When I arrived at Gelatony, Antonino Lo Iacono was making gelato. This might not sound surprising, but with so many places buying in product or importing the base, it’s important. When we sit down over a Flat White ($3.50) he brings me the smoothest gelato I’ve ever tasted.
Down the business end of The Rocks you’ll find a hole in the wall café that looks like it has been plucked straight from Surry Hills. Outside you can order from the ‘Little City Window’, from stuff like P. B. & J. Toasted Sandwiches ($7.50) and House-made Doughnuts ($4.50) but it’s worth getting cosy inside on the recycled oak furniture.
Raw, organic and vegan are three words that I tend to ignore in my day-to-day life, unless I’m at Pana Chocolate in Alexandria, where it’s literally impossible to do so. But why turn down an opportunity to broaden my horizons and satiate the appetite of my vegan best friend?
Restaurant in an abandoned train? Rave in a semi trailer? How about a café in a shipping container? Sure, why not… add it to the list of weird shit I never thought I’d see.
It’s only their tenth day but Majestic Harvest is already getting slammed by a mix of old school Petersham and those ever-present young renovators. Yet despite some hipster trappings - Edison bulbs, cold drip, food on boards, ‘cold pressed’ Daily Juice ($6.50) and dishes presented in frypans - the food is remarkably honest and free from (much) pretension.
While I know my pirozhki (filled Russian buns) from my blini (pancakes) I must admit to being a bit lost with Russian cakes. Olga Rogacheva from Izba Russian Treats in Newtown helped me get up to speed, ahead of her new store’s grand opening in Broadway Shopping Centre.
The end of one-way communication between you and your barista is nigh! After ruling out their native Hong Kong for high rents and fledgling coffee culture, this triumvirate of owners - Roy Yu, Kit Tran and Bruce Koo – selected Sydney for their first customer-focused coffee concept.