Four Ate Five, Surry Hills – Rating: 23/25 (re-review)

 I last reviewed Four Ate Five almost four years ago and I’ve been aching to return.  Our timing was impeccable this morning.  Arriving just before 10am to a full house, my name was the first on the list.  This was a good thing because the crowd sure did start to swell.  And once you have a spot on this list, you don’t want to let it slip.

Four Ate Five is by no means a small establishment with a bank of tables outside, a long interior and courtyard to the rear.  They also have the staff to cope with any number of guests ensuring that everyone is kept happy.

Served quickly, hot, bold and with a distinct aroma – that’s the coffee (regular $3.80, $4.50 large) at Four Ate Five.  It is a touch more expensive than some other spots… but you won’t care because it’s fantastic.

When it comes to smoothies ($7.50), you have the choice of banana, cinnamon and honey or strawberry and vanilla.  I elected for the former and can without hesitation say that it is one of the best banana smoothies I have tried.  No one flavour overpowered the others, no chunks, just a smooth delicious beverage.

The fresh juice ($6.50) available are mixed as apple pineapple & mint, orange, pineapple & passionfruit, watermelon, pear & mint or carrot, apple & ginger. The fresh juice is served chilled, you couldn’t really ask for more.

The smoked salmon and avocado ($18) is more involved than the name suggests.  It’s also larger than it looks, thanks to the second layer of this stack.  Creamy ricotta, parsley and a perfectly runny poached egg complete this tower of simplicity that marries these complimentary ingredients together.

The baked eggs ($17) at Four Ate Five.  This has been a dish that has stuck in my head throughout the years as one of Sydney’s must-have breakfast dishes and I am pleased to report that my memory has served me correctly!  Also available with pancetta, spinach, leek, mushrooms and parmesan, my guest today opted for the Moroccan style which arrived piping hot, topped with crunchy almonds and lots of smooth feta (as opposed to labna like in the previous review).  The fragrant tomato base is the kind of sauce that you could dip bread into for hours, mildly spiced and baked for the perfect amount of time to produce cooked but soft-centred eggs.

The specials of the day… pancakes with pear crumble and eggs Benedict… I was absolutely stumped but I’m glad that I chose the Benedict.  Although our neighbouring tables’ three plates of pancakes had us all drooling…

Anyway!  This Benedict was unusually served on a croissant which could so easily go wrong.  Take a soft croissant and cover it in savoury hollandaise sauce and mountains of delicious ham.  This worked much better than I had imagined and was filling too.  Almost to the point where I considered declining my friend’s offer to finish her Moroccan eggs…

 What else is available for breakfast?  House made muesli or bircher style muesli ($12), free range eggs ($9.50) done any way with a mountain of sides available, toasted sandwich (smoked ham, cheddar, potato & fennel hash and bechamel sauce, $14) or French toast (stuffed with bananas and served with Canadian maple syrup, marscapone & rhubarb, $14)… yes I know it warrants yet another review!