Three Blue Ducks, Bronte

One restaurant that has been on our wish list for a very very long time has been Three Blue Ducks. I can still remember hearing about it the first time when it made pop-up appearances at various food festivals including Masterchef Live and Taste of Sydney. Also CC is a massive (and I mean MASSIVE) fan of co-owner and executive chef, Darren Robertson who also appeared in Masterchef and Recipes to Riches and formerly worked at Tetsuya's prior to opening Three Blue Ducks. Recently we ended up in the Bronte area for a day out walking to the beach so it was a perfect excuse to check out this cafe renowned for its commitment on delivering local, fresh and sustainable produce.

It was a Sunday so we had expectations that it would be busy considering the media hype and accolades including a one hat award by the SMH Good Food Guide Awards. However we were unlucky to show up at a time when the only table available for three people was outside...and it was horrendously windy and cold. Not long after we were seated at our table, we noticed people who came after us and got a table inside which was a bummer since we were getting cold from the wind. 

Jasmine Flower Green Tea ($4.50) 

I still wasn't feeling 100% at this point so sadly no mocha coffee for me. The waiter was very helpful in assisting with a few alternatives including their decent selection of organic tea by The Rabbit Hole. The Jasmine flower green tea had an aromatic and soothing flavour with a grainy texture later on after drinking most of the tea from the teapot.

Fresh Young Coconut ($7.00) 

CC was satisfied with the fresh young coconut juice though she did had to tackle her way through lots of coconut flesh. Looks like a mouthful to handle but CC said that it was incredibly delicious.

Flat White ($4.00)

While I didn't get to taste H's flat white, I was impressed by how beautiful the coffee art looked. Cannot get over how pretty it was. H said his flat white was alright but I am personally keen to come back to try the coffee. They use a rotating selection of coffee beans from Single Origin Roasters, which is always a good thing for me.

Squid ink fettuccine, spicy chorizo, cuttlefish, chilli, tomato and basil ($26.00) 

It took a while for us to get our food. One hour actually. While I understand that it would be very busy since it's the weekend but one hour for food can slowly drive you mad especially when you are sitting outside in the cold wind. Imagine our happiness when our three dishes finally reached our table. I really enjoyed the squid ink fettuccine especially the well-cooked pasta, the juicy chorizo and the tender, fresh cuttlefish. While it was slightly spicy from the chilli and chorizo ingredients, it was quite mild which was good for my health at the time and great for anyone who can't handle a lot of spicy food. My only minor qualm was the serving size of the pasta since it was a tad pricey at $26. However, it was filling enough to handle if you get full quite easily. 

Steamed mussels with herb, coconut sambal and chilli toast ($28.00)

CC decided to get the mussels based on the waiter's suggestion. When it arrived, we couldn't help but be in awe at the size and presentation of this plate. So much to take in but CC said it was bloody amazing! Plenty of succulent mussels to share around though there were a couple of empty shells as well. This also came with a creamy broth of coconut sambal and a side of crispy chilli toast which actually went really well with the mussels. The spicy flavours were also pretty light in this dish thanks to the use of cream for the coconut sambal.

Coffee and cumin brisket, Jerusalem artichoke, roasted kipfler potato, chimichurri, kale and fried eschallots ($29.00)  

I was also impressed with the look of H's brisket dish. Looks like a generous serving size but doable enough. The slow cooked brisket was fall-apart, tender goodness with lots of fatty parts and plenty of roasted potato to fill you up. Great comfort weather for those breezy Winter (or Spring/Summer pretending to be Winter) days.

In terms of the food and drinks, I was impressed by what we had tried on the day. They were all very delicious and the drinks got me satisfied for more, although the prices were on the expensive end. The wait for the food was a let down but CC noted that the service was quick on her last visit (also on a weekend). Hopefully this was a one-off since it was very busy. The overall atmosphere was quaint, relaxing and chilled (apart from the cold, wind gusts that day). Plus it was cool spotting the vegetable garden at the back end of the restaurant. Will make a return to try the other dishes on the menu including the ones that are only available on the breakfast and dinner menu. If only I didn't live so far in order to get to Bronte in time for the breakfast menu, which ends at 11:30am...

