Coffee and chocolate are the perfect partners, and even better when found at your local suburban shopping centre!
Last year, I reviewed Leaf Cafe & C0 at Stanhope Gardens Shopping Village, which opened in September 2013 (see pictures and review below). This year, they’ve changed their name from The Leaf Cafe to Leaf Cafe & Co and now have another cafe nearby at the newly opened Ponds Shopping Centre.
Birthed as a Cafe and Restaurant in North Sydney in 2009, Leaf Cafe & Co is an Australian owned franchise bringing corporate quality and culture to this Western Sydney growth area, home to lots of young families.
With a motto of “Simple, popular food cooked exceptionally well with service that always exceeds your expectations”, Leaf & Co delivers on this promise.
The food and coffee is consistently excellent, and well priced, while their staff always offer prompt, helpful and friendly service, which is easy to see why they are becoming rapidly popular with locals.
The Ponds store opened in May 2015, and has fast earned a loyal following from the locals. With a good deal of outdoor dining in addition to their indoor space, patrons are able to bring their dogs along, and parents can easily navigate prams to enjoy a much needed coffee.
While the coffee is good, I find the biggest draw card in winter is their northern aspect – capturing all day winter sun, whether dining inside or out, and giving a very comforting dining experience.
Their menu is contemporary and considers healthy options as well as rich indulgences. Breakfast is served all day with a range of egg choices – with smashed avocado, covered in hollandaise as benedict, or with bacon on a roll, burger or wrap. Granola and a range of toast options round out your breakfast selection.
Lunch starts from 11 and includes burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads like the poached chicken and pumpkin salad with roast pumpkin, rocket, cherry tomatoes, mint, fetta, pepita seeds, olives and a lemon honey dressing.
I find it hard to go past the beef burger served on a light brioche bun with lettuce, grilled pineapple, caramelised onions and aioli. Served with my favourite beverage of Belgian Mocha Frappe, this makes for a very satisfying meal.
The range of beverages is extensive from juices, smoothies and frappes to teas and great coffees including cold drip which is extracted over six hours and served in a glass with ice. Their hand brew Hario V60 pour over coffee is served at your table and most importantly, they still have their well known Belgium hot chocolate, served with coffee as a mocha, over ice or blitzed into a frappe.
Article Courtesy of Go West Gourmet.
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