Devon on Danks - Waterloo NSW

Crab Pasta, with fettucini luscious tasting sauce, cherry tomatoes and tender shell meat of the Blue Swimmer Crab.

Location of the Devon on Danks is particularly local friendly, but only if you are one of the nearby residents in what has been recently proclaimed as Australia's most densely populated suburb - Waterloo! If you come from outside the area, vehicle parking opportunity can be distressing, especially when the nearby Hillsongs Church congregates on weekends.  

Having said all this, Waterloo is indeed relatively near the Sydney city centre (by Australian standards)  - and probably houses a demographic of the most twenty somethings working in finance or IT, and is just a scooter ride or bus ride away from the financial district.   Oh yes, the NSW State Government has decided to build a new rail station here as well instead of near the Sydney University Campus in Camperdown.

Talk of location, location, location....

And if you are chalking up the hours, looking at systems and software, playing with options, hedging and futures, you most probably won't cook.   The kitchens in most Waterloo apartments are not what the Poh Ling Yeows and Nigellas of celebrity shows and cookbooks would be happy with. Most likely you have left the family nest only recently - and the night hours are precious for socialising after extended hours at work.  You are relatively open to fusion food  and secretly long to escape the cuisine of the parents.

Welcome to Devon on Danks.

Pretty looking Cronuts but best to eat them fresh.

Everyone knows by now that this Devon is related to the original Devon near Central station.

The space here however is much larger and one feels like stepping into  a long house styled canteen area.   The walls and ceiling are strikingly bare.  It reminded me of being in a 1960s built warehouse sited on a rural corner of the Malaysian Peninsular - I expected to see godown workers, bags piled high.   I nevertheless love the high ceiling aspects, with people below huddled around smallish wooden tables or raised bar seats.  The kitchen is placed partly hidden away to the left side of the entrance.  I could not make out much of the metal looking facade and pendants placed imposingly over the smallish front entrance.

Instinctively I was looking for my Breakfast with the Sakumas - it is on the DOD menu as well, but I was distracted by another fascinating French toast variation, the Corned Beef Cubano, Cronuts and the pasta.  

I admit to having a fondness back at the Devon Cafe for the fresh chili Angel Hair pasta served with a Coriander zesty herb crumb, garlic oil and Blue Swimmer Crab, but there is  no encore here for the "Crab Gone Chili"  for this dish at the DOD.  Instead it is replaced by a Fettucini based Crab Pasta, which though heavier on the palate, is rewarding enough for me.

The Cubano at first had my impression of being the silverside corned beef with chips on rye bread, but DOD's version has fanciful trappings of Chilean pepper Pipparas,  thin sliced Italian Pancetta, Gruyere cheese and the Manchego.  Manchego is made from the milk of ewes and originated from La Mancha in Spain.

A suggested offering back at the Devon is the Little Lost Bread, more dessert than breakfast, with a serve of coconut flavoured ice cream, rum cooked pineapple, fresh coconut shaves, pineapple gel and roasted coconut chips over a Pina Colada soaked French toast.   Imagine walking over to a high level business meeting after having this in the early morning...

At DOD, the Devon kitchen has continued to whip up one more variation of the French Toast.

This interesting variation of the French toast is infused with Italy, France, Nippon and China.  Lost in Zen Garden sounds more like a flower arrangement, but that is the whole point.  The Matcha flavoured soil, Yuzu citrus fruit curd, vanilla and olive oil ice cream, Mandarin bites and the Meringue (light, airy and sweet!) detract from the basis that you are even consuming French toast.

Vegetarians (and even those who are not) may just want a healthy blast with ancient grains, fruit and fibre.  In this instance I recommend the Yogi Bowl, which has Goji berries and puffed Amaranth grains,  in addition to the usual parade of seeds and nuts, Chia, fresh fruit cuts, mixed Quinoa and yoghurt.

My attending wait staff was socialable and the food did come out efficiently.  There was a buzz at lunchtime, many groups of girlfriends, families, several couples, working professionals and tourists.   I eyed a neighbouring table's serve and it did not disappoint - it looked good.



My impressions of the Devon on Danks:
Ambiance:  3 out of 5
Customer Engagement:  3.75 out of 5
Culinary Delight: 3.75 out of 5
X Factor:  3.5 out of 5
Overall:  3.5 out of 5


Recommended menu choices:
Cronuts for a snack eaten fresh
Breakfast with the Sakumas, for a wholesome breakfast (also available at its sister outlet, the Devon Cafe in Surry Hills NSW) - 63 degree poached egg, smoked eel Croquette, Miso grilled King Salmon, radish petit salad and Kewpie Mayonnaise.
Crab Pasta for lunch, utilising shredded meat of the Blue Swimmer Crab, chili, cherry tomatoes, garlic and Fettucini.

Devon on Danks is located at 2 Danks Street,  Waterloo NSW.  It is sited opposite the Hillsongs Church across the small roundabout.

Opening hours are from 730am to 330pm every day.
Last kitchen order around 3pm. 
Contact +61 2 9698 7795