Lady J Cafe & Wine Bar - Bondi Junction, Sydney

A bit away from the mall and Westfield at Bondi Junction, at the far end of Oxford Street, you come across two very different food concept outlets but located side by side, not exactly conjoined twins but almost. Lady J has an west coast US feel plus Spanish influences, especially in its tables, cutlery boxes and food styles.  The Paleo lists out organic ingredients.  It was a nippy Sunday morning and the obvious choice was for warm comfort breakfasts and a strong but good cup of Gabriel barista coffee.   The decor also had more character at Lady J, with its pervasive wood feel, so it had a more natural appeal on the rather first cool weekend of winter for Sydney this year.  I could not help comparing this to a smaller version of Wollongong CBD's Three Chimneys - hey this was a bar, cafe and modern Australian outlet with a special feel, in Sydney's iconic eastern suburbs.

Service was prompt, friendly and unobtrusive. There are not many tables but they were spaced beautifully.  Fine attentive touches of wall art, accessories and shelved bottles and glasses - they all added to the unique feel.   There was an open air flow view to the street. Oh yes, also Brasserie Bread rolls, sourdough and baked stuff.   I have not been there at night, but I was already advised to try the tapas. My Eggs Benedict, laden with fine avocado slices and a wonderful Hollandaise sauce, was one of the better ones I have come across.   The engaging staff gave a big beaming smile when coffee was requested and even came to say good bye.  My cappuccino was refinedly designed to catch the eye. And then you can go shopping to your heart's content.

The Bondi Tucker

I have not had souffle for a long time from a commercial restaurant, and could not resist
the version made by the Bondi Tucker (image above). Run by Ben and Louise, this cafe-restaurant is open every day, and is located only ten minutes walk from the main strip of Campbell Parade at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The place was relatively quiet when we arrived on the evening of Mothers Day, but soon had diners gradually fill up. The walls were surprisingly plain and did not match what was seen on the restaurant's website - maybe it was in the middle of some renovation exercise. Three blokes manned the closed up kitchen, whilst a lone woman attended to customers outside. Note the day menu is very different from the evening offerings.

White table cloths were put into place after 6pm that Sunday evening, followed by the practical disposable paper piece on top. For the mains, I took a conscious risk to select pasta with pumpkin and garnished by bacon bits (above image). The chef handled this delicate dish well, especially in the outcome on the palate - savoury, melting in the mouth and not over powering. Everything served at the Bondi Tucker is made on-site, including the garlic aioli to complement the well made breads ( ours was with compliments) and the banana nut bread. And yes, it is definitely Bondi - free range eggs only.

The entree was my next best nominated serving that evening, after the souffle - fresh aromatic oysters on the shell in an inspiring white wine-infused and fresh herb broth, accompanied by light vegetables. The juicy moist kangaroo (last image in this post) was served with spears of asparagus and usually not part of the regular menu. Meats used in the Bondi Tucker are from A.C.,Butchery in Leichhardt, whilst seafood are supplied by De Costi's at the Sydney Fish Markets.

The Bondi Tucker is located at 80 Hall Street, Bondi Beach, Sydney's iconic lifestyle destination.