Brewtown Newtown, Newtown

After the closure of Berkelouw Books Newtown, we eagerly await to see what would replace this much loved book store. Will it be yet another froyo or Thai food joint? Thankfully (or not if you aren't into cafes), a new complex featuring a Surry Hill-esque cafe with a snazzy merchant shop upstairs taking over this space while still keeping the old Berkelouw Books spirit alive within its walls with the interior decor. Headed by Simon Triggs from Gnome Espresso and Charles Cameron from Single Origin Roasters, you know that this has to be pretty darn awesome especially with its affordable and appetising menu.

Brewtown's mocha was balanced in terms of sweetness from the chocolate, slight creaminess from the milk and bitterness from the coffee. Usually when it comes to weekend cafe visits, I always get a small size but on this occasion I regretted not getting a large one since it was done so well. Felt like I wanted more after I finished this up. Good job!

Mocha - Small ($4.00)

CC went for her usual order of chai latte which had a lovely set up. Personally, I'm not too familiar with chai so I thought this presentation was unique. Judging by CC's reaction, the chai was wonderful and quite flavoursome at Brewtown.

Chai - loose leaf spiced chai ($4.00)

There have been a few dining joints in the past where I did not like or cannot eat anything on the menu. On the other hand, Brewtown Newtown's menu is one of those places where I wanted to eat everything off the menu and more! As usual we were stuck with so many choices but agreed to try something different and share. CC went with the duck ravioli thanks to the suggestion of one of the waiters. Although it looked light with its two plump pillows of ravioli pasta, it was actually deliciously decadent with its shredded duck meat filling and the pasta itself. While the cheese is usually found inside the ravioli, at Brewtown Newtown the parmesan cheese is scattered on top for a richer texture. Combined with the earthy flavours of porcini and wild mushrooms, this dish delivers a terrific aroma to your senses. Double thumbs up from CC who has been craving for this dish since this visit.

Duck Ravioli with Porcini and Wild Mushroom ($16.50)

I'm hopeless at waking up early so the chances of me going to a cafe before 11:00am or 11:30am is pretty slim. What I really loved about this cafe is the all-day and everyday breakfast menu so you don't have to get up early to enjoy a satisfying brunch. The Grilled Black Sausage, Home made Hash Browns, Canadian Bacon and House Relish with Boiled Eggs executes the idea of an all-day breakfast dish perfectly. Well it's not everyday that you eat black sausage in the morning. The sausage was well cooked with a slightly charred texture so you would think that you are eating a chorizo instead of the softer black sausage. I enjoyed digging into the less well-seasoned boiled egg but my personal favourite ingredient was biting into the crunchy shredded hash browns. And of course everything tastes better with bacon right? ;). 

Grilled Black Sausage, Home made Hash Browns, Canadian Bacon and House Relish with Boiled Eggs ($16.50)

If you are vegetarian but you are finding yourself drooling over the above dishes, then fear not! The Baked Polenta with Mushrooms, Grilled Asparagus, Poached Eggs and Parmesan is equally as indulgent as every single other dish on this yummy menu. When it arrived to my table, you can immediately smell that earthy, truffle-like scent thanks to the plump mushrooms (I think there was truffle oil in this dish actually...). The baked polenta wedge reminded me of the polenta chips at Bloodwood only larger and denser just as crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This worked well when you mix it with the asparagus and the firm and sharp-flavoured Parmesan cheese shavings and then dipping it all with the poached egg yolk. Any runny yolk action from these poached eggs? Oooh yessss there was. Hard to imagine that this is a vegetarian dish but if you want some meat like Canadian Bacon or shaved leg ham, you can add extra sides to any meal if you want (I think sides cost at an additional $4.50. Don't quote me on this).

Baked Polenta with Mushrooms, Grilled Asparagus, Poached Eggs and Parmesan ($15.00)

To be honest, I actually thought that the cronut hype has actually slowed down based on recent food articles. The less than 10 minutes it took for a freshly made batch of cronuts to sell out has proved me wrong. These moreish treats were freshly baked on site upstairs. You can see people ordering it for a quick take-away or for desserts if you are dining at the tables since Brewtown Newtown does not have a dessert menu. You can pick from the following flavours depending on availability: cinnamon, glazed, chocolate custard and strawberry jam. It had a crispy and fairly light texture with many flaky layers as you chew into it. It was also softer than I initially expected - kinda like a normal doughnut. Will definitely be ordering them again though I would recommend coming early to try more of the available flavours.

Cronut - Cinnamon ($4.00)

With all dishes priced at less than $20 (the most expensive dish costs $17.00), the serving size of each plate is generous to fill you up and remain satisfied until dinner. Even though it was opened for less than 2 months, there have been queues of people waiting to get a table. The service staff are incredibly friendly but the vibe can get rushed and crazy when dealing with a very busy restaurant. So far, I've been very happy with my experience at Brewtown Newtown. Every dish I've eaten has been a winner. The same goes for CC who has made numerous recent visits and has recommended the meatball baguette and the pached chicken saladt. If there is any cafe that will be heavily reviewed and raved in the blogging and foodie community (see Devon, The Grounds, Three Williams, Reuben Hills etc.), I reckon Brewtown Newtown will get a fair amount of well-deserved hype this year thanks to the cronuts and the mouth watering and well-priced brunch dishes. 

Brewtown Newtown
6-8 O'Connell Street, Newtown NSW 2042
(02) 9519 2920
https://www.facebook.com/brewtownnewtown
Mon-Sun: 8:00am - 4:00pm (kitchen closes at 3:00pm)