[invite] Bianca: I’ve now actively become the biggest hypocrite around, breakfast and brunch are totally where it’s at. It’s only taken me 29 years to work it out but I am a total mid-morning diner now! Walrus Café is a gem in the city CBD, I don’t work in the city and it’s never really the first port of call when I’m thinking of café spots. Which is where Walrus shines for me, Sydney CBD doesn’t do cool cafes well. Unlike, say Melbourne. Where you have cafes dotted in alleyways, side streets all within the centre of the city. I can probably count on one hand, cafes that hit the trifecta for solid food and coffee.
Saturday mid-morning and every table is taken. Coffees were ordered a Skim Cappuccino for me – (side-note, Felicitations and I dropped in the week before to check the café out and get a few takeaway coffees) we found the coffee on both occasions a touch milky.
With the eating crew called in, we set our sights on some of the menu heavy hitters. The Breakfast Taco –w/scrambled eggs, feta, chorizo, avocado & salsa Fresca $18 has those bold, heavy hitting Mexican/Spanish flavours, if you’re looking for something a little different to the norm, this might be your best bet.
The Walrus Full Breakfast $22 will satisfy the big eaters. With the usual big brekky staples, with the mushies and chorizo being standouts.
Eggs Benedict –w/bacon, wilted spinach, poached eggs, chive hollandaise sauce on Turkish bread $18 was given a big thumbs up from Felicitations. Gorgeous runny yolks, the hollandaise wasn’t too heavy. I liked the use of Turkish bread here to absorb the sauce.
With the French toast as the shared piece de resistance, I had to order something sensible beforehand Corn Fritters – w/scrambled eggs, bacon, smashed avocado, wild rocket $19. Had I not had incredible Corn Fritters at The Fountain two days prior I wouldn’t have had a strong comparison in my head. The flavour was there but there were a few things holding this dish back. The fritters, sweetness from the plump kernels but they could have been crisper as they fell apart very quickly. The Spanish onion was a little OTT. And the rocket was a little random. At the very least, the rocket needed a dressing (if it did have one, I couldn’t taste it). The scrambled eggs were light and tasty, perfect amount of seasoning.
And finally, perhaps our unanimous fave. The Pain Perdu – French Toast w/roasted spice plums, caramelised banana, flaked almonds & maple syrup $19. A really interesting mix of flavours, I loved the warmth of this dish. A comforting mix of deep, sugary, caramelised banana and poached spiced plums. The French Toast spongy, with a light crispness to the exterior. I do feel they need something to break up the flavour, as it is a little one note. We shared this between four and 3 bites was enough for me. Maybe a light mascarpone quenelle or even ice-cream….go hard!
A great option for folks in the city, even one to seek out on a Saturday!
Bianca
*For Food’s Sake dined as a guest of Walrus Café, all opinions, however, are our own and independent.
I haven’t had a big brekky in ages! That full breakfadt sounds like it’s up my alley.
The French Toast was really good Raff 🙂 I was more impressed with the fit-out. Really reminded me of the Melbs inner city standard for cafes!
That Pain Perdu looks like it wants to be friends with me. It’s actually so cute! What kind of bread is it? It looks like a swollen English muffin?
I’ve always wondered by the CBD doesn’t have more great cafes. You’d think there’d be plenty just due to the number of people that work there!