In Short: Without a doubt one of the best cafes in Sydney’s south west, The Weston Eatery combines sophisticated cafe food with exemplary coffee and friendly service. It was hard to pick a favourite, but you won’t go wrong with either the Pork Belly or The Weston Crispy Chicken Burger.
Weston Eatery stands out like a beacon on Canley Vale Road, welcoming travellers and coffee-holics into its polished interior for a great coffee and sophisticated café food. I will be honest, given the cafe’s proximity to Cabramatta and its inherent Indochinese roots, I was expecting a rich vein of Asian flavours that would keep locals happy. It was actually quite the opposite. It’s almost like owners Hung Le and David Duong have assembled a classic hits list of Sydney’s favourite breakfasts, added their own signature and presented it on the menu. Yes, I was a total ass for presuming to know what to expect, but what a delightful surprise The Weston Eatery turned out to be.
As I alluded to earlier The Weston Eatery really does stand out, aesthetically speaking. The team were all decked out in clean whites (casual, of course) with matching blue aprons. The design is minimalist, with elements of copper and plywood to warm the interior. It’s an elongated diner, and actually not especially large, with enough to seat 30. We arrived for Sunday lunch and waited for about 15 minutes for a table. Our tip is to arrive just after 1pm to grab a table.
A flat white starts off the food adventure at The Weston Eatery. Double Roasters is their choice of coffee. Their blend delivers a robust flavour, that’s not overly milky. There’s a touch of acidity but mellows out to reveal nutty, caramel sweet flavours. It’s a full bodied cup that’s good to the end.
First plate off the pass and into my tummy was the Pork Belly. Braised pork belly is crispy where it counts. To contrast, once I was through munching through the crackling, the belly just melted in my mouth. I loved how the pickled onion cuts through the richness of the pork, with a dash of sweetness thrown in for good measure. Binding the whole dish, is the excellent 5-spice emulsion. A refined start!
While I destroyed the pork belly, sitting next to me, little Coco and Viner was a little more, how shall I put it…methodical, with her pasta. While the menu bills it as Orrechiette Pasta, it’s actually Strozzapretti with a slow cooked ragu, tomato sugo and Pecorino cheese. It’s a rustic dish, with a rich ragu sauce that is filled with a meaty flavour. The ragu is thick and clings to the Strozzapretti. The fact that Sammi needs little help finishing her large bowl is testament to how tasty it was.
As is customary when a burger is placed in front of Mavis, it’s not long before the burger is deconstructed. The Weston Crispy Chicken burger is an example of the movement that is sweeping Sydney with regards to fried chicken. We saw it at Dirty Bird and Paper Bird and here at The Weston Eatery; Asian Flavours are combined with American techniques to deliver epic flavours. The raw chicken is placed in a brine solution to marinate for two to three days. It is then coated in buttermilk before being crumbed and fried. The result is an extraordinarily crispy skin and moist flavoursome meat. Potato buns sandwich the meat and it’s combined with Sriracha Mayo, Kimchi salad and coriander. Slices of Granny Smith apple cleanses the palate and add a textural contrast.
As we saw beautiful dessert plates flying past us on the way to other diners, we were compelled to try one of The Weston Eatery’s sweet delights. On the advice of one of the service team, we are presented with Watermelon and Rose. Depending on what you love, there are many star elements on the plate. Mavis loved the buttermilk pannacotta; I could not get enough of the forest berry sorbet that marries so well with the pannacotta. We both loved the cubes of watermelon. Sammi was fascinated with the fairy floss. It’s a beautiful dessert that just has the sweetest ending.
The Weston Eatery may not have a fashionable inner city or lower north shore address, but what it does have is a team that supports local suppliers. It sports a menu that would stand up to any cafe in the city, and service that is efficient and friendly. Take the drive to the south west, you won’t be disappointed!
chocolatesuze says
daaamn that pork belly sounds amazing
Sacha says
That and the chicken burger! Worth the trip out to Canley Vale.