This little corner of Darlinghurst goes through rather a bit of a changeover and it’s taken me a while to get to this latest incarnation: A Brewer’s Tale Cafe.
I stopped by twice for a hot drink before I managed to come in for breakfast. The menu is really interesting with some Asian-influenced items. There’s hot coffee, and cold-drip coffee and various other coffees which makes me embarrassed to just have ordered a large latte. There’s bags of coffee to buy. This would seem to be a real coffee aficionado joint.
I came back with my better half, and he had a very good matcha latte (slightly savoury as it should be and I had a delicious taro latte. It was sweet and reminded me of marshmallows. I liked it.
I was a bit sad though to finally get in for breakfast and order what I’d spotted on the menu: matcha hotcakes. With two heart-shaped matcha chocolates, Persian fairy floss, red beans, a poached pear and a very pretty fruit salad, I was expecting this to be… pretty wonderful. But it felt to me like it needed something to pull the elements together, a syrup or sauce. Everything was pretty dry. North American pancakes are served smothered in butter and maple syrup or golden syrup; the indulgence comes from that combo of starch and sweet. I just don’t think pancakes and fruit salad are a good combo, really (except in a breakfast buffet)
My pal seemed happy with this mushroom dish, and look how pretty it is. So, perhaps it was just bad luck for my choice combining with my taste buds.
On a Sunday morning, it was packed (though not as packed as Rusty Rabbit on the corner), has a lovely open feeling, and the service is superb, friendly, young, good-looking people.