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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Hattrick, Macquarie

Date Visited: Saturday 10 March, 2018

Hattrick is definitely a top brunch spot within Macquarie Shopping Centre that is well worth a visit! The cafe is pretty hard to find until you know the secret of how to get there. The easiest way is to make your way to Big W, and head to the left when facing Big W. There’s a walkway that goes alongside the car park and it’ll lead you straight to Hattrick.

This was my second visit and the menu has gone through an amazing revamp since I was last here the year before. I was incredibly impressed by how many options they had, how creative and inventive a lot of the dishes sounded, as well as how considerate they were with having several vegan options and listing all the ingredients. It definitely makes brunching so much easier and enjoyable for people with food intolerances.

The bacon and egg combination is an absolute cafe classic, and the what up BAE provides a perfect start to the morning. I loved the clever name, and this double bacon, double egg, bun seems like it would always be a super satisfying meal. The capsicum relish gives it a boost of flavour and the potato gems on the side are such a gem indeed. They’re so good that you really wish that there were more gems, but with this only being $10, it’s amazing value for brunch on a budget.

What up BAE – $10

My choice for brunch was the jungle eggs. The name initially piqued my interest, especially as I absolutely adore eggs. The dish was two poached eggs with sweet potato, mushrooms, spinach, almonds, rockets, olive oil, and chef’s moroccan spices. When the dish came I fell in love with it. The name is so accurate, as the spinach and orange sweet potato really gave it a jungle, earthy vibe. Better yet, it was absolutely delicious and I felt so healthy and fulfilled eating this. The poached eggs were also runny egg yolk perfection, though you can leave the eggs out to make this vegan. I enjoyed this so much I’ll have a hard time ordering anything else when I return to this cafe.

Jungle eggs – $16

My friend opted for the nourish bowl, which consisted of falafel, sweet potato, asparagus, chickpeas, cabbage, avo, almonds and black rice, served with chef’s epic dressing. She also added two veggie patties for $6, though you also have the option to add poached eggs or haloumi for $4, or wood smoked salmon for $7. This is probably one of the healthiest options on the menu, with a lot of fresh goodness. It’s a bit simple, and might not blow your mind, but the veggie patties are definitely a stand out.

Nourish me this – $16, optional veggie patties – $6

For the friend who’s more keen for lunch than breakfast, you can never go wrong with a good old burger. The club trick was a gourmet burger bun filled with crispy crumbed chicken, tomato, lettuce, cabbage and mayo, and served with french fries. It’s a pretty standard burger you can get at many places. This burger was definitely very decent and tasty, with the chicken cooked well, but wasn’t that exceptional.

The club trick – $18

Lastly, it’d be such a shame to visit Hattrick without ordering one of their famous drinks. They have some incredibly aesthetic smoothies, but none of us were really feeling one that day. However, one of my friends decided to get the iced chocolate, which was such a pretty sight and a really nice drink as well. I opted for my usual chai latte with soy, and was happily satisfied. No special latte art on this one, but it always warms me up on a chilly morning.

Iced chocolate – $8.50, Chai latte with soy – $5

I have tried several of the cafes at Macquarie and I’d have to say that Hattrick is definitely my favourite and stands out for several reasons. The food is not only delicious, but so unique and aesthetic as well. To really be a cafe worth revisiting, I think you have to have dishes that other cafes won’t have, and Hattrick ticks this box. I love how healthy and colourful most of their dishes are, and their presentation is absolutely on point. There’s really something on the menu for everyone.

The service and ambience of the place also makes Hattrick the cafe to visit. The staff were attentive when we went, and the interior decor of the cafe is honestly so stunning. It’s quite a light and open area, and the green decorations help create a really relaxing vibe. I would absolutely recommend Hattrick, and it’s such an awesome cafe to visit for a chatty brunch with a friend or two!

