The Moody Chef, St Leonards – Rating: 21.5/25

The Moody Chef

The Moody Chef on Atchison Street is one of three version of the café all within a few square kilometres! Owners George Dannaoui and Geoff Moody began the gradual domination of the St. Leonards café scene in October 2004 and they have since gone from strength to strength.

The interior and design of the café is something that is continually changing and improving but it is always colourful and generally features plants for that fresh and natural feeling.

Our experience with the waitstaff was an uplifting one with very personalised, friendly and knowledgable service. The spot is large enough with indoor and outdoor seating so that you definitely won’t need to wait for a table.

Cappuccino

Flat white

Vittoria provides the beans and thanks to a knowledgable barista, our cups definitely shone (which to be honest I’ve found isn’t always the case with Vittoria). George though has nothing but praise for the company as well as their beans, machines and support. Our coffees were on the more expensive side at $4 per cup but I didn’t care as I was happy to enjoy them in this relaxed atmosphere.

Also available is Tea Craft tea ($4.80), Moody affogato (espresso infused with a full cup of vanilla ice cream with a dollop of Italian chocolate, $6.90) and iced coffee (double shot, vanilla ice cream and cream, $6.90).

Fruit-o-licous

The fruit-o-licous ($7) contains whatever seasonal fruits take the kitchen’s fancy on the day as well as ice and honey. It’s a chunky and fresh offering that makes a nice alternative to squeezed juice (which is also available as orange, apple and pineapple, $6.90).

There are plenty of other drinks on offer too: banana smoothie ($7.50), milkshake (chocolate, strawberry, caramel, vanilla or malt, $6), protein shake (whey protein powder, banana, honey and skim milk, $8) and soft drinks.

Seasonal fresh fruit salad

The positive comments are only going to continue as I move onto the food as this is one of the best examples of seasonal fresh fruit salads ($12.90). that I’ve tried. Every piece of fruit was perfectly ripe and of very high quality. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, pomegranate, watermelon and melon are just some of the fruits and this was topped with natural yoghurt and honey toasted muesli and passionfruit. Very difficult to beat!

3hr chilli pork & sunny up egg

Browsing through the expansive breakfast menu, the 3hr chilli pork & sunny up egg ($16.90) was just one of the many dishes that caught my eye. When this is the case I wait until I’m asked what I would like and then go with my instinct when under pressure. I am thoroughly pleased with what I ordered in this case! The chilli pork was tender with a potent spice combination and thrown into the mix was American cheddar and caramelised onion. All of this was topped with a perfectly cooked egg that didn’t run too much as I enclosed it in the bun. I was in heaven. The small hashbrowns on the side were a nice touch and definitely nothing to be sneezed at as they were prepared with care as well. Their coating was extremely crunchy and the strands of potato within were moist and well seasoned.

Baby tomato & bacon bruschetta

And so we roll on with another outstanding dish. There are no less than four bruschetta available. Some of the others were roast mushroom ($18.90) and smoked salmon & smashed avocado ($20.90) but my guest opted for the baby tomato & bacon ($18.90) which also came with crumbled feta and two poached eggs. What a flavour combination it was and all of the ingredients were of the highest quality. The bacon was crispy, thick and very smokey. The tomatoes were well seasoned, the toast lightly charred and the dish was delicately topped with micro herbs.

What else can I do except give five stars for Taste?! I’m local to the North shore but on a weekly basis find myself having to cross the bridge to find the best of Sydney’s breakfasts in almost all instances. Not this week though as The Moody Chef provided me with everything that I could ever want just nearby!

Some of the other dishes on the breakfast menu include feta scrambled egg & prosciutto on char grilled panini ($16.90), shakshuka baked eggs & lamb merguez ($18.90), corn fritters & crispy bacon with grilled haloumi ($20.90) and the omelette of leg ham & mahon curado cheese ($18.90) to name but a few!

In case it wasn’t obvious already, you definitely need to get to The Moody Chef fast!

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