Quay Canteen - Wollongong CBD

There is the Bakery Boys located further down Crown Street in Wollongong city centre.  But on the upper side along the mall, on top of another coffee place (the Square), lies a hidden gem, in the innards of the previous Central Chambers - climb up an unassuming stair case, navigate the narrow passages once you are on the first floor and head towards the corner balconies.  The menu is mostly Indo-Chinese, but you still have Aussie favourites like croissants, avocado smash and banana bread.
Another perspective is that it is vegan friendly, has gluten free options and its catch cry emphasise "raw treats".

Then we noticed the French baguettes, and before long it was Good Morning Vietnam!  Ingredients like fried shallots, coleslaw from the tropics, coriander, vermicelli salad and spicy sauces dotted the compact but diverse menu.  A fellow luncher recommended to me the v salad - laden with pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds), mint leaves, cucumber slices, carrot and pickled daikon radish. We all felt like backpackers discovering this fusion of the best of Asia and Australia.   I can have my breakfast waffles but they do not come with honey or maple syrup  - instead they are served with Nam Mouc (or  dipping fish sauce) and five spice powder flavoured mushrooms!   There is crackling pork available to eat with cole slaw.  Imagine fresh tofu presented on a baguette.

Quay Canteen has turned the tables on burgers and sandwiches.  I can be messy with my disintegrating crumbs on the table from a bitten baguette, but the bite from a crunchy textured baguette is just so different from that with a multi grain bread or sourdough.   I can have bbq pork with all these explosive but tasty Asian salad garnishing.  We look out from the balcony but it is not Saigon or Hanoi.  The food served is light, not over done and can be snacks, takeaway or a full meal.  On display in the cake shelves are things like English banoffee and Italian rum choc balls.

Looking out at Crown Street Mall - central portion.

Maybe the coffee needs to be provided hotter.    There is both inside and balcony seating - plus niches for couples who want more privacy.   The cafe grew out of a clothes business and that original outlet - the Quay Supply Company - is still there, in an adjoining room.    Hey, perhaps shades of Lee & Me in lower Crown Street!   The staff wear black, the plates have black linings and even the coffee cups are black.   I have yet to try the classic Vietnam staples like the Bahn Mi, rice paper wrap rolls and steamed buns -  but aim to.

The Quay Canteen is located upstairs above the Square Cafe in the middle portion of Wollongong city centre's Crown Street Mall.
Address: Shop 5, 157 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW.
You climb up a stairs and then navigate through an area with small shop outlets, subconciously aiming for a corner of the building with two balconies over looking Crown Street Mall.
Orders are taken over the counter and help yourself to tap drinking water.

Opening Hours: Breakfast, brunch and lunch.

Franks 'n Beans - East Corrimal NSW

Coffee is good enough for horse riders as well , who make a pit stop with their charges before continuing.

Hidden within the bowels of a suburb north of Wollongong is a cafe that feels like Waterloo or Surry Hills in Sydney or in a lane in Melbourne CBD, but from this cafe, one can wander down the beach, past a caravan park and enjoy a village feel in a small hub that has a newsagent, Foodworks supermarket, a clinic, a bakery and a small but good enough parking area.

The cafe is Franks 'n Beans, opened last year, where regulars can stroll down in their shorts, with their doggies or relax after having done the shopping chores.   The place is otherwise residential, dotted by houses from the eighties if not earlier.  I can pump my petrol nearby and then enjoy the trendy food and varied menu.

The long wall of Franks 'n Beans on one side have potted plants hanging  and there is even an old fashioned food cupboard that now serves to hold wine bottles.  There is a homely atmosphere and many have included this cafe in their routine.

Longaniza Scotch eggs garnished with bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes and whipped feta cheese.

Couples gyrate towards the tables inside, families love to hang around the canteen table at the front and pet owners quietly sit outside while their pooches watch the world go by.  The menu is clearly marked to separate breakfast and lunch offerings.

In addition, there is always a changing selection of different milkshakes to entice any one walking in- and of course there is the compulsory barista made coffee.   The area to queue in front of the cash register can be small.   If you sit deeper inside, you can also watch a transparent area where salads, herbs, grains and other ingredients are laid out for preparation.

The Christmas Milkshake with ginger nut, custard, spices and ice cream.

Opposites - salads versus a meat platter for lunch!  The Berkshire pork shows it s yummy textures and is serevd with the black sausage cuts and poached egg.

I reckon there are more eggs used than beans in this cafe, more choices of salads than meats .

That is unless one has the Trio of Pork for breakfast  - this rather generous platter can be shared by two persons and includes the black pudding sausage that can be rich but is often a treat to have.  Also in the trio presented is the Berkshire pork that has been cooked for at least 15 hours, resulting in an outcome that has been a lot of effort and love.  Berkshire pigs are a rare breed originating from the UK but also bred in Japan and the USA.

I had been eyeing the French toast with almonds, mint, maple syrup, strawberries  and vanilla Labna, but still, after all these months, not brought myself to have a sweet instead of a savoury breakfast.  Perhaps more likely I like the cooked savoury stuff more, and I nominate the Black Label roll and the Longaniza Scotch eggs as the most desirable every time I am there.

On future visits, I am planning to try the spiced pumpkin with Labna, baby carrots and kale; the poached chicken sandwich with Remoularde, spinach and corn relish; the pulled pork with a host of garnishings like mixed sprouts, fennel, spinach, chili mayonaise and pickeld apple; and the French toast with vanilla Labna, almonds, mint and strawberries, all drizzled with maple syrup.   More to check out the creations of Chef Peter Padian!

My overall impressions of the Franks 'n Beans:

Service:  Friendly and easy going.

Food:  Interesting variety, practical pricing, suitable for families and all ages.   What stands out is the blending of garnishing and ingredients to make a tasty whole on the presented plate.

Ambiance:  Suburban, relaxing and good.

All this for under ten Aussie dollars - a practical and light breakfast on the run.  Black pudding is carefully serevd with greens, relish and egg on a bun.  The Black Label Roll.

Franks 'n Beans is located at  Shop 1 of 15 Murray Road, East Corrimal NSW, down the road towards Corrimal Beach   - after the roundabout between Pioneer Road and Murray Road near the Corrimal High School.
Telephone: 612 4244 8089
Opening Hours:  Open every day for breakfast, brunch and lunch.





 

Eight Modern Chinese Restaurant - Revisited

Sheer crispy slices of suckling pig with skin on.

Beef with broccoli.

Scallops with beans.

Complimentary biscuits at the end of the meal with dessert.

The Eight Modern Chinese Restaurant is located on Level 3 of the Market City Shopping Centre in Sydney's Haymarket.
It is open every day for yum cha lunch and dinners.
The above photographs were taken during a dinner with Jimbob.