Hattrick | Level 1, Macquarie Centre, North Ryde | Facebook | Instagram

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Sprout Wholefood Cafe, Naremburn

Date Visited: Saturday 18 November, 2017

This cafe is a bit out of my usual way, so when I happened to be in the area, I simply couldn’t resist suggesting it to my friends. I have a special place in my heart for wholefood cafes because I love all the dairy free options I get. It’s awesome how the menu clearly specifies what is gluten free, dairy free, nut free, vegan, and vegetarian.

I mentioned this in my Speedo’s Cafe post, but vegan pancakes are pretty much my food weakness, so when I looked at the menu, I knew immediately what I’d be ordering: their gluten free, vegan buckwheat hotcake, served with seasonal fruit, cashew cream, and coconut syrup. It looked super pretty when it arrived and it was the perfect indulgent brunch dish. I only wish there was a bit more syrup as I felt that would have made it even better. As I wasn’t too hungry, it was a nice portion size to be just about satisfied, but as always, the bigger the better!

Buckwheat hotcake – $16.95

Three of the four of us wanted to order the hotcake.. but luckily one of my friends was nice enough to order something else so we could try more foods/be more adventurous/get better photos for the Instagram. This vegan, dairy and gluten free bowl included a poached egg, spinach, a field mushroom, pumpkin, tomato, avocado, quinoa, and tahini dressing. Whilst it looks great, I don’t recall my friend having much to say about this, so I imagine it wasn’t too memorable. It sure looks like a healthier option than the hotcake though, especially if you don’t have a sweet tooth.

Breakfast bowl – $18.95

The final dish was the naked breakfast, consisting of haloumi, poached eggs, avocado, tomato salsa, mushrooms, and pesto. Though gluten free and vegetarian, the haloumi in it meant I didn’t try this, but from memory, my friend enjoyed eating this. To be honest, anything with good runny poached eggs gets a solid +10 points for me, so this dish has at least got that going for it!

Naked breakfast – $19.95

Of course, we had to get some drinks on the side too. Front and centre is the sprout mocha (coffee, mesquite, cacao, vanilla, honey), one of their specialty drinks. I don’t remember much, but apparently this was good. My pick was the dandelion latte (organic roasted dandelion root), with soy, since I’ve never had such a latte before. I thought it was like a less strong version of a chai latte. I liked it, but given the choice, I’d rather order a chai latte. Lastly, probably the most exotic choice was the charcoal latte (charcoal, vanilla, honey, coconut milk). My friend wasn’t too keen on it as it didn’t have much of a taste. I can confirm that it was a bit flavourless, but still thought it was okay.

Sprout mocha – $5 (centre), charcoal latte – $5 (back middle), dandelion latte with soy milk – $5 (right)

This was another happy meal for me! Extra kudos as well for the pleasant service we experienced. I felt that the waitress was welcoming and looked after us. I also liked the spaciousness of the place. There’s a small shop at the back if you’re looking for wholefood ingredients and groceries as well, which is cool. The bottom line: I don’t think Sprout Wholefood is a cafe I would go out of my way to visit, but if I’m ever around that area and looking for a brunch spot, then this would definitely be the place I’d go.

Sprout Wholefood Cafe | 272-274 Willoughby Rd, Naremburn | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Earth to Table, Bondi Junction

Date visited: Sunday 8 October, 2017

Earth to Table is a short walk from Bondi Junction train station, so it’s convenient to get to. One word to describe the inside of the cafe would be homely. In terms of food, if a cafe has vegan and/or dairy free options, it’s already got a big tick from me. So when I can eat everything on Earth to Table’s menu, it’s definitely super exciting. There were a lot of options, and I had an especially tough time choosing a drink.

I ended up picking the Shepherd’s pie because I’ve never eaten Shepherd’s pie before, and from what I saw on Instagram, the presentation looked interesting. It’s made from a mix of 10 vegetables topped off with a cauliflower mash, sweet potato chips and zucchini gravy. No regrets. It tasted great, the vegetables, mash and gravy worked well together, and though it looked small, it did end up filling me okay. I wouldn’t really call the sweet potato sticks ‘chips’, and they were a bit tough to chew at times, but they did add a nice crunch to the dish.

