Unique brunch menus are hard to come by in Sydney. With a forceful wave of avo on toast or anything matcha-flavoured taking over the cafe scene, it’s refreshing to sit down at a breakfast table that delivers on restraint, taste, and technique.
A stone’s throw away from Coogee Beach, Sugarcane is the perfect setting for a meal whilst still enjoying the ocean breeze. The Southeast Asian restaurant reinvents breakfast staples with clever additions like nasi goreng and roti.
On a warm Sunday, we take a seat on the sunny balcony to try the new breakfast menu. The fluffy roti with perfect 64-degree eggs ($20) and a generous medley of mushrooms catch my eye right away – it doesn’t disappoint. I’m digging the Indonesian flavours instilled within the chilli in soy sauce. I’ve dined at Sugarcane for dinner a while ago when it was still located in Surry Hills and even then the crispy roti was a standout for me.
The wok fried eggs ($20) are also delicious – while I was expecting them to be simply fried, they’re slow cooked or perhaps poached before frying, revealing a custardy yolk when pierced. Served with thick bacon, chicken sate, avocado, and sourdough toast, it’s a hefty breakfast option. The sate gets marks for its charred flavour that is a must for Indonesian-style sate cooked over charcoal. But as someone who grew up in Jakarta, I’m craving a bit of peanut sauce to accompany the sate.
The breakfast burrito, a contemporary take on the banh mi, is a messy affair filled with pork, rice, vegetables, and coriander. The wheat tortilla doesn’t quite hold its own with the juicy fillings and I’m left wishing for the crunchy texture that a bread roll provides. In terms of flavour, it’s a winner though.
Wash breakfast down with a round of fresh cold pressed juices ($8.50). Both the watermelon, lime & raspberry and the straight up OJ are a joy.
Sugarcane Restaurant
Address: Shop 1, 56 Carr St, Coogee, Sydney NSW 2034
Website: http://sugarcanerestaurant.com.au/
Hours:
Breakfast: Saturday – Sunday 8am-11.30am
Lunch: Friday- Sunday 12pm -2.30pm
Dinner: Monday- Sunday 5.30pm-Late
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