Coffee Home Delivery: St Ali

Here we all are, still in isolation. Coffee is helping us get through. This fortnight, Wayne and Charlene have been drinking coffee from St Ali.

You can order from them at: https://stali.com.au/

Wayne – Wide Awake Espresso Blend

I must admit I am really enjoying trying new coffees at home. This time I tried St Ali’s Wide Awake Espresso blend, which the tasting notes says tastes of Dark Chocolate, Butterscotch and Almond Praline. This is what sold me and made me choose this blend and I was not disappointed. This is an incredibly tasty drop that is very much moreish. You may expect that this extra strong drop may be overly bitter, but the sweet notes counteract the bitterness beautifully, giving it an incredible mouthfeel. For an extra strong coffee, I have been drinking it like water. The aftertaste is delightful, and instantly as I have finished the cup, I want more. The flavours are distinct and prominent, this is one for serious fans of a nice strong but tasty cup of coffee.

I paired my coffee with homemade blueberry muffins. The recipe I used can be found here:https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/old-fashioned-blueberry-muffins/

Charlene - Feel Good Blend

When a fresh bag of coffee beans arrive on your doorstep and the blend is called “Feel Good”, what else can you do? The description on this bag of yumminess describes it as having the the flavours of stone fruit, iced tea and chocolate and it is indeed a smooth blend. I made my trusty long black and found while initially deliciously soft on the palate it delivers a nice sharpness at the end. Lockdown has made me feel a little more creative and so I stray from my usual long black (ssssshhhhh - don’t tell Wayne, he’ll lose respect for me!). First I make a cappuccino and I must say with this particular blend, I actually enjoyed it more than the long black! Definitely more suited for a milky coffee. Now in case you have missed the Dalgona coffee craze on social media, basically it iced milk with a high  sugary froth too. However the froth is made with “gasp” instant coffee, so I made myself a nice cappuccino with the “Feel Good” blend, left it in the fridge and then added the frothy goodness on top. May I say I was in heaven!! This gentle, slightly sweet blend lent itself beautifully to this drink! St. Ali delivers speedily which is also impressive when you need your caffeine fix.

While we are unable to go to cafes at this tine, we will be releasing a new blog every fortnight.

Coffee Home Delivery: Pablo & Rusty's

Here we are, in self isolation. No more chances to go to cafes and taste all the wonderful coffee. That doesn't mean we're going to stop drinking it, oh no, we will probably drink more stuck at home.
So we have decided instead that we get coffee delivered from some Australia's best home delivery specialists. That way we can drink it at home and share our thoughts.

Up first, the wonderful Pablo & Rusty's. You can order their coffee from:
www.pabloandrustys.com.au

Wayne:
Bean - Nyala (Kiambu, Kenya)
So here we are, stuck inside. I will be doing a lot of writing in this time, am currently working on a novel. When I write, I love to drink coffee. Charlene suggested we start with Pablo & Rusty's, and now I have tasted their coffee, I am glad we did. It was interesting to first drink it, I buy Lavazza from my local Coles for my home machine. My first impression was just how bold the taste was. There was a lovely contradiction to the flavours, it had some bitterness, but also tasted sweet. In fact, the sweetness leaves a beautiful after taste. The tasting notes suggest it tastes of blackcurrant, lime and papaya; and I can see this is where that sweetness comes from. I never claim to be an expert at coffee, I am just an expert drinker. My knowledge is limited, I just know what I like to taste and what I don't like. This cup (made as a long black with my machine) is incredibly moreish and so very easy to drink. It had such a great palette feel and leaves that lovely aftertaste at the back of the throat. I find myself still tasting it for a while after drinking, one of my favourite things about drinking good black coffee. While often I like my coffee a little more bitter, this is a great bean with a lovely fruity flavour.
I paired my coffee with some homemade fruit cake. It's my go to fruit cake recipe, and I like to make this every few months. The recipe can be found at:
https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/pineapple-boiled-fruit-cake/7abff16e-29b5-4409-877a-f89c63a4ca33

Charlene:
Bean - Tarakech Warasa 

The Pablo and Rusty's signature box on my doorstep brings a smile to my face after a long day of self isolation. The blend I have chosen Tarakech Warasa comes with tasting notes that describe the coffee having flavours of Raspberry, Tropical Punch and Sweet Spice. It has a beautiful crema and is thick and delicious. It is a punchier blend (words of a coffee addict, clearly not a coffee expert)than I am used to, but has a smooth soft aftertaste. A very enjoyable cup of coffee.

Please note, right now, we will be doing reviews every fortnight.

