[invite] Bianca: Marrickville has very quietly been upping it’s cool factor, with cafe darlings such as Warren & Holt, West Juliett, Cornersmith, Ona, Matinee… the list is becoming quite impressive. We’ve virtually had an inbuilt Marrickville exclusion zone (by our kooky uncle) who insisted we stay out of his ‘cool neighbourhood’.
This was our second visit to Labld. We enjoyed our previous visit but perhaps due to miss-ordering, we weren’t really blown away. Happy to report we far enjoyed our second visit!
All ready with post coffee jitters, Felicitations and I opted for The Orange – Rainy Lane cold-pressed juice $7.50 (270ml). First things first, Labld pride themselves on sourcing local ingredients, produce and products. Rainy Lane is a Sydney based juice company… and you’ll pay top $$ for the privilege. Lovely juice though!
Really, the main attraction here is the Asian inspired menu. Pandan pancakes and Himalayan-style Momos and a fair few other surprises. Not an Avo on Toast in sight!
We started with the Brekky Momos -w/wine infused bacon, egg, tomato & shallots $12. Thicker and chewier than a regular ol Chinese dumpling. These traditional Nepalese dumplings were amply filled, with a lovely sweetness. A great fun alternative to your traditional bacon and eggs. I quite enjoyed the sharp acidic accompanying tomato sauce. These are best to eat super hot as the skins do harden up very quickly.
New to the menu are the Tandori Momo -w/ Chicken mince, mint, onion, carrot, tandori, cucumber lassi $14 (pan fried). The chicken mixture seasoned perfectly. Pan frying the momo’s gave them a whole other texture. These were probably more up my alley, I enjoyed the inclusion of all the fresh veg and the lighter cucumber lassi sauce. Make sure you order these!
I really should have ordered the Korben Dallas for the lols (Fifth Element fans?). But zeroed straight in on the Colonel Burger – Cajun & sesame crusted fried chicken, iceberg lettuce, American cheese, pickles & mayo on a milk bun $16. Super striking when it hit the table! The blackened chicken thigh incredibly crispy on the outside but wonderfully moist within. A generous piece to cover the entire bun. I really enjoyed the pickles which were more briny and sour (not your typical burger pickles). This really aided to cut through the richness.
Slightly updated from its previous incarnation. The Bird’s Nest – poached eggs wrapped in potato spaghetti, beetroot yoghurt, fried leek, snow pea tendrils & sil gochu $19. One of the more visually striking dishes on the menu, cut through the fried potato ‘spaghetti’ to reveal perfectly poached eggs. I LOVE fried leek, an incredibly weird statement to make but when it’s done well it can add so much flavour to a dish. I quite enjoyed the freshness of the beetroot yoghurt as an alternative to the avocado puree in an older version of this dish.
Felictations and I adored the Pandan Pancake – caramelised banana, honeycomb cream, meringue, cherry $19. The pandan here acts as more of a visual aid, with it having no real discernable flavour. This worked on a number of levels. The pancakes were wonderfully light and fluffy, fantastic texture. Mixed with the caramelised banana and honeycomb cream/ shards it all just worked so well together. The cherry on top? Left untouched, that little maraschino bastard 🙂
For a cafe with a twist!
Bianca
*For Food’s Sake dined as guests of Labld.
Looks like a cute place! I find Momos are nice but they are best for cold weather (like Nepalese weather) with their thicker skins and higher carbs 😀