I love finding new spots that just pleasantly leave you walking out full, happy, and regretful that such a nice experience has come to an end. Cafe Mint can be summed up as exactly that sort of cafe. It is small, friendly, vibrant with a delicious modern middle eastern fare to match.
Coffee is done by allpress and it is strong (just how i like it) if a little on the creamy side, i think due to their choice of milk. It is definitely not a "Weak" drop and I found myself considering a second cup to take away with me. We ended up at Mint by accident - a trip to Mecca at Pyrmont was waylaid (closed. on. sundays.) and four ate five was, as usual, way too busy. and this was pre-10am!
According to Cafe Mint's website, it has been recently renovated and it does dinners from Tuesdays to Saturdays. Definitely going into my little black book of places to try!! :)
On a Sunday we were limited to the breakfast menu only (hardly a "limitation") but lunch specials do start from 10.30. Smaller, cheaper meze options are also available and sound deeelicious.
The kuneffa is a clear winner for the table. Sweet ricotta baked in kataifi pastry with poached fruit and yoghurt. I could eat this all day, every day, and it is what a giant baklava would be like when served in dessert form.
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| Kuneffa, $14.50 |
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| breakfast hummus, $13.90 |
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Next up is the breakfast hummus, the type of breakfast that dreams are made of. Spiced lamb mince served on hummus with za'atar spiced turkish toast. This is addictive and completely moreish, a perfect breakfast. I am such an avid egg fan and I didn't even miss it on this dish.
Cafe Mint serve several sweet breakfasts and the daily muffins out front looked perfectly baked and fresh out of the oven. We stupidly thought we would have room for it - luckily we ordered on the side of caution :). The bircher muesli comes with a variety of fresh fruit (and the fruit is super fresh) and yoghurt. It is a little on the sweet side and will fill you up quickly. The breakfast cous cous is served warm and isn't too sweet, perfect for breakfast! It is beautifully spiced with (i think) - rose water, blossom, cardamom and cinnamon and is served with poached dried fruits (turkish figs, peaches, apricots), yoghurt and pistachio. The dish is a hit with the girls, who are generally better inclined to enjoy such a dish, with the boys at the table feigning the need to "adjust" to the flavour.
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| Bircher muesli, $15.50 |
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| breakfast cous cous, $14.90 |
The merguez sausages are served with chackchouka, an Israeli spiced sauce with a base of red capsicum. It comes on a bed of cous cous and is a large, man eating portion. I think we counted about 8 merguez sausages in there!!
And last but not least, the turkish breakfast (possibly the healthiest plate of the table!). Boiled egg with roast tomato, spinach, olives, haloumi and za'atar toast.
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| merguez sausages, $15.50 |
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| turkish breakfast, $15.90 |
The meal draws to a close after plenty of laughter around the table and friendly banter from staff. We will definitely be back to eat up the rest of the menu - lunch, dinner and meze!
Thank you, Cafe Mint, for such a pleasant start to Sunday.
xx emmsy
Cafe Mint
579 Crown St
Surry Hills
http://www.cafemint.com.au/home/
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Decisions, decisions! With a mostly homemade menu focusing around local and in season produce, it's a hard choice. We finally decide on Poached Eggs on rye toast with spicy eggplant relish ($9) with sides of Baked beets and lentils as well as Avocado and z'ataar; a dish showcasing the best of what's fresh now and you can definitely taste it. We also couldn't go past trying the Zucchini, pear and almond loaf with honey (made in their rooftop hive!) and locally made creamy ricotta ($7) and we're so glad we did. It was a healthy and delicious treat all in one gorgeous loaf & we desperately want this recipe!!
The beauty of Cornersmith is the ethical and well rounded honest-to-goodness food at such affordable prices. We say, Sydney needs more of this winning formula.
