brekkie quest: joe black, surry hills

Joe Black

27 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 – Map

3.58 ‘Bunsen burner espresso? Yes please.’

Hello Joe Black. You’re a little bit different. A little bit cool. A little bit hilarious. Your menu’s worth a mention – I had your Stormin’ Norman but was a hungover heartbeat away from  ordering your Pirate Pancakes cause ‘arrr be they with grog’. Brilliant. You serve water in old booze bottles; your cups are tin mugs; your meals arrive on tin plates; and you’ve got some groovy scientific distilling contraption for making killer coffees. Your wait staff are super friendly, your menu’s simple and portions are quite small, but it’s all tasty. You’re about the experience of coffee – the science of it; the art of it – and the novelty of spending a meal at a traditional Aussie blokes kitchen table. You’ve definitely displayed some originality, Joe Black. And I am coming back soon for one of your nifty espressos.

Coffee: 5 Yep, a 5. Not only for the creamy soy capp, but for the entertaining delivery of an espresso on a bunsen burner. Wow.
Eggs: 4 One poached.
Toast: 3 Sourdough.
Knife: 3 Ordinarily I wouldn’t be impressed with a flakey camping knife, however given the theme, who am I to judge.
Ambience: 3.5 You’re not a huge space. But you’re kitted out with lots of entertaining items, including the scientific coffee show. Makes for an interactive breakfast.
Price: 3 Nothing over $14. However your portions are relatively small. Eggs on toast are $9.50.

By Katherine Riches

Hello Sydney Cafes. Katherine Riches wants the creamiest coffee, the gooiest eggs and the crustiest toast. Do you have them for her? She’s also looking for sharp cutlery. What kind of cafe serves thick sourdough toast with a butter knife? She does not like these cafes. They make eating hard work. Her brekkie quest aims to seek out all you groovy cafes from you cruel and daggy ones. P.S. She’ll also be scoring your elements from 1 to 5.

Follow Katherine on her Brekkie Quest here.