The only good thing to come out of my bus route change late last year, was stumbling across Motown Coffee Brewers. This gem, was worth the change to my well worn morning commute. From my very first visit, Motown Mick (as he is affectionately known) had me as a guaranteed regular when he suggested I try his Nutella Mocha…he didn’t even need to finish the sentence, he had me at Nutella (but that’s for a whole other post…!). So entrenched is a Motown visit to my morning routine, the team at the office know what kind of day it’s going to be if I arrive sans my Mo-Cup!
Today though, I’ve broken with tradition and headed to Motown on a beautiful Sydney Sunday morning. First step in the door and we’re greeted by some of the friendliest café service in the CBD. And, its the wonderful Aaron, whose great personality is always so refreshing and welcoming, that shows us through the New York loft-style dining area with its exposed wood beams, soft lighting and passed the window bar, to the outdoor patio area where the morning sunshine is just peaking through the surrounding buildings.
I definitely have coffee as a priority this morning (what else is new?!) and once again we’re expertly guided by Mick to try the cold-drip coffee brewed with single origin Ethiopian Geisha (or Gesha). This Japanese method of cold extraction over an 8 hour period, delivers the coffee beans’ perfectly delicate, yet strong flavours. To ensure you can savour each delicious, cold sip, the ice-cubes are infused with coffee so that the taste is not diluted by the melting ice – an innovative solution! The presentation calls out to my inner science nerd, with the cold drip served in a large beaker, a small beaker for the side of milk and a long, thin metal stirring spoon.
The coffee is perfect on it’s own, but I can’t help being playful and using the last of it to mix the concoction of a little milk and coffee (insert nutty professor laugh here!).
We also order the Cold Brew Almond Ice Latte – which has become one of my favourite non-traditional iced coffees on a hot summer day. The cold brew is also made with the single origin Ethiopian Geisha, with just a hint of sweetness from a shot of almond syrup and all topped with almond milk. This light blend further enhances, rather than masking, the distinct tasting notes from the coffee and maintains the coffee as the showcase with a smooth after taste.
We also can’t go by without ordering a regular cappuccino…although the word ‘regular’ is not the apt adjective here. The Motown seasonal house blend is anything but regular, and their custom Black Eagle espresso machine extracts the best of that black gold poured into every cup. The silky milk froth, gives way to a skilfully balanced coffee with the blend and temperature ensuring that there is no need for sugar for this one!
To ensure we don’t go bouncing off the walls until the middle of next week with all that caffeine, we turn our attention to the food. I don’t usually get the luxury of wasting away a couple of hours to appease my taste buds during a work morning, so I couldn’t wait to try from the menu.
A decadent breakfast ‘dessert’ arrives in the form of The Frenchie and the distinctive aroma of the caramelised banana and maple syrup makes this menu item irresistible. The french toast was moist and light, with an almost custard-like centre which was complimented by a toasted outer layer, providing a contrast of texture. Top this all off with a generous scoop of salted caramel ice-cream and desiccated coconut, and you can’t help but remember those days as a kid when you hoped you could eat dessert for breakfast every day!
You haven’t really eaten from this menu, until you try the Mocakes. These utterly delicious, light and fluffy ricotta pancakes, served with a berry compote, ice-cream and generous dusting of crushed pistachios are heaven with every mouthful. The tartness of the berries are fully balanced with the sweetness of the ice-cream and the nuttiness of the …well, er, nuts (I’ve had too much coffee!)
We decide to be ‘responsible’ and counteract the sweetness with a well-balanced Brekkie Plate. Now, I grew up in an Italian household so I love simple and uncomplicated food, where each ingredient through its careful selection is what makes the dish so good. And, this brekkie plate is exactly that