Working remotely has given me more appreciation for food stores opening in locations outside the Sydney CBD, like ToastieSmith at Macquarie Centre. ToastieSmith serves loaded toasties with a Japanese twist.
Prawn Burger ($12.00.95), with ‘prawn katsu, mustard sauce, American cheese, fried lotus chips, roasted sesame flavoured slaw, signature yuzu mayo and beetroot powder’.
I’m not usually one for sandwiches, but this one certainly impressed me. The highlight was the prawn katsu, which was packed with prawns and along with the crunch of the slaw delivered a very nostalgic Japanese flavour profile. The bread was thick yet gave the ‘burger’ much-needed structure that many burgers lack. Tonkatsu sauce would’ve elevated the Japanese flavours of the burger, but the combination of the savoury cheese and sharpness of the mustard, along with the gentle tang of the yuzu mayo and beetroot rooted the Western element of the fusion.
EggSmith ($7.00.95) with ‘fluffy scrambled egg, American cheese, roasted sesame flavoured slaw, spicy tomato relish, fish roe, chives, sweet corn, signature yuzu mayo and siracha mayo’.
The EggSmith is one of their signature toasties. Here, the scrambled eggs were smooth yet punctuated by crunch and sweetness from the corn kernels, as well as savoury pops of the fish roe. The siracha mayo added an enjoyable ‘zing’ to the burger, though I can’t say I detected any heat from the spicy tomato relish which tasted much like tomato sauce. As the heat from the mayo subsided, it was replaced by hints of acidity from the surprising presence of the pickles hidden in the centre. Overall, this was an enjoyable toastie, but I’d prefer the extra element offered by the other items on the menu.
($9.00.95) with ‘fluffy scrambled eggs, American cheese, roasted sesame flavoured slaw, mushroom, asparagus, tomato, sweet corn and garlic aioli’.
This vegetarian toastie was the perfect mid-point between the earlier two. The mushrooms were delectable in their garlicky and buttery flavour that was well accentuated by the addition of the cheese as well as offset by the freshness of the nutty roasted sesame slaw, and the freshness of the tomato and crunch of the corn.
Shrimp-in-the-Egg ($12.00.95) with ‘fluffy scrambled egg, American cheese, roasted sesame flavoured slaw, grilled prawns, corn chips, sweet chilli sauce’.
The prawns (four in total) elevated this toastie with their crisp and plump firmness, contrasting well with the fluffiness of the scrambled eggs. The sweet chilli sauce added some acidity to cut through the savoury flavours, though the corn chips had softened to such an extent that they did not add much in terms of crunch.
Overall, I enjoyed my toasties and would be keen to return to try the other toastie combinations on offer. That said, the toasties would be more enjoyable if the fillings extended through to the bottom where the last bites usually involved only toast, sauce and cabbage.
ToastieSmith is located at FCK2004, Food Court, Macquarie Shopping Center, Cnr Herring Rd &, Waterloo Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113.