Shepherd’s pie – $19.90

My friend ordered the berry acai bowl (blend of acai, berries and banana topped with organic GRAWnola). Compared to other cafes, this acai bowl is pretty average. However, if you like acai bowls, then you’ll definitely enjoy this one too. The flavour was spot on, with a good amount of fruit and crunchy granola.

Berry acai bowl – $14.90

Lastly, the drinks! We both ended up opting for organic smoothies. My choice was the pink dragon smoothie (pink pitaya, mango, berries, baobab and coconut water) while my friend got the give me beauty smoothie (coconut mylk, berries, banana, macqui and vanilla). The pink dragon smoothie in particular is very pricey, even though I did enjoy it. Both tasted really nice, just with different emphasis on the fruit flavouring, so I would have equally enjoyed the slightly cheaper smoothie.

Give me beauty smoothie – $9.50, pink dragon smoothie – $11.90

Like many cafes, eating out here does leave a dent in the wallet, with the total bill being $56.20 for two people. I feel like you often do have to pay a premium for vegan/dairy free food, so I guess it’s worth it. A downside I’ve pointed out about some cafes that was also evident at Earth to Table is that the portion sizes aren’t huge, so if you are a big eater or very hungry, you will probably not last. As a relatively small eater, even with my smoothie and pie, I was only satisfied, and not yet very full.

The service was on point and always seemed ready, coming by right when we were ready to order. Ultimately, this was another positive cafe experience, and I would not hesitate to come back and try more dishes and drinks.

Earth to Table | 85 Bronte Rd, Bondi Junction | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Speedo’s Cafe, Bondi

Date visited: Saturday, 17 December 2016

I was super keen to try this cafe due to all the amazing and colourful vegan options that they had and I was not disappointed at all. The cafe is located a short walk from Bondi Beach so it’s a great place to start a warm sunny day. It gets pretty busy on the weekends though, but luckily my friends and I didn’t have to wait too long for a table. I really appreciated how the menu clearly marked out which dishes were vegan, had vegan options, or were dairy free, vegetarian and gluten free. Made it so much easier for me to know exactly what I could order, and I was instantly sold when I saw vegan pancakes.

The vegan pancakes are the best I have ever had and I am dying to go back and eat them again. To my pleasant surprise, they were extremely filling, making the dish great value for money. I hate paying a lot for brunch and not getting full, so I’m glad that this was not the case here. If you have a sweet tooth, you will also find the maple syrup to be perfect, and I loved the hidden caramelised banana in between the pancakes. Combined with all the fruits, this dish was just all around deliciousness.

Vegan pancakes – $19.90

Both my friends chose to order the pink pitaya bowl, which came filled to the brim with many different yummy fruits. On first look, the bowl doesn’t seem that big, but once you start eating the fruit and spooning it into your mouth, it is, once again, more filling than it looks. I had a taste and really enjoyed it too (though I think I’m definitely a bigger fan of the pancakes). If you usually love acai bowls, you’ll love this similar bowl too.

Pink pitaya bowl – $17.90 (left)

All I can say is that I really wish this place was much closer to me, because this is the kind of cafe food I’d be happy to eat regularly (not going to lie, I would definitely be happy to eat those pancakes on a weekly basis). If you need any more encouragement to try this place, just scroll through their Instagram. The food is so incredibly pretty and I can’t get over how delicious my meal was. Hoping I can revisit again very soon!

Speedo’s Cafe | 126 Ramsgate Ave, North Bondi, NSW | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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The Tuckshop, Glenhaven

Date visited: Monday 17 April, 2017

Aussie burger with fries – $15 (left)

The Tuckshop is a wonderful find if you live around the Hills area. They seem to be more well known for their burgers, but they also have breakfast items on their menu. You order and pay upfront before finding a table to wait for your order. It seems to be quite a busy place, as the food didn’t arrive super quickly. I felt that the takeaway orders went out faster, but maybe I was a bit impatient from being hungry for my food.

