In short: Nodo café offers decadently sophisticated donuts, refined café fare, all in a chic and welcoming space.
Been to Brisbane lately? No? Time to jump on the next cheap flight and indulge in what is really evolving into an amazing mosaic of tastes that will keep any foodie mining menus for an eternity. There’s no better example of this rich foodscape than the sprouting, sweet spots around Newstead and Teneriffe, and one particularly tasty tidbit is Nodo. You may already know Nodo for its decadently delicious, and divinely artisanal, gluten free donuts, but the Nodo café on Ella Street in Newstead, is a bright backdrop for a wholesome food immersion.
A clean palette of whites and woods is welcoming as we slip into our seats in the crisp and studio-like space. It’s at once minimalist and warm. The kind of space that you would welcome fine art as much as fine food.
We finger walk our way through said fine food on the Nodo menu, with occasional glances at the jewel case of donuts beckoning from the front counter. It’s a late breakfast for us, so what better way to bridge the gap to a lazy, late lunch than with the Acai Mud Bowl and the ever-popular Breakfast Bun. With the distinct feeling that you’d just as likely treat yourself to the acai bowl for dessert, it’s with a cheeky grin that this healthy breaky is just as good for you, as it is simply delicious. Coconut, cacao, mesquite buckwheat, dates, maca, and berries, join the acai in a chilled pond of bright flavours and textures. It’s enough to say that spoons clashed, more than once, over this one.
Nodo’s Breakfast Bun might be a nod to the old bacon and egg roll café standby, but the nod is where the similarities end. This incarnation features sun valley free-range bacon, a free-range egg, avo (possibly free range), cashew mayo, crispy onions, and tomato relish. Pop all these free wandering ingredients on a moist and lightly toasted quinoa bun, and it’s got my taste buds happy enough to reconsider their need for any ranging elsewhere.
Coffee, of course, makes its entrance in the form of a Nodo house blend that lends itself perfectly to a frothy cappuccino. Creamy, bold, subtly sweet, the cup finishes smooth and tempts the palate toward the doughy delights to come.
If there’s matcha latte in the offering, it’s going to be on our table. The bite of the matcha complements the creaminess of the milk, and plays off the subtle sweetness. It’s a floral and acidic dance that makes sipping a cup of this green gold so zen.
“Eat Donuts For Breakfast” is the Nodo philosophy. Now, I’ve read a few philosophers in my time and even my current favourite, Alain De Botton, could be facing some stiff competition with a philosophy like that! Never one to argue with sound insight, it’s our destiny to bite into the Strawberry Hazelnut and Pure Passion. Rich, chocolatey icing crowns a soft and moist, strawberry studded ring of joy that balances sweetness with sophistication.
The passion fruit pillow of organic coconut donut goodness supports a halo of white chocolate that looks almost holy in its intent. The attention to the aesthetic of these little luxuries makes them hard to devour; but as all good philosophers have surmised, all good things must come to an end…in our tummies, that is.
Nodo exemplifies the maturity of the Brisbane food scene and is equal parts whimsy and genuine food craft. Fire up your favourite travel deals website, book a flight, and follow the smell of donuts and coffee to Nodo’s door.
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