Excelsior Jones
Look out! Café fever is heading west. This week we discover Excelsior Jones, a hip new café in Ashfield, which is just as happening as any in Surry Hills. We bundle into the car early on a Sunday (10am is early for us, anyway) and are met by a bustling interior. After a short wait we are led through the tasteful, mostly white interior to a table for four. There is a nice mix of people, families with babes, young kids, older couples and some hipsters of course.
Cappuccino
Soy latte
Flat white
Long black
The ceramic cups and plates are a pleasure to drink from. Their simple style reflects the restrained decor. The coffee (regular $3.50, large $4) isn’t brilliant but it sure hits the spot on a Sunday morning. Some cups are favoured more than others. The cappuccinos and flat whites were enjoyed by those drinking them.
Jaffa malted milkshake
Dane is especially excited at the sight of malted milkshakes ($6.50) on the menu. Flavours such as jaffa, butterscotch, lime & coconut, vanilla, chocolate and caramel sound delectable. Unfortunately the jaffa milkshake does not live up to expectation. There is very little jaffa flavour discernable and very little chocolate for that matter. The consistency is right but the taste is not enough to make the shake a standout.
Poached and fresh summer fruits
For those wanting a light and refreshing dish, the poached and fresh summer fruits ($10) will certainly be the best choice. It is usually served with sweet oats and yoghurt but one of this morning’s guests opts not to include the oats. All of the fruits are ripe, sweet and soft. You know that care has gone into a fruit salad when even the grapes are halved and deseeded! The poached pair is particularly delicious.
House cured salmon hash
The house cured salmon hash (or pork hock hash) ($16) gives everyone at the table food envy. The saltiness of the dish is perfect for an indulgent weekend breakfast and remains classy and filling at the same time. The house cured salmon has a soft flavour and at times we come across a crunchy potato skin. Yum!
Sauteed field mushrooms on toast
The sauteed field mushrooms on toast ($13) is a simple dish but with quality ingredients, that is definitely not a bad thing. The delicate herbs let the mushrooms take centre stage while the crispy sourdough adds some solid texture to the mix. Our guest adds a poached egg on the side for $4.
Eggs Benedict
Well presented, superb individual ingredients and a well composed hollandaise made this a fantastic eggs Benedict ($14). Black Forest gypsy ham adds a touch of indulgence while the eggs were poached perfectly. Dane can’t fault the hollandaise either. The only issue is that it was finished too fast!
We highly recommend a trip to Excelsior Jones. There is plenty of parking close by however like so many other cafes in Sydney these days, arrive early to avoid a wait. If you have a pit of a stomach, head up the road to Ashfield’s main street for lunch. You’ll find a great array of noodles, dumplings and Asian supermarkets so you can eat the day away.
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Overall Rating: 19/25
Website: http://www.excelsiorjones.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/ExclesiorJones?sid=0.21826866269111633
Phone: 9799 3240
Address: 139 Queen Street, Ashfield, 2131
Payment Options: CC, EFTPOS, cash
Sydney on Sunday 
On 2 separate occasions the invoice provided to me by the Excelsior Jones (Queen St, Ashfield NSW) cashier did not contain an ABN (Aust Business Number). I need this in order to make a reimbursement claim at work. When I called up and politely asked for this, I was told to call back and speak to the ‘manager’. When I did speak to the ‘manager’ several hours later, he flatly refused to provide an ABN because it is ‘private’.
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