Three Blue Ducks
141-143 Macpherson Street, Bronte NSW 2024
(02) 9389 0010
http://www.threeblueducks.com/

Cornersmith, Marrickville

How good do those eggs look? Can you believe that you will get amazingly poached eggs in places like Marrickville? If it was 5 years ago I would be very surprised actually. Back then, Marrickville was renowned for their cheap Vietnamese feed for anyone who did not want to travel all the way to Cabramatta, Canley Heights or Bankstown. These days, there are plenty of cafes serving perfectly poached eggs like these bad boys. With all the cafes and casual dining joints sprouting up around this suburb, you might think that it's becoming as hipster as Surry Hills. Almost.

One of the cafes that has been putting Marrickville into the Sydney cafe scene was Cornersmith. When I first heard about it, I thought it was another hipster cafe joint serving yummy brunch food. What stood out was its focus on sustainable and ethical produced ingredients, including their house-made pickles. When you are waiting to be seated, just write your name and the number of people on the chalkboard then wait for your name to be called out when the table is ready. Most days I've been there were quite busy, however it's quiet on weekdays if you end up having a day off.

Mocha (S - $4.00, L - $4.50) 

Very pleased with the coffee here. Got the right balance in terms of sweetness from the cocoa and bitterness from the coffee beans. Plus it delivered a smooth texture and it has certainly got me energised for the day since I was very tired that morning. And the coffee art is very pleasing to the eye to the point that I did not want to ruin it. If you are a fan of Mecca coffee then you will be very happy to hear that Cornersmith sources their coffee beans from them.

Chai Tea ($4.50)

Did not try the chai but it had a fragrant aroma when I was able to smell it from across the table. CC was quite pleased with this version.

Soft Poached Free Range Eggs with Sourdough Toast and Green Tomato Relish ($9.00) plus Kale and Apple Salad, and Pasture fed Ham ($5.00 per side)

So glad with my dish choice this time. I was seriously amazed at how these eggs were poached perfectly especially with the egg white casing itself around the soft-cooked egg yolk. Just makes you feel reluctant to cut into it but then you gotta have the runny egg porn goodness, which was thankfully worth it. I was pleased with the sides as well. The kale apple salad and the green tomato relish delivered a combination of sweet and sour touches to the whole plate. Plus the pasture-fed ham tasted so good with the egg and toast. Wouldn't mind coming back for a second serving. My only minor issue with this dish was that the sourdough toast was too hard for us to cut so we eventually ended up picking it up by the hand. Apart from that, I was happy with this dish and would certainly order this again at a later visit. 

Runny egg porn

Ploughman's Plate (Single - $18.00, Shared - $30.00)

The Ploughman's plate was an organic feast consisting of pasture fed ham, Maffern cheddar cheese, pickled beetroot, Pepe Saya butter, pickles, radishes, grapes and toast. During my last few visits here, the ingredients in this platter has changed depending on what's available in stock on the day. I tried a bit of the cheese which had an aged vintage taste as well as the pickles, beetroot and the grapes. Both CC and I thought that each element on the platter was a tasty, refreshing, healthier and surprisingly not too heavy feed. It's a good way to explore the various homegrown food produce available at this cafe.

This is a great place to go when you want a healthier meal with freshly made ingredients that is ethically sourced from local food producers. There are also plenty of vegetarian dishes and salads, which is great for your non-meat eating friend. The serving sizes were reasonably substantial though not overwhelming and the prices were actually quite cheap for most of the menu items. You can even buy one of their pickles, honey jars or other food produce in store to take home. The menu at Cornersmith changes regularly depending on what produce is available in stock at the time. This ensures that everything served here is freshly sourced. Because of the constant menu changes, it will certainly keep me coming back to see which fresh produce is available in store next time.

EDIT: At the time of this post, it has just been announced that Cornersmith was awarded Best Cafe at the SMH Good Food Cafe Guide Awards 2014. Congratulations to the Cornersmith team for this achievement! :D

Cornersmith

314 Illawara Road, Marrickville NSW 2204

(02) 8065 0844

https://www.facebook.com/Cornersmith

Mon-Fri: 6:30am - 3:30pm

Sat-Sun: 7:30am - 3:30pm