My boyfriend ordered the Aussie burger with fries, and found it quite enjoyable. It was apparently a pretty good burger, but pretty standard at the same time if you’re comparing to other good cafe burgers. Let me get onto the fries though. THE FRIES! I adored the salt and seasoning on them and they were so addictive. I was so full halfway through but the fries were so damn good I could not stop myself from eating and eating. These are fries I dream about and can’t wait to eat again.

Fried tofu schnitzel sandwich with fries – $14-16 (estimate as I don’t remember)

Being dairy free, I get wary of burgers as most have cheese in them. Luckily when I went, they had a vegan option of a fried tofu schnitzel sandwich. This was something new to me, so I was keen to try it. The fried tofu schnitzel was actually very tasty and went well with the tomato, lettuce and their mayo sauce! The only thing that I didn’t love was the bread, as it was a little boring and I wish it was lightly toasted or a dairy free bun instead. Then again, the Tuckshop isn’t one of those places that aims to cater specifically to a vegan/healthy crowd, so I can’t really complain that much.

My overall experience was pretty positive and I would recommend the Tuckshop as an awesome place for a quick bite!

The Tuckshop | Shop 1/78, Glenhaven Road, Glenhaven, NSW | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Hills Organics, Dural

Date visited: Sunday 10 September 2017

When I discovered there was a relatively new healthy wholefoods organic cafe in the Hills area, I was pretty excited. Even more so after stalking the Instagram photos. I absolutely love organic wholefood cafes because I always have so much choice on the menu, compared to normal cafes where I’m usually restricted to only one or two dishes.

Even though we were there for lunch, I had to treat myself to the vegan waffles. I am a massive sucker for vegan pancakes (as being lactose intolerant, I can never have pancakes in most cafes) and I have never tried waffles before in my life! This was the perfect opportunity to give them a go. Having had several amazing vegan pancakes before, I was hoping these vegan waffles would be a delight, and they more than lived up to my expectations.

Vegan waffles – $18 ($16, add $2 for Cocowhip)

I really enjoyed the dish as the flavours were all great and the strawberries and banana were a nice touch. I also tried it with Cocowhip (vegan, dairy free ice cream made from coconut milk) as I’d never had it before, and found it was quite refreshing and went well with the waffles. I think the waffles would still taste great without it though!

The other dish we ordered was the paleo benny, which had two poached eggs, vegan hollandaise sauce, paleo bread and sauerkraut. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and I was in heaven tasting the runny yolk combined with the ‘hollandaise’ sauce. Another dish I would happily eat again.

Paleo benny – $18 (special)

As I’m also fairly new to the cafe and drinks scene, I also decided to try a turmeric latte for the first time. As the regular is $5 and the large is 50c more with a good upsize, I thought I may as well take a leap of faith and ordered the large. I can’t compare it to other turmeric lattes since it was my first one, but I enjoyed this one! It definitely had a very unique flavour and to be honest, it didn’t really go with my vegan waffles, but that’s my fault.

Turmeric latte – $5.50 (large)

All in all, I definitely enjoyed my experience at this cafe and can see myself coming back here to try out more of their dishes. I really like how their menu says that pretty much every dish can be made vegetarian or vegan to suit your needs. One thing to note would be that the service wasn’t the fastest. The cafe was less than half full and it took them 20 minutes to come out with both dishes. I thought the wait was on the borderline side of acceptable and worth it for the deliciousness, but I’m not sure what it would be like at peak hours with all tables full.

The only other thing I would say is that the portion sizes aren’t huge, so whilst the vegan waffles were enough to fill me up, if you’re a bigger eater, you’ll find that dishes like the paleo benny won’t be quite enough. However, perhaps a smoothie, drink or one of the vegan desserts will get you there. If not, the cafe also includes a small store part with a nice selection of organic foods, so you can always buy more healthy food to eat! Overall, I had a positive experience here and would recommend the food.

Hills Organics | Shop 12, 286-288 New Line Road, Dural, NSW | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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