ALT

4/36 Johnson Ave, Seven Hills

Ordered:

Wayne: Long Black / Bacon and Egg Roll

Charlene: Long Black / Bacon and Egg Roll

Wayne:

Growing up in the Blacktown area I know only too well that good cafes in the area are few and far between, most are generic chains with moderate coffee and bland service. So how lovely it is that ALT is now in the Blacktown / Seven Hills area. Right next door to my favourite Thai restaurant in the area (Lalor Thai), it is a tiny café with a big heart. There’s limited seating inside with more seats in another area. The staff are friendly, polite and very obliging, though I always prefer table service. The coffee was great, the best in the area by a super long way. It has a great mouth feel and is certain to be a crowd pleaser. It is quite a strong cup, though I do always like mine extra strong. It was such an easy cup to drink and made me want a second. My food, a bacon and egg roll, was simple but sensational. The bacon was cooked to absolute perfection, honestly the best bacon I have had in a while. The brioche bun was also great. I am a super big fan of this café and really hope the locals support it so it can have a very long and successful life.

Coffee: 4/5

Café: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Charlene: 

Simplicity at its best. I think it was a day that Wayne and I needed a good comfort meal with a side of homeliness, and that is exactly what we got at this unpretentious Seven Hills cafe. A delicious coffee that while not out of this world, was still wonderful and very smooth. Just enough bite to excite this long black drinker. The bacon and egg roll WAS out of this world due to the utter perfection with which the bacon was cooked.  Did the chef know exactly how I like my bacon, the very precise amount of crunch that I love? I believe so. Accompanied by a perfectly runny egg, smooth aioli and a soft, soft brioche roll, I was one happy girl!

Coffee: 4/5

Cafe: 4/5

Service: 4/5

New Reviews released every Monday

Goodfields Eatery

Shop 4/5, 37 Lindfield Ave, Lindfield

Ordered:

Wayne: Long Black / Pulled Pork Burger

Charlene: Long Black / Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Wayne:

Let’s be honest, Lindfield is not exactly known for its great cafes, so what a refreshing surprise Goodfields Eatery is. And the fact that there's apparently lines out the door most weekends, we can see why the locals have embraced this lovely eatery. The décor is clean and simple and the service was super fast and friendly. Our waiter had the dry kind of humour that I always love. The menu is incredible, so many great options. I settled on the pulled pork burger, and pulled pork is like a drug to me – completely addictive. It was succulent, fresh and tasty. The chips it came are close to some of the best I have tasted in recent memory. I would happily eat that burger again and again. However, while the coffee was tasty and a good strength, I wasn’t overly fond of the bean; it barely left an aftertaste and didn’t have the mouthfeel I like when drinking a long black. But overall, this is a great eatery that people of Lindfield should be very happy to have in their neighbourhood.

Coffee: 3/5
Cafe: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5

Charlene:

Another day, another delicious suburban coffee shop. Goodfields is a relative newcomer to Lindfield an an exceptionally welcome addition. Weekend mornings can see eager locals queuing for the morning buzz alongside a quality breakfast. Wayne and I go however on a weekday when it is more mellow, but without a doubt still heavily frequented. We start by ordering our twin long blacks. Now with this my feelings are mixed.  It is a delicious nuanced organic blend, but it’s cleaness for me is both it’s strength and weakness (excuse my caffeine puns) The clean taste is gorgeous in the mouth but is gone as quickly as it comes leaving no lingering aftertaste. Still, an enjoyable cup. I order the stuffed zucchini flowers and they are heaven, filled with feta and ricotta, served with wild mushrooms, kale, pomegranate, labneh, poached eggs and chilli garlic masala. The vegetables are exceptionally fresh, bright and flavourful and the creamy labneh a real treat. A delicious, spicy blend of opposing textures and flavours. This is a light, bright cafe, tastefully decorated in muted colours and natural textures. The staff are friendly, attentive and take the time to chat. To me the human interaction in a cafe makes all the difference to the experience, and here Goodfields excels.

Coffee: 3.5/5

Cafe: 4/5

Service: 5/5

New reviews released every Monday

Salvage Speciality Coffee

5 Wilkes Ave, Artarmon

Ordered:

Wayne: Long Black / Beef Burger

Charlene: Long Black / Haloumi Burger

Wayne:

Last time I was here, we were celebrating Charlene’s last birthday, so it was nice to head back now we are reviewing cafes and more importantly, coffee. This place is always popular, and it’s not hard to see why. The service is always super friendly and our waiter was lovely, and super, super eager. The coffee is lovely, the kind of drop that is easy to drink fast. It is strong and the bean is clearly of quality. It also had a nice aftertaste for this long black drinker. Not the best drop out there, but certainly a great cup of coffee. Last time I tried the fairy floss blend and enjoyed it. The food was nice, though my beef burger seemed to have more bacon than beef. This is a great place to sit outside, drink some nice coffee and spend time with friends. It’s certainly the nicest coffee in this part of Sydney.

Coffee: 4/5

Café: 4/5

Service: 4.5/5

Charlene:

On an unusually (at the moment), not too hot, not too cold, not too dry, not too wet, just right sunny Sydney day, my darling Wayne and I lunched at Salvage Coffee in Artarmon. And here we found coffee that, for me, was just right. I know Salvage pride themselves on their coffee and justifiably so. I found this a smooth easy to drink blend with just enough kick and bite to be exciting! The service also hit “the just right” button being friendly and warm but not overbearing. The halloumi burger was also a delightful balance of salty haloumi, crunchy fresh salad, smooth creamy aioli and buttery avocado. Perfect. The side of chips - crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I feel I found Baby Bear’s hangout. And I like it!

