Top cafes share their best dishes.
We all know and love Bill’s hotcakes, but there’s more to Australia’s thriving neighbourhood cafe scene, where brunch plates including spicy buttered udon, mushroom burgers and wontons that have a following all their own. Here, we round up some local favo
ROOM 10’S ‘THE DEB’: AVOCADO, FETA AND MINT ON TOAST WITH SOFT-BOILED EGGS
SERVES 4
4 eggs, at room temperature 3 avocados
Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus extra wedges
to serve
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
to serve
150g goat’s cheese, crumbled
4 slices sourdough, toasted
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 long red chillies, thinly sliced
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Gently add eggs and cook for 6 minutes for soft boiled. Remove eggs and place in an ice bath for 10 minutes to cool completely. Once cool, peel and set aside.
Place avocado in a bowl with the lemon juice, olive oil, 1 tsp salt flakes and freshly ground pepper to taste. Use a fork to mash and mix to combine. Add the goat’s cheese and mix gently to combine.
Divide the avocado and goat’s cheese mixture among toast slices and scatter each with mint leaves and sliced chilli. Top with soft-boiled eggs, drizzle with extra olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with extra lemon wedges.
RISING SUN WORKSHOP’S HOT BUTTERED KIMCHI UDON
SERVES 4
Begin this recipe 1 day ahead.
800g fresh udon noodles, cooked to
packed instructions
1 sheet toasted nori, cut into strips Mixed sesame seeds and thinly sliced
long green shallots, to serve
AJITAMA (RAMEN EGG)
21/2 tbs cooking sake
21/2 tbs mirin
200ml soy sauce
2 tbs caster sugar
4 garlic cloves
5cm piece (25g) ginger, chopped 4 eggs, at room temperature 250g gochujang (Korean fermented
chilli paste)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
21/2 tbs rice wine vinegar
21/2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs roasted sesame oil
21/2 tbs mirin
1 tbs white sesame seeds, toasted 1 tbs caster sugar 21/2 tbs canola oil
1 cup (50g) panko breadcrumbs 1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbs each shichimi togarashi (spicy Japanese seasoning) and furikake (Japanese rice seasoning) 75g kimchi
50g unsalted butter, chopped 75g gochujang (Korean fermented
chilli paste)
75g bam sauce (recipe at left)
For the ajitama, place sake and mirin in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 30 seconds to cook off alcohol. Add the soy, sugar, garlic and ginger and bring back to the boil. Remove from the heat, add 4 cups (1L) water and leave to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Gently add eggs and cook for 61/2 minutes. Remove eggs and place in a bowl of iced water for 10 minutes to cool completely. Peel, then place in the soy marinade and store in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (24 hours is best).
For the bam sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. (Leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 month.)
For the panko gratata, place oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and garlic, and cook until golden. Remove from the heat and toss through garlic, shichimi togarashi and furikake. Set aside.
For the kimchi butter, place kimchi in a small food processor and whiz until finely chopped. Place kimchi in a small saucepan over medium heat with remaining ingredients and cook until warmed through. Set aside. (Kimchi butter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.)
Place 1/3 cup of kimchi butter sauce in a large frypan over medium heat to warm through. Add udon and nori, and toss to coat. Divide among bowls and top with eggs. Scatter with sesame seeds, panko gratata and long green shallot, to serve.
“BAM SAUCE WILL MAKE EVERYTHING, FROM EGGS ON TOAST TO AN ADHOC BIBIMBAP, TASTE BETTER.”
KYLIE KWONG’S PRAWN WONTONS WITH SICHUAN CHILLI OIL
SERVES 4 AS A STARTER
9 (about 300g) medium green prawns 1 tbs coriander leaves, roughly chopped 1 tbs finely chopped long green shallot 11/2 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp Chinese rice wine (shaohsing)
or dry sherry
2 tsp tamari
1/4 tsp white sugar
1/4 tsp sesame oil
16 wonton wrappers (about 7cm wide) SICHUAN PEPPER & SALT 1 tbs Sichuan peppercorns 3 tbs sea salt SICHUAN CHILLI OIL 2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
2 tbs tamari
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
Pinch Sichuan pepper & salt (recipe
above)
For the Sichuan chilli oil, place chilli flakes in a heatproof bowl. Heat oil in a small frypan over medium-high heat until the surface shimmers slightly. Carefully pour hot oil over chilli, stir to combine and set aside, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and discard solids Stir in remaining ingredients, except Sichuan pepper and salt, with 2 tbs hot water. Set aside.
