[invite] Bianca: The Pancake files continue at Mr Cafe, Balmain. It’s a fairly small 30-40 seater cafe in the heart of Balmain. Turning a steady stream of takeaway coffees, people perched on shared tables soaking in the Saturday morning rays.
We visited a few years back and fell in love with their Cinnamon Doughnut -w/ a walnut and thyme crumb but could no longer see it on the menu, bit of a shame as it was devilishly delicious but in its place some strong additions.
Our Will & Co coffee’s, Skim & Soy Caps $4.20 were well balanced and not overly milky, a good few shakes of chocolate powder which we definitely appreciated!
Starting with the savoury The Corn Fritter -w/avocado, coriander & corn salsa, whipped cream cheese + bacon + hashbrowns $25 should be your go to if you’re wanting something substantial with a lot of wow factor. The corn fritters had a great crispy exterior, excellent caramelised flavour. The bacon crispy! It was fresh and colourful. The hashbrowns needed to be a little crispier and lacked seasoning.
Alex advocated for the Acai Bowl -w/acai, banana, strawberry, house granola, chia, toasted coconut, baby mint + natural peanut butter $15. I typically steer well clear of Acai’s but I thoroughly enjoyed this version. The addition of the peanut butter really elevates this from a soupy smoothie to something pretty damn enjoyable. Loved the house granola, with clusters of caramelised nuts, seeds and oats. Alex would have liked a thicker consistency to the Acai (his go to is My Fruitologist, Balmain) which is more like a soft-serve.
And what I was most excited about, the Apple Crumble Buckwheat Pancakes (gf) – w/caramelised apple. ANZAC crumble, caramel sauce & vanilla gelato $18. The pancakes were slightly grainy & dry, which is not to say they were unpleasant, they still retained their lightness and were quite fluffy in texture. I adored the ANZAC crumble, buttery oats? Sold! Alex was a little less enthusiastic about the caramel sauce but it was balanced perfectly by the apple. It probably wouldn’t be my guilty pleasure pancake but if I was in the area and in a bind, they’re a solid option.
Bianca
Photos by Alex
*For Food’s Sake dined as guests of Mr Cafe.
I don’t think I’ve EVER ordered an acai bowl but this one actually looks tempting! The peanut butter addition is intriguing, does it kind of taste like a PB&J? A pancake with ANZAC crumble also sounds interesting. Unsure if Sydney is steadily raising its pancake game, or that you’re just successful in sniffing out the more unique offerings around? Great read as always!
Not going to lie. I HATE Acai bowls, they’re definitely an Alex dish! Thanks Sam 🙂 I’m forever on the hunt!! – B xx
Another one for the pancake files! I wonder if the texture of the buckwheat one would be better with a mix of wheat and buckwheat flour although that would mean that they aren’t gluten free.