Howard 22 June 2009 Breakfast, Lunch, Sydney, East 10 Comments  Print This Post  Email This Post

More than just a bakery

If I was asked to name a suburb starting with B, Banksmeadow probably would be the last one I would think of. To many, it is also an unlikely destination for a very popular bakery and cafè which knows a thing or two about making good bread. The queues don’t lie though, however when I got to Brasserie Bread at 8am on a Saturday morning with my partner there was only one other person sipping away at her coffee while reading the paper. Fast forward 30 minutes at 8.30am and the place is packed to the rafters and you would be hard pressed to find a spare seat in the cafè if you arrived any later.

On first look, Brasserie Bread attracts a wide demographic. I see new Mum’s and Dad’s sitting down with a coffee and reading the paper, with pram on the side with their new love and joy. I also see middle aged couples still dressed in their gym gear, buying freshly baked bread for a breakfast back at home while dodging kids which are running into the cafè. Next to our table is an elderly couple wondering what I am doing with a big camera at this time of morning taking photos of my food, life as a food blogger is tough. It seems Brasserie Bread appeals to the masses, they make bread cool again.

The shop is split into two sections, with the bakery on first entrance. There are copious amounts of freshly baked bread varieties and various cakes and pastries. I like the fact that you can try before you buy with different olive oils. I was working up quite an appetite despite it being only 8am so I went straight for the breakfast menu.  We ordered coffee and hot chocolate, sourdough pancakes w/ honeycomb cream and berries, omelette w/ gruyere cheese , prosciutto and sourdough and finally some slow cooked lamb w/ potato  and Spinach hash served with a fried egg. Let me also say that this goes down as a pretty good hangover brekkie as well.

The cafè menu

top : hot chocolate bottom : cappucino

I drink cafè coffee every day (though I should cut down) so I’ve developed a decent appreciation for a good coffee. Brasserie use Allpress coffee beans which are pretty good, but at the end of the day it’s the Barista that counts. My partner is halfway to finishing her hot choc before I even start on my coffee, so hers must be good. I am very impressed with my cappucino, the foam is perfect and the coffee is strong and aromatic while retaining some smoothness.

slow cooked lamb w/ potato and Spinach hash served with a fried egg ($15)

My partner opts for the slow cooked lamb dish which was given two thumbs up. A generous portion of tender lamb sat on a bed of spinach and potato hash. The runny yolk of the organic fried egg perfectly tied everything together. With a little bit of cracked sea salt, the dish was complete.

internal - plenty of lamb

The sourdough was bloody terrific, I wish we had more pieces as I am addicted to the texture of it especially the crunch.

Sourdough pancakes w/ honeycomb cream & stewed berries ($12)

It’s been a long time coming but I popped my sourdough pancake cherry here, and it was worth the wait. The pancakes were perfect with the stewed berries which had a contrasting sweet and sour thing going on. The highlight here is the honeycomb cream which is made with fresh organic honey, sugar & water, mixed with sour crème and orange syrup. I wonder if I could buy a jar of this from them so I can eat it in the car on the way home ?

Daily Special : Egg omelette filled with gruyere cheese w/ prosciutto & sourdough ($10?)

I opt for the omelette as I was lured by the gruyere and prosciutto. It was a tad overcooked and could of done with a bit more gruyere cheese, but it was tasty with the sourdough toast none the less. It was a nice touch that the prosciutto was served at room temperature too. I still remember an epic fail instance where I had prosciutto at a restaurant and it tasted as if it just came out of the fridge.

One for the road, a pistachio chocolate brownie dusted with icing for the cool price of $3. It is everything a brownie should be, rich and moist.

I might have just started a new love affair with Brasserie Bread and I haven’t even tried the bread yet apart from their delicious sourdough. I was going to be out all day and didn’t want to keep the bread in the car, so it’s a good excuse for me to plan a trip back in the next couple of weeks. Next time, I have my eyes on the field mushrooms and ricotta on sourdough and the croque monsiuer. The breakfast menu is good value too, with everything ranging from $8 to $15.

The Botany area in general is lacking some good cafè’s, but Brasserie Bread is an exception.

Brasserie Bread Cafè

1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow, NSW
Ph: 9666 6845
Web : http://www.brasseriebread.com.au
Open 7 days