Vanessa: Since moving to Panania, in South-West Sydney, last year I have been on a mission to uncover what the “burbs” have to offer by way of food and cafe culture. Although initially doubtful, I have been pleasantly surprised to discover some terrific gems in suburbia, Dessertoya Cafe being one of them.
A car service out my way, was the catalyst for a sleepover and cafe date with Bianca. Now, as you may have gathered, Bianca is currently on a quest to try as many pancakes that Sydney had to offer. As such, the challenge was set for me to take us to a local cafe that offers quality pancakes on their menu. Challenge accepted!
After some research, I came across Dessertoya Cafe located in Padstow. This family-run cafe has been in operation for less than two months and is headed up by the very passionate, Russian-born Chef, Sonia. Sonia’s love for her trade is evident, particularly through the attention and detail paid to her home-made cakes and decadent chocolates. The quality of the chocolates are outstanding and are available to purchase as takeaway and gifts. I definitely recommend trying the pomegranate chocolate, it’s unique and sharp in flavour.
The cafe itself has a homely feel that you might expect from a suburban cafe. I have to admit, my initial thought was that the decor was a bit dated, but a trivial point in comparison to the food coming out of the kitchen!
Much to Bianca’s delight, there were two variations of pancakes on the breakfast menu. Luckily, Mr M was in tow to ensure both varieties were sampled!
Mr M opted for the triple-stack pancake with banana, strawberry, vanilla-bean mascarpone and maple syrup ($16.50) which had us all in awe. Visually impressive, with three, well-cooked pancakes stacked high and generously layered with filling. This got the tick of approval by our ‘FFS Pancake Queen’ and her signature suggestion of a side of crispy bacon provided the perfect amount of salt to break up the sweetness.
Bianca went for the triple-stack pancake filled with ricotta, lemon-curd and blueberries ($16.50), which happen to be some of my favourite elements all in one dish. The pancakes were well-cooked but possibly a little too much lemon-curd. Although I am savoury all the way in the AM, I couldn’t resist trying a bit of each and the mascarpone and maple was unanimously the favourite of the two.
Obviously, you can’t step foot inside a cafe these days without seeing some sort of smashed avo and egg combo on the menu. Even though I will myself every time to try something different, I always fall back to this trusty staple. Surprisingly, this particular one has some variation to the norm that makes it next level! The Eggs on Avo ($16.50) consists of 2 poached eggs, a generous amount of avocado served on bread of your choice, with ricotta, feta and a sprinkle of pistachio dukkha. A substantial serve with the right amount of variance to make this more than just your average smashed avo dish.
As I mentioned earlier, Sonia makes all the cakes served at the cafe and there is one in particular that is worth shouting about..the honey cake (middle slice). Thin layers of honey sponge and cream blend together to create a light, airy texture with a rich taste of honey. Delicious and the perfect accompaniment to a coffee, of which they also know what they are doing in the caffeine department.
We really felt like we had discovered a hidden gem in suburbia. The service was warm and friendly, the food quality is equivalent to any you would find in a city cafe and the menu is reasonably priced with a good range of options. Do yourself a favour and check it out, if you are local and even if you are not. I would say the pancakes are worth travelling for!
Enjoy!
Vanessa
Photos by Bianca
Good to know that there’s plenty of places near to you. Haha Bianca and her burgers and pancakes!
Sounds like a place I need to go looks and sounds delicious
That ricotta, lemon-curd and blueberries pancakes looks effin amazing! Loving all your “pancake files” posts haha