Circa Espresso has long been one of the most highly rated cafes in Sydney, let alone Western Sydney, and we finally make the time to visit for some Middle Eastern inspired brunch.
The cafe is a small space — the coffee, pastries and register are located at the front of a space around 4 m wide, while there’s seating further inside as well as on the patio of the neighbouring barber. Visiting around 11 AM, there was a 10-15 minute wait, but the queue was rather extensive as we left closer to midday.
2019
This is the Iced Chocolate ($6.00), described as an ‘African Red chocolate over ice’. African Red chocolate is said to be one of the most prized drinking chocolates from Ghana, but honestly, this wasn’t a very good first impression as it tasted just like chocolate milk from a bottle or carton with an overly dominating dairy flavour. We could not pick up any of the much touted fruit notes.
And this it the Cold Brew Coffee ($5.00). The origin of the coffee beans escapes me, but N recalled the menu promising notes of ‘blackberry, mango and lime’. Promised notes aside, it’s a bold coffee with rich roasted notes that deliver a healthy — but manageable — bitterness from the head through to the body followed by a brief hint of acidity in the finish that could recall blackberry. There’s simply not enough acidity in the coffee to bring to mind the mango or lime.
This is the Pear & Passionfruit Soda ($7.50). We went into this soda with very low expectations having been burnt my our high expectations before. This one has a dominant tropical flavour — much like a tropical punch with an added dose of passionfruit syrup — with something ‘different’ in the background that’s either, or a mixture of, soda water and pear (but not identifiable as such). The absence of pear aside, it’s easy to drink.
This is the Ottomon Eggs ($20.00) with ‘poached free range eggs with crumbed eggplant, garlic labneh, burnt chilli & sage butter and fried leeks served with housemade foccaccia’.
Both N and I are fans of the foccaccia and could easily chomp our way through an entire loaf. As for the dish itself, I enjoyed the creaminess of the garlic labneh that paired well with the fragrant butter and the eggplant with its crisp outside and soft innards, while the eggs were poached to the perfect ooziness. The fried leeks added a mellow sweetness but could’ve been crispier.
This is the Baked Eggs with Sujuk ($21.00) with ‘Danish feta, sliced roma tomatos, harissa gravy, a hint of chilli and housemade foccacia’. T enjoyed the balance of flavours and textures with this dish, but as with N and I, thought the dish was quite small for the price it demanded. In particular, he would’ve enjoyed larger eggs and more bread.
2021
This is the Creamy Vegan Mushrooms ($20.00), ‘herb and garlic roasted mushrooms, aged balsamic, vegan cream, soft polenta and saltbush focaccia.
Mushrooms in herb and garlic hit the spot every time, and here, pair well with the aged balsamic, vegan cream, as well as the aromatic and tender focaccia. The soft polenta, though, was not for me being a mushy texture and almost tasteless. I’d have preferred a base of mashed potatoes, rice or just more bread.
This is the additional side of Crumbed Eggplant ($5.00). It’s audibly crispy and soft inside without being oily in the least. We’re thinking the eggplant slices must be par-cooked prior to being deep-fried.
This is T’s Braised Pork Belly ($22.00), ‘soft braised pork belly with a cider vinegar reduction, stewed apple, white beans, cool-season vegetables and watercress salad’. T enjoyed the textures and flavours in this classic combination immensely but wanted more bread to soak up the juices.
This is the Crispy Skin Humpty Doo Saltwater Barramundi ($26.00) with ‘spiced rice, lentil and vegetable kedgeree with curry leaf, shallot and chilli butter’. Kedgeree is an Indian dish of seasoned rice, beans and lentils and served with fish here. N appreciated the crispy skin of the fish that contrasted well with the fresh, flaky and moist flesh, but found the spiced seasoning begged for relief — perhaps in the form of citrus — to cleanse the palate over subsequent bites.
This is the Affogato ($7.00), ‘toasted almond gelato topped with espresso’. The gelato delivered an almond flavour much like the nut itself, rather than relying on almond flavouring from flavour. The subtlety of the flavour, though, meant it was easily overwhelmed by the boldness of the espresso and served chiefly to counter the bitterness of the latter. The buttery almond shortbread brought back the almond notes to some extent and provided a sturdy vehicle for the creamy affogato.
Finally, this is the Passionfruit Meringue Tart ($6.00). This is the most delightful plate of the day. The pie crust was impossibly thin but held the bright and tangy passionfruit curd on top that was well countered by the fluffy meringue on top, while the passionfruit seeds added an extra dimension of passionfruit flavour. I inhaled this slice, but could easily eat the whole tart by myself.
2023
With Lucien Baked Goods taking care of our sweet morning tea treats, we took a ten-minute stroll to their original sister store, Circa Espresso, for some brunch.
Halloumi & Corn Waffle ($20.00) with burnt poppy seed & fermented rice batter, poached egg, roasted pumpkin hummus, and citrus spring greens.
This was one tasty dish, with the waffle having very delectable notes of coriander that punctuated every bite along with the gentle crunch of the poppy seeds and corn, and the subtle warmth of the halloumi in the background of each bite. The pumpkin hummus brought a smooth sweetness that worked well with the citrus dressing on the salad, which also brought an enjoyable mix of crunchy textures and flavours. Overall, it was a very balanced and pleasing dish.
Ottoman Eggs ($26.00) with two poached free-range eggs, two slices of crumbed eggplant, garlic labneh, burnt chilli & sage butter, fried leeks, and house-made focaccia.
This had long been N and my favourite dish at Circa Espresso and we were surprised to discover they’d added an extra slice of eggplant and an additional poached egg to the standard order (for an additional $6.00 since 2019). Nonetheless, it remained a very filling and pleasing dish with enjoyable Middle Eastern flavours.
Maple glazed french toast ($24.00) with butter brioche, fresh strawberry coulis, pepper balsamic macerated fruits, mascarpone, pistachios.
The mascarpone did a great job masquerading as a poached egg and had us worried for a moment. That aside, N enjoyed the fluffiness of the brioche and the freshness of strawberry coulis along with the variety of fruits and the gentle crunch of the chopped pistachios. The flavours of each component were distinct initially, yet merged by mid-plate with the pepper balsamic and aniseedy notes of the green leafy aspects became overwhelming and odd, before becoming too sweet by the end.
Crepes ($18.00) with mango, pomelo, ricotta cream, berry compote and coconut crumble.
These crepes had me at mango and pomelo but left me rather disappointed. While the fruit was fresh and generous with a variety of flavours from the sweetness of the blackberries, the tropical acidity of the mangoes and the citrus kick of the pomelo, the similar soft textures of the fruits with the ricotta base and the crepes meant the whole dish erred on the side of ‘mushy’ without being sufficient distinct crunch from the coconut crumble. Some sort of fruit chip or dehydrated fruit would have paired nicely.
Housemade iced tea ($7.00) made with Egyptian rosehip and hibiscus.
This tasted much like the version at their sister store Lucien Baked Goods, though N found it was a touch thinner to be sufficiently refreshing.
Citron Noir ($7.00), a cold brew concentrate with grapefruit-infused soda over ice topped with citrus peel.
This coffee was surprisingly enjoyable, with the overall flavour tasting like an orange and chocolate-flavoured beverage. The cold brew coffee base itself did not have the acidity typically associated with under-extracted coffee, and instead took on the darkness of chocolate that allowed the zesty citrus notes of the grapefruit to came through with pleasant subtlety.
Oat Fashion ($8.00), a cold brew concentrate sweetened with panela and served with oat milk.
This coffee was enjoyable with a subtle clear sweetness, yet the ‘oaty-ness’ of the oat milk was pronounced making it difficult to avoid drawing parallels to the taste of breakfast oats with a side of coffee.
Flight ($10.00, espresso, filter, milk-based). This featured an espresso from Ethiopian coffee beans, filter from Kenyan coffee beans, a mocha, as well as a glass of sparkling water as a palate cleanser.
The Ethiopian double espresso exhibited a bright citrussy acidity, complemented by a strong bitterness and a subdued, spicier, peppery note that emerged in the finish, all contributing to a rather robust mouthfeel. This coffee didn’t quite appeal to our tastes.
The Kenyan batch brew filter coffee was much more to our liking, offering a delicate roastiness with a subtle winey acidity, along with a touch of cocoa or nutty bitterness. Although, it might veer slightly on the watery side, this was my preference of the three coffees.
D found the mocha to be his clear favorite, as he tends to prefer milk in his coffee. The combination of milk and chocolate lent a pleasant sweetness and creaminess that smoothed out any potential bitterness or acidity from the coffee base.
Tira-mis-u ($8.00), described as a ‘classic 80’s dessert drizzled with espresso’.
The mild bitterness of the coffee balanced the richness of the cream, all without introducing any unwanted acidity. The ladyfingers retained a satisfying crunch while also offering a softer, soaked texture. Overall, it was a delightful dessert, although a tad heavy on the cream.
Ottoman eggs ($26.00), ‘poached free range eggs, crumbed eggplant, garlic labne, burnt chilli & sage butter, fried leeks, house made focaccia’.
In an effort to counterbalance the copious coffee consumption, we revisited a dish we’ve ordered numerous times in the past. It proved to be just as delightful in terms of both texture and flavour.
We’re pleased Circa Espresso continues to be a reliable cafe dishing up consistent savoury cafe food.
Circa Espresso is located at 21 Wentworth St, Parramatta NSW 2150.