3to7, Waterloo

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Well, it was my birthday. Thanks to the lovely people at the Trish Nichol Agency and 3to7, I got to have a lovely birthday brunch to start off my day.

The decor is just gorgeous, with the cafe/bar set in what looks like an alleyway. Trés chic. I adore the overhanging piano near the entrance - it instantly made me feel like I was stepping into wonderland. 

But really, I know you want to hear about the food. 

As you know, I absolutely LOVE bloody virgin marys, and I had to order one as soon as I saw it on the menu. 

It actually came out in a capsicum cup. HOW CUTE IS THIS????!!! Considering that I didn't ask for the long list of specifications I have for this drink, it came out very well balanced and completely delicious. My dining partner ordered a coffee, and as an ex-barista, he's very particular. Personally, I don't know too much about coffee, but I'll take his word for it that the extra strong cappuccino he ordered didn't need any sugar, it was so good.

With the drinks, we also decided to order a sharing platter ($24 per person).


Clockwise from left: Smoked kipfler potatoes with chorizo, homemade baked beans, scrambled eggs, chicken bagel.


Clockwise from left: Coconut french toast, Arabesque pancakes with banana and salted caramel, toasted crumpets

If you're one of those people who love variety - like me! - and love having a little bit of everything, this is the option for you. This platter is a glorious selection across their menu, and if I hadn't asked about the other items - I'll get to that soon - I would totally have been satisfied with it.

As with most platters, items can be a little bit hit and miss, and I'm glad to say that this one had more hits than misses. The scrambled eggs were absolutely divine, and PERFECTLY COOKED! For once, I didn't have to specify that I wanted my eggs underdone, and have them come out over anyway. These were silky and luscious, and a real credit to the chef. The baked beans were delish also, packed full of flavour and giving a hearty oomph to the meal. The arabesque pancakes are also worth a mention - light and fluffy pancakes are covered in a rich caramel sauce and pieces of cooked banana, with a scoop of orange clotted cream on the side. If you love a rich breakfast, then this is for you. The only small thing for me is that the banana was slightly under ripe, and left a milk chalky taste in my mouth. The coconut french toast was a surprise - I'm normally not a fan of coconut, but it was well soaked and had the texture of pudding (I like!). Besides the fresh berries, the french toast was also paired with some fruit that was cooked with cardamom. That, I found a little bit strong for my liking. Just a touch.

But here are the truly magical bits.

According to the lovely and informative waitress, one of the items that are not on the platter is the steak sandwich. So the chef kindly sent out a few pieces of the steak for us to try. OMGOMGOMG. It was seriously one of the best steaks I've had to date. The steak was cooked sous vide - low temperature, submerged in a water bath - and so it's never overcooked, and consistently turns out the same amazing results. As I was having the steak on its own, I did have to add a touch more salt to it. but it was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I love sous vide cooking.

And speaking of melt in your mouth tender:





I think the salmon is the piece de resistance. Seriously. Confit steak of salmon is paired with perfect 63C eggs, little fried pieces of lemon ricotta and a quenelle of vanilla butter. It's so surprisingly simple on the palate - it was almost as if everything was in its purest flavour and form - the textures were unbelievable. The temperature of the oil for the confit salmon - I'm told - is also controlled by an immersion circulator, and the eggs are also cooked sous vide. If you're wondering about all the hype regarding a 63C egg, you should really try this.



SEE THAT YOLK???? *drools* It's like yolk porn the way it oozes. The salmon was also silky tender, but still flaked with the slightest pressure. Sure, everything needed a touch more salt - for me - but as I'm sure you know by now, I'm a bit of a salt fiend.

In all, it was a marvellous birthday brunch. The waitress provided excellent service, and the food was incredible. And it's all wrapped up in a hip waterloo location, with amazing light and a relatively quiet street. Great for a Sunday morning get together.

Note: Tammi from Insatiable Munchies and her dining partner dined as guests of 3to7 and the Trish Nichol Agency. 

We ate at:

3to7
0499 418 895
3-7 Danks Street
Waterloo
NSW 2017





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