After about 4 brunches in a week, I thought it was time to up the game and to have something different. Instagram is an awesome platform for discoveries though pictures are typically deceiving and from there, I found the Gooseberries Cafe in Kensington which is a short 5 minute drive from my place. Viola~!
The cafe is situated near the school making weekday parking a breeze. The converted home has several dining areas but I took a sit in the dining area which felt very nice and airy. To start, a citrusy lemon curd tart.
Pint in size but packs a zesty punch. The curd was a little stiff but nothing unexpected considering it came right out of the fridge. In saying that, the flavours were spot on.
My choice of brunch today was the Balinese breakfast. Tender grilled chicken skewer, and a fried egg on a bowl of fried rice. On the side were condiments to pair consisting of some kecap manis, pickled chilli and the obligatory sambal.
But did it really meet the mark? In terms of putting the staple rice in a bowl with chicken and rice I think it did pretty well. A little too much carrot for my liking but the rice was fried well.
The same cannot be said about the condiments. On the outside they are the different but with they did not meet my requirements. The kicap manis out of the bottle was fine by all means but the pickled chilli lacked acidity. But most disappointing was the sambal. It lacked the ripeness from the long sautéing which usually results in a robust chilli puree with the hints of tamarind, and prawn paste. It was a little sweet too which means all three condiments was on the sweet side.
In a nut shell, I did not walk out of Gooseberry Cafe as pumped as when I walked in. Nonetheless, it served a solid breakfast and I was satisfied. A few tweaks here and there will probably allow the dish to reach higher marks but it is definitely a very good try.
WenY