For the Sichuan pepper and salt, place peppercorns in a heavy-based frypan and dry roast over medium-high heat. When they begin to ‘pop’ and become aromatic, remove from heat. Allow to cool, then transfer to a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder with the salt and grind to a powder. Add a pinch to the chilli oil, and store remaining in an airtight container.
To make the wontons, peel and devein prawns, then chop prawn meat (you should have about 150g chopped prawn meat). Combine prawn meat with remaining ingredients, except wonton wrappers, in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time, place a rounded teaspoon of prawn filling in the centre of the wrapper. Dip your finger in water and moisten the edges of the wrapper then gently lift one corner and fold in half over the filling, creating a triangle. Lightly press around filling and along edges to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. In batches, drop wontons into the water and cook for 2 minutes or until they are just cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove, set aside and keep warm. Repeat with remaining wontons.
To serve, arrange wontons on a serving platter and spoon over Sichuan chilli oil. Serve immediately sprinkled with extra Sichuan pepper and salt.
MARKET LANE’S MUSHROOM BURGER
SERVES 4
4 large flat mushrooms
Extra virgin olive oil, to brush 4 ciabatta rolls, halved
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE 2 tbs chipotle in adobe sauce (from
supermarkets
200g whole-egg mayonnaise PARSLEY BUTTER 125g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped 1 tbs Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
For the parsley butter, place all ingredients in a small food processor and whiz until combined. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a work bench. Spoon butter on top of the wrap, into a 3-4cm-thick log, roll to enclose, and twist the ends to tighten. Place in the freezer to firm. When ready to use, slice 1-1.5cm-thick discs of parsley butter. (Extra butter can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months)
For the chipotle mayonnaise, place ingredients in a small food processor and whiz until smooth. Set aside.
Heat a barbecue or chargrill pan to high. Remove mushroom stems so mushrooms sit flat on a grill. Brush with olive oil and season both sides well. Place mushrooms on the barbecue and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and softened slightly. Turn the mushrooms cup-side up and top with a piece of parsley butter. Lower the hood of the barbecue, or cover mushrooms with a metal bowl, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until tender and the butter is melted.
Chargrill ciabatta rolls, cut-side down, for 30 seconds or until lightly toasted. Spread both sides of the bun with chipotle mayonnaise and top with mushroom, onion and parmesan. Serve immediately.
THREE BLUE DUCKS’ PUMPKIN CONGEE SERVES 4
2 tsp sesame oil
400g pumpkin, peeled, grated 1 tbs finely grated ginger
1 corn cob, kernels removed 11/2 cups (300g) long grain rice 6 cups (1.5L) chicken stock
2 tbs Chinese rice wine (shaohsing) 1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs crispy fried shallots
2 long green shallots, cut into
matchsticks
1 tbs sesame seeds, toasted
1 long green chilli, finely chopped Coriander leaves, to serve
Heat sesame oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add pumpkin, ginger and corn kernels, and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and the pumpkin is starting to soften. Add the rice, stock, shaohsing, soy and 2 cups (500ml) water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is cooked through and the congee has thickened.
Divide congee among bowls and top with fried shallots, long green shallot, sesame seeds, chilli and coriander leaves, to serve.
BABAJAN’S HALOUMI CHEESE PIES
MAKES 14
100g sesame seeds DOUGH
31/3 cups (500g) baker’s flour 10g dried instant yeast
2 tsp caster sugar
1 egg
200ml milk
50g unsalted butter, melted, cooled
slightly
50ml extra virgin olive oil
CHEESE FILLING
180g kasseri (Greek-style cheese,
from specialty stores), grated 180g haloumi, grated
200g feta, crumbled 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/4 cup (40g) pine nuts, toasted 1 tbs currants, soaked in water for
30 minutes, drained
Preheat oven to 220°C. Place sesame seeds in a small saucepan and cover with water. Place over medium heat, bring to the boil and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened. Drain well, then spread evenly on a baking tray lined with paper towel. Set aside.
For the dough, combine all ingredients and 1 tsp salt in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Divide into 14 balls and leave to rest, covered with a slightly damp towel, for 30 minutes at room temperature or until risen slightly.
Meanwhile, for the cheese filling, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Roll out each dough ball into 12-15cm squares. Press each piece of dough onto the boiled sesame seeds and lay on the bench sesame-seed-side down. Place
2 tbs cheese filling in the centre of the dough. Fold one side over the mix to about half way, then fold the opposite side over to almost cover the filling. Repeat with the other sides, ensuring cheese mix is in all corners of the pie. You should have a small opening at the centre of each pie. Place pies on a lightly oiled baking tray and, using a small sharp knife, cut a small incision in the corners of each pie, where the dough is doubled over. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the tray halfway, until pastry is golden and cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately.