Having now been working in Rhodes for a good 7 months and scrapping the bottom of the barrel for lunch options, it was a nice surprise to discover that Auvers Cafe opened roughly 6 months ago. Rhodes isn't kind of suburb you would expect to find a cafe of this kind and whilst C was sceptical, K managed to convince him to visit on a Saturday because let's face it, who wants to deal with Sydney inner city traffic and parking just to have a good feed?
We were pleasantly surprised. The menu is geared to the sort of food we like the most - fresh Australian brunch style but with an Asian twist. There's something comforting about those flavours for us.
I'm usually not one to depart from my usual flat white, because few drinks on cafe menus are worth the sacrifice of that morning caffeine hit. But here, I was so intrigued by their black sesame latte that I decided to forego my coffee. It had a good hit of sesame without being over powering or milky. Also on the menu is a taro latte and a tumeric latte. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to try those but I will definitely do so next time.
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| Sesame Latte |
Onto the food. K ordered the cured salmon which comprised a yuzu and soy cured salmon with caviar, pomegranates, green peas, yuzu gel, pickled radish and crispy rice paper. The intense umami of this dish makes it a winner, the sourness of the yuzu and pomegranates neatly balanced with the soy sauce. It was a very generous portion of salmon too (although half hidden in the photo below) - enough to be shared without too much bickering!
C opted for the smashed avo with sweet corn miso and furikake. He added an onsen egg to this along with (of course) bacon. An interesting Asian twist on an Aussie brunch staple.
Scattered around the cafe are also quirky artworks, jewellery and accessories that can be purchased. There isn't a lot yet in their collection but it will be interesting to see if this feature of the cafe grows - I was certainly tempted to buy something!
Next time you're in the area (and contemplating those Ikea meatballs) or just sick of the options around the Chatswood area like us, you should come check these guys out! We found that their prices are also quite reasonable considering the portions, atmosphere and food quality.
K
