Three Williams, Redfern

I promised myself that I will try to keep up with the latest, hippest, talk-of-the-town cafes and restaurants on the block this year. Boy was I so wrong. At this point I am probably one of the last bloggers to talk about this ridiculously popular cafe. Better late than never right? If you still haven't heard of Three Williams, you are probably on a strict diet, not into cafes or you have been living under a rock. Even if cafes aren't your thing, there are countless pictures of those delicious narnies, brioche French toasts, croquettes and chips flooding instagram and Facebook. And if you ask me, I'd say that it really is worth the hype!

While it looked minimalist with only a W as the signage to identify the cafe, you could still spot it easily from the queues of people waiting outside. Before I arrived there, I spotted a photo on instagram in which a person who was at Three Williams a bit earlier was unhappy about having to wait at least 40 minutes for a table. It got me a bit nervous considering my lack of patience especially when I'm hungry. It didn't help when we saw loads of people queueing outside the cafe. Thankfully (or not if you are in a large group), we actually only needed to wait for about 5-10 minutes for a table for two but it does vary on the day and time of course. 

Inside, we were stunned at how massive Three Williams really was compared to most places we've been to. Very noisy and busy atmosphere but the staff was friendly, quick, efficient and attentive to our needs. It's also a child friendly cafe with a play space "Willy's Corner" at the back for the kids to doodle on the blackboard. With the spacious venue, this will be great for families with babies or toddlers since there's enough room for a pram.

White Coffee - Mocha ($3.50)

We started off with a couple of drinks. Since I was really tired and I have a coffee addiction no matter where I go, I needed my usual mocha to kick-start the day. Three Williams uses Single Origin Coffee beans which is always lovely to drink. While it has a smooth texture, the taste was more bitter and stronger which is good for me to get myself energised. Cute coffee art too.

Seasonal House-made Soda - Pineapple and Mint (Glass: $5.00, Jug: $12.00)

Since it was a warm day, we also opted for a chilled drink of Three Williams house-made soda. On the day, we decided on getting the pineapple and mint soda based on staff recommendations. FYI: the flavours do change regularly on a seasonal basis. While it wasn't too sweet, it was refreshing to have given the amount of fried, oily, sweet and carb-inducing dishes coming up. 

Fish Croquettes with Lemon and Aioli ($3.00 each)

Since Three Williams first came into my radar, I've been looking forward to trying out the fish croquettes. And man these were sooo good! Nice golden crumbled coating with a hot, soft, creamy, buttery, fishy and even slightly cheesy filling. Digged the shredded fish inside the filling. Found these little morsels to be so addictive that I wouldn't mind ordering a few more if I didn't order more dishes. Perfect with the lemon wedge and the aioli sauce for a flavour boost. Croquettes for brunch? Yes please!

Beer Battered Chips with House Aioli ($7.00)

Before heading here, heaps of people have told me that I MUST get the beer battered chips. Some even claimed that the chips at Three Williams were the best that they've ever had in Sydney. Luckily, CC and I are both crazy about chips no matter where we go. And omg they really were damn good! The battered chips were incredibly crunchy with the soft and fluffy potato inside. I can imagine these chips were cooked at least twice (maybe triple cooked?) to get that crunchy texture. Very addictive and perfect to share with friends...even though we gobbled the whole bowl very quickly.

Glazed Beef Brisket Narnie with Slaw, Gherkins, Chipotle Mayo ($15.00)

Of course when you're at Three Williams, you have got to try at least one of their signature house-made narnies. A narnie is a naan-style flat bread with a thicker, dough-like texture that can hold a substantial amount of fillings. Similar to a sandwich actually. My pick was the beef brisket which was suggested by the staff. So deliciously tender, fatty and juicy with the thick slabs of beef brisket combined with the crisp slaw and the tangy gherkins and the chipotle mayo. This is serious melt in your mouth, droolworthy goodness! It is very messy to handle and even messier when you try to use cutlery. You must eat this by hand. It's definitely not something you would usually see at other cafes in Sydney and it's certainly one of the reasons why there was so much sudden hype for this cafe. Was so bummed when I polished this off because I wanted more...if only I have a bigger stomach.

Crunchy Brioche French Toast, Blueberries, Yoghurt, Roasted Pecans and Maple Syrup ($15.00)

Three Williams does not have a dessert menu but they do have a tray of daily baked treats at the front counter including donuts, brownies and pistachio cakes. However I've been hearing lots of recommendations for the crunchy brioche French toast from many fellow foodies. In terms of presentation, it looks beautiful and colourful with blueberries, strawberries and pecans scattered across the plate. The toast was much thicker and bigger than I expected. Also, the sweet flavours were overwhelming for CC (who was digging into the chips while eating this toast) to handle. Despite that, the toast was delectable with its crisp texture, fluffy innards, fruity berries and the dollop of creamy yoghurt to balance the crunchiness. This unique brioche French toast is one you wouldn't usually see at many cafes with all these ingredients, taste and presentation. Will definitely order this again with something small and savoury on the side too like chips and croquettes.

Bibimbap Pulled Pork Narnie with Chilli Kimchi, Bean Sprouts, Julienne Carrots ($15.00)

Because the narnies were out of this world, I made a few more visits to see how the other flavours tasted. The bibimbap pulled pork narnie was the other flavour that caught my attention on my initial visit so I was especially looking forward to biting into this messy dish this time. Everything was mouthwatering from the tangy (chipotle or lime?) mayo, the spicy kimchi (which wasn't very spicy at first though it does give a kick to the tastebuds eventually) and the shredded pulled pork which was juicy and full of irresistible flavours. 

Fried Tempeh Narnie with Asian-style Pickled Vegetables, Sirarcha and Lime Mayo ($15.00, $13.00 for take-away)

They also do takeaway for most of their dishes if you are in a hurry. This was what happened a week ago when I was about to go to a friend's house party later that day. Bought the chips which was a crowd pleaser for my mates as well as the unique fried tempeh narnie. While it's a vegetarian dish, the slab of tempeh has a meaty texture when I bite into this. Also digged the massive crunch from the cracker. With so much veggie fillings, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a bit healthier than most of the other dishes (hehe I don't blame you :p). Because of the sirarcha, it was also much spicier than the Bibimbap narnie. Great flavour boost even though it got me grabbing the water bottle at the end. 

With lovely service, reasonable prices, spacious room and yummy food with generous servings; it is no wonder that I keep going back to Three Williams to try all the dishes especially the addictive narnies. This is a great place to go for a family outing or a catch up with friends but be prepared for queues at peak hours brunches and lunches on weekends if you are in a large group. Already looking forward to heading back here soon to try a few other dishes including the Merchant roll, spicy smashed beans with avo on toast, the baked treats, the caramelised cauliflower tabouli salad (seriously!) and even more narnies! 

Three Williams
613a Elizabeth Street, Redfern NSW 
(02) 9698 1111
https://www.facebook.com/threewilliamscafe
Mon-Sun: 7:00am - 4:00pm (Kitchen closes at 3:00pm)