown. The menu has all the good brunch stuff, but it was really the weekend specials that shined. The specials are a great way for the team to experiment with new and unique ideas, as the menu does tend to stray more on the classic side. I would say that I’d be a tad more excited about seeing what they come up with for the specials, rather than trying out more things from the main menu.

However, one thing about the menu I think is great is how comparably affordable it is. When brunch dishes can sometimes stretch to above $20, it’s immensely comforting to see several more budget-friendly reasonable options. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Two By Four as a super pleasant and enjoyable brunch spot.

Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Two By Four Cafe, but all opinions and photos are my own. Thank you so much Cynthia (@cynthiaeats_) for extending the invite!

Two By Four Cafe | Fairwater Boulevard Fairwater Sales and Display Centre, Blacktown NSW 2148 | Facebook | Instagram

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