Vanessa: You may have noticed our current penchant for pancakes and with the highly photogenic hotcake at Concrete Jungle Cafe doing the rounds on the Instagram circuit, we just had to experience it.
Aptly named, Concrete Jungle Cafe is located within Central Park, Chippendale. If you have been, you know this area is not exactly parking friendly and often requires a bit of a walk to get to, however it is well-connected with surrounding public transport options.
The cafe’s interior is a fairly small space, with a modern, urban fit out and offers patrons both indoor and outdoor seating options. We had Baby V ,aka #babyffs1, with us so we sat outside to easily manoeuvre the pram about.
The menu is geared towards nourishing, wholesome food and they offer an all-day breakfast menu, which I love. They have a good range of breakfast classics, eggs, bacon and smashed avo along with more eclectic options such as the blue majic smoothie bowl.
Knowing the hotcake was coming our way, we opted for two dishes that were more on the wholesome side.
The coconut, feta and quinoa fritters, $19.50, piqued my interest. Three small, but super crunchy, balls that crumbled nicely when you took a bite, had strong flavors of coconut. What I particularly loved about this was the coconut labne that it was served with, creamy, light and with a subtle taste of coconut really enhanced the flavors of the fritter and was very unique. Mix it all up with a fatoush salad and some hazelnut dukkah and this once delicious and wholesome dish.
The nourish bowl, $19.50, really had us patting ourselves on the back for choosing such a “clean eats” option. A sizeable bowl of beetroot hummus, kale, avocado, tomato, quinoa, sweet potato and corn fritters drizzled with sesame and tamari dressing. The beetroot hummus was a stand out for its slightly sweet flavor and the corn and sweet potato fritters were crunchy and not at all oily. If you want a healthy option, this is a no-brainer.
The Blueberry & Lemon Hotcake -w/Ricotta Creme, maple syrup, coconut flakes and mixed berries $18.50 got the tick of approval from resident FFS pancake queen, Bianca. The hotcake, light and fluffy, with noticeable chunks of fresh berries & ricotta through the pancake batter. The lemon adding a subtle fresh element. Picture perfect!
There were definitely some items on the menu I would be keen to try next visit, the reuben in particular! The menu has a good range of options, well priced and will have you snapping away at their beautifully presented dishes.
Enjoy!
Vanessa
Photos by Bianca
*For Foods Sake dined as guests of Concrete Jungle Cafe
I’ve been here once but didn’t have the pancakes. Won’t make that mistake next time!
That pancake is so photogenic!