Coffee: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Cafe: 4/5

New reviews released every Monday

Suzie Q Coffee and Records

1/18 Hutchinson St, Surry Hills, NSW

Ordered:
Wayne: Long Black / Sweet Surrender
Charlene: Long Black / Spring Awakening

Wayne:

My friend Amy and I met at this great café a few weeks back and I knew I needed to take Charlene here. It is a cozy little place with a great feel and cool décor. In the back of the café sits second hand records that you can buy; riffling through, there were some classics. The staff here are great, they are friendly, and it was lovely the waiter remembered me from last time and again complimented me on my Madonna t-shirt, who doesn’t like to be given compliments? The food is delicious here, last time I had the wonderfully spicy Fried Chicken Burger, this time I had the Sweet Surrender, walnut loaf with the most amazing kombucha macerated strawberries. It was beautifully unusual, at any given moment I was tasting sweet and sour. The coffee is divine and wonderfully made. It is smooth, strong and the right level of bitter. It left a great after taste that made this long black drinker savour every last drop. This is the kind of café I would love to return to with my laptop, drink coffee, write and take in the great atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Coffee: 4.5/5

Café: 4.5/5

Service: 5/5

Charlene:

Anyone who read last week’s review regarding mermaid pancakes and rose gold cappuccinos would understand I just might have a penchant for the novel and the quirky! So when we reach Suzy Q’s Coffee and Records and the menu is handed to us in a faux record cover my gleeful smile is burgeoning! Now this under other hands could be a little naff, but this has exquisite pencilled artwork and is just lovely! Our waiter is warm and affable and recognises Wayne from his last visit. A person who pays attention to people - my favourite kind! Our coffee also feels like it is made with tenderness and attention. A smooth mouth feel, with lots of subtle flavours. A great tasting blend made by a barista who clearly know her/his stuff. For lunch I order a “Spring Awakening” (who wouldn’t?) charcoal bread with broccolini pesto, buffalo mozzarella, broad bean and air dried tomatoes. My taste buds hummed with happiness as they were pleasurably assaulted from every angle! Another place I would definitely recommend!

Coffee: 4/5

Cafe: 4.5/5

Service: 5/5

New reviews released every Monday

Two Sis & Co

TWO SIS & CO

306 Harris St, Pyrmont, NSW

Ordered:

Wayne: Long Black / Scrambled Eggs with Spanish Chorizo

Charlene: Rose Gold Cappuccino / Mermaid Pancakes

Wayne:

On a rainy and miserable Sydney morning, this café was the perfect escape. (And what a morning, while we were in the café, a branch fell and crushed the car in front of the cafe). This little café almost feels like you are being transported to Japan. This little hole in the wall eatery is compact and cute, with some beautiful greenery lining the walls. The menu is intriguing, with the usual to the extraordinary, lots of fun little kitsch dishes that were being heavily Instagrammed by people around us. I went for the boring usual, and really enjoyed my scrambled eggs with chorizo. The eggs were tasty, though a little oily and the chorizo was beautifully spicy. It was a genuinely nice cup of coffee, smooth with a nice mouth feel and pleasant after taste. The coffee would definitely be a crowd pleaser, though I like mine a bit stronger, it was a good and rewarding cup. The service was super friendly and fast, the food got to us very quickly. This is a hidden gem with a lot to offer.

Coffee: 4/5

Café: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Charlene:

Cute and Fun!! This one was pure colour and fun. The menu had me in a happy state of giddy confusion. Should I choose the Mermaid Pancakes or the French Toast with chocolate pearls, salted caramel and Persian pashmak. It was like Alice in Wonderland meets Willy Wonka!! I picked the Mermaid Pancakes, which are fluffy sweet pancakes sandwiched between soft layers of mascarpone, surrounded by aqua Persian fairy floss. But wait, I'm not finished, it is sprinkled with chocolate rocks, a deluge of Nutella and a sparkly, sugary, pastel mermaid tail. Everything shimmers. I don’t want to touch it. I drool guiltily, thinking how envious my kids would be right now. It is delicious, but next time I would share as I began to fear I was about to slip into a sugar coma! Now importantly, the coffee, the lure of the rose gold cappuccino, overtook my regular more serious long black. A gorgeous rose scented, pink frothed, gold sparkling concoction, sprinkled with rose petals. I think in this case my love of the novel didn’t quite work for me, as stunning as it was. I found the rose a little overpowering and particularly with my sweet, sweet breakfast, I craved the bitterness of my usual long black. This cafe was sweet in every sense of the word, the food, the staff, the presentation. It brought a little sparkly magic to my day and made me grin like a toddler! 

Coffee: 3.5/5

Cafe: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

New reviews released every Monday