Twig Café (at Garden Life), Surry Hills – Rating: 19.5/25 (re-review)

Twig Café, part of the Garden Life store, was my location of choice for my Birthday this year.  A phone call early in the week secured the one and only upstairs table.  I have been before so I knew to expect a good morning…

Mostro blend by Single Origin Roasters is in use at Twig and our coffee all around the table was fantastic.  $3.50 for regular and $4 for large cups.

Organic fair trade chocolate is used in the Hot Hazel and the Bounty ($5.50 each).  The latter has roasted coconut while the Hazel which someone tried today has roasted hazelnut flavour added.  Add a delicious brownie on the side for ultimate indulgence!  This beverage impressed a veteran hot chocolate drinker and I won’t argue with that!

The fruit juices ($6) are squeezed on site but also premixed so you can’t create your own mixture.  Available juices are old faithful (orange), citrus blush (ruby grapefruit), going troppo (orange, pineapple, mint), pick me up (apple, carrot, ginger) and pink haze (watermelon, celery, lime).  I personally prefer when the juice has just been squeezed but I found all of the drinks to be super chilled and refreshing.  The pink haze was a hit with most.

The Berrima Ridge organic free range eggs any style ($9.50) was the base of many dishes this morning.  Add whatever sides you wish.  I particularly enjoyed the corn and mushroom risotto fritter ($5.50) which was filled with stringy mozzarella.  I had this last time as well and it was even better this time!  The pork & fennel chipolatas ($7.15) were served with Dicky’s relish (Richard is the owner) and the only issue I had with them was that there were only two!  Other sides available include bacon, avocado, sautéed baby English spinach ($5 each) and Dicky’s spicy baked beans ($5.50).

It’s not uncommon to see bacon served with maple syrup so why not pancetta with berries?  The buttermilk pancakes ($16.50) were very popular and come served with maple syrup on the side.  The salty, crispy pancetta is something I’d like to try at home now!  The pancakes themselves were fluffy and delicious.

The leg ham, tomato and vintage cheddar toasted sandwich ($13.75) also has seeded mustard inside which I think should be stated on the menu.  There was a decent amount of cheese but I would have liked to see the sandwich packed with even more of the ingredients though.  As with all of the bread served this morning, these slices of toast were a treat.

Deep beneath the hill of rocket and sauce vierge were slices of delicately flavoured House cured ocean trout ($16.50).  Served on rye, you will also find slices of ripe avocado.  The sauce vierge offered fresh flavours with the slightest hint of chilli.  The dish is quite large compared to what we were expecting and even though my guest didn’t manage to finish it, she enjoyed every bite.  The absence of egg helps it to be quite a light meal.

One of Twig’s constant crowd pleasers.  The Egg in the basket ($13.50) comes with the egg hollowed into the toast and more of Dicky’s spicy tomato relish on the side.  The spinach had not been overcooked and the warm feta gave it a great creamy constituency.  Bacon was ordered on the side.

If you’re after breakfast in a relaxed atmosphere, Twig is the place to go.  It’s a garden sanctuary in the heart of Surry Hills where you can go for friendly service  and delicious food.