In Short: Badmanner Thymes serves up delicious looking plates of food that are packed with flavour and substance. I would recommend the baked eggs if you’re hungry and the French toast if you have a sweet tooth. One of Parramatta’s best cafes!
I lived in Parramatta for a couple of years back in the day, and Philip Street back then was quite unremarkable, and far from a dining destination. Fast forward to today, and there’s a great little cafe vibe going. In the 100 metre section around Horwood Place, there’s 3 contemporary styled cafes. On a Saturday morning 2 out of the 3 are open, and Badmanner Thymes is pumping! The cafe is part whimsical, part eclectic and doesn’t follow a formulaic 2017 cafe fit-out brief. It’s dominated by a huge blackboard with cool illustrations. There’s distressed wood panels, and rustic hanging caged lamp shades with exposed squirrel caged element bulbs. There’s plenty of space to dine and even a little room, which on our visit, was filled with participants partaking in a serious board game. Overall it’s a really welcoming atmosphere; warm, cosy with the bass of the latest tunes rumbling in the background.
For a change, instead of plunging into a coffee, we awaken our palate with a lychee and watermelon juice. I love the crunchy, granita like texture of the juiced watermelon with the tropical syrup infusion of the lychee juice. For a moment, it whisks me away from wintery Sydney to a tropical Asian destination and warmer days in the sun.
With our palate refreshed, a perusal through Badmanner Thyme’s menu reveals diverse and hearty selections. One of the choices that came as a recommendation from our friendly waitress was their American breakfast. It comprises two perfectly fried sunny side ups that sit on a bed of quinoa, with slivers of fresh avocado and cubes of green capsicum. As the eggs break over the quinoa, the flavours of the smoky and spicy chorizo kick in. There’s nice freshness and texture from the capsicum and the soft avocado adds richness to the dish. It’s a big plate of food but I didn’t come away feeling bloated as there’s a perfect balance of ingredients that work really well together. Make sure to cut the eggs and spread it over the quinoa, the runny yolk does a good job of binding and saucing the plate.
Coco and Viner Mavis loves a good baked eggs dish and Badmanner Thymes’ version nails it. Two baked eggs are complemented with the tangy flavour of soft crumbling fetta, and a thick tomato base. A balsamic glaze injects contrasting streaks of black against a predominantly vibrant red and white dish as well as providing a sweet and sour kick to the eggs. Like with the American breakfast, the flavour of the chorizo runs through the sauce. As I dug deeper I found perfectly cooked through beans, that just melt in the mouth. A gentle stab of spice finishes off each spoonful. A herbaceous hit of coriander and watercress is not far away either. It’s a hearty breakfast bowl with real depth of flavour.
Thoroughly spoiled with the savoury dishes, we change tact to sample the French toast. It’s a beautiful plate filled with thick fluffy slices of brioche, generous scoops of ice cream, caramelised banana, strawberries, and balls of spiced granola. Again, as with the previous dishes, we love the play of textures with the soft eggy brioche countered by the gentle spice of cinnamon granola balls with their robust texture. Then there’s the sharpness of the strawberry which is quelled by the perfectly caramelised bananas. It’s an indulgent dish which ticks all the boxes for a weekend breakfast treat.
To chase down those last morsels of French toast, I finish off with a matcha latte. It’s sweet and milky with that unmistakable flavour of green tea lingering with every sip. It’s an authentic matcha with a deep satisfying flavour profile that is a comforting way to end the meal at Badmanner Thymes.
I enjoyed every minute of the experience at Badmanner Thymes. Of course the food was great, but more than that, it was a relaxed experience, where I didn’t feel rushed and I could just chill with the family on a weekend morning. Parramatta is slowly getting on its culinary feet thanks to calibre of cafes like Badmanner Thymes, and it injects a much needed weekend energy into Sydney’s geographical centre.
* Coco & Vine dined as guests of Badmanner Thymes Espresso.
Leave a Reply