December 20th, 2017 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Latest | 2 Comments »
So file this under “Unexpected Things That Happened To Me This Year”: I have a sandwich named after me. Yes, if you go to Saga in Enmore, you can order the “Lee Tran”. It’s been on the menu since July, and initially I wasn’t sure whether to post about it or not (because, what if […]
November 19th, 2017 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Latest | 1 Comment »
Every cafe that opens nowadays seems to have at least one pin-up dish, designed to look good when framed in Instagram. At Paperboy in Concord, there’s no doubt it’s the lamington waffles – buttermilk batter hardened and coated in drips of dark chocolate, then run through a dust storm of dessicated coconut. It’s sandwiched with […]
September 21st, 2017 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Latest, Restaurants | 1 Comment »
Cool Mac in Kirribilli offers a version of avocado on toast that’s a) not boring b) legitimately worth ordering and c) good enough to almost “compel you to give up any shot of housing affordability”. It cross-breeds the breakfast staple with nasu dengaku (miso-glazed eggplant). You can read my article about the cafe here – […]
March 18th, 2017 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Favourites, Latest, Restaurants | 4 Comments »
Saga in Enmore isn’t just named after a pair of sneakers that Andrew Bowden (aka Andy Bowdy) bought for nearly a grand (blame shipping costs and unfriendly exchange rates for that eyebrow-raising price). It’s also a tribute to the many chapters of his life spent with partner Maddison Howes – they met at Hartsyard, where […]
August 10th, 2016 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Latest | 2 Comments »
From the “I’m glad you exist” files is Clementine’s in Pyrmont. Sure, the menu is as tight and tiny as the space, but it proves you don’t have to go blockbuster big to make a point. My fave thing here is the Belluci ($10), which is a mushroom thyme sub that’s just an excellent transit […]
June 17th, 2016 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Favourites, Latest | 1 Comment »
So Meet Gerard has staged an impressive introduction on this borderline between Alexandria, Redfern and Erskineville. On a corner that’s seen a wipeout of short-lived cafes (RIP), this eatery has not only scored lasting attention, it’s quickly become busy and much-visited. As I wrote in Good Food, Meet Gerard “might finally break the curse of […]
May 30th, 2016 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Latest | 3 Comments »
“Everything dies on Enmore Road!” That’s what Piero Pignatti Morano was (cheerily) told when he set up his latest cafe, El Chapel. A local helpfully pointed out the high mortality rate of all the businesses that had optimistically tried to set up on this unforgiving stretch of Marrickville. I’m gunning for El Chapel to get […]
February 23rd, 2016 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Latest | Leave A Comment »
It’s no cliffhanger what a cafe called Barista and Cook might be fixated on. Coffee isn’t an afterthought, that’s for sure, and it appears in various guises on the menu (cold drip, Chemex and V60; the Gypsy Espresso beans also gatecrash their way onto the dessert menu, as a snowball of gelato that’s wedged between […]
January 15th, 2016 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Bars, Cafes, Favourites, Latest | Leave A Comment »
The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar reopened in Redfern last week, so it’s a good time to respark interest in this great one-of-a-kind venue. It’s gotten a lot of worthwhile attention for proving that there’s more to tea than a bag thoughtlessly dunked into a mug – and even though steeped leaves are a headline […]
October 31st, 2015 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Latest | 1 Comment »
At the newly opened Petal Met Sugar in Woolloomooloo, the blooms and sweets are so good-looking that you’re surprised the furniture doesn’t get an inferiority complex. Here, the prettiness levels are dialed up to 11 – everything seems like it’s amplified to impress your eye. Each floral feature or pastry detail feels like it’s been […]