Blaq Piq, Surry Hills ‘The Pancake Files’.

Bianca: It had been several years between visits to Surry Hills cafe, Blaq Piq. We were drawn to the cafe in late 2015 with some foodie friends double tagging Cafe Cre Asion for some matcha treats, followed by brunch at Blaq Piq. I remember having the Pandan pancakes and enjoying them but with so many food options in Sydney, it is rare for us to be repeat visitors unless we’re absolute die-hard fiends for certain dishes.

I have also dined at owner JD’s, former cafe, Big Tree House in Rydalmere and was a fan of the suburban cafe/ food.

Starting with an Almond Milk Flat White, needing a touch of sucre to cut through the bitterness. Service was a little haphazard, I did have to get up several times to grab water, a glass, cutlery and serviettes. But, the staff were very friendly and inquisitive about our thoughts on the dishes.

With gal pal Felicitations in tow, we were sharing all the dishes so the chef split them up for us. So don’t be alarmed by what you may think are small serving sizes.

The Tea Smoked Salmon -w/ grapefruit ruby, combu, citrus ponzu & 63* egg $20 was a delightfully delicate and fresh dish. Generally, a good indicator of a salmon dish is by how velvety and ‘not fishy’ the salmon is. The zingy notes of the ponzu really adding a whole other dimension of sourness and all tied together by the ooey gooey egg.

Jazzing up your humble breakfast egg dishes. The Son in Law Eggs -w/ pulled pork, chilli jam and Fried Shallots definitely ticked all the flavour boxes. The fried outer batter of the poached eggs adding a crispy element but the real standout was the pulled pork, getting a super caramelised piece was like hitting the jackpot.

A new special to hit the menu is the Five Spice Tofu Salad -w/changing colour noodles and a tom yum dressing $16. It probably wouldn’t be my first inkling to order a tofu dish, particularly a salad. But we both really enjoyed this dish. The novelty of the changing colour of the noodles was fun and they were tasty once you mixed them into the salad and dressed with sauce. Great for those wanting something lighter but doesn’t skimp on flavour.

The Pork burger had a recent facelift and now it’s current incarnate, is the Crispy Piq Belly – house preserved pickle, chilli, coriander & chinese mustard on an olive oil panini $18. If you like spice you’ll love this, it was maybe a touch to spicy for us weaklings but there were some clever additions to cut through the spiciness and lighten the sandwich/roll up. The pork was delicious, well seasoned, tender & the crackling… glorious! The roll was a great vessel to soak up the juices whilst not being too bready.

And to finish, what I was most excited about. The Ricotta Pancake -w/ compote, berries & yuzu mascarpone $18. Texture wise, these were on the money, fluffy and light, with discernible smatterings of ricotta throughout the pancake. I enjoyed the sharpness of the compote, which worked harmoniously with the sweet, fresh fruit. I did request extra syrup on the side (thinking it would be maple syrup) but it was an intensely rich, light, citrusy syrup.

All in all, some strong dishes and I’d be keen to try the Banana Bread French Toast and the Fried Chicken Burger…all in good time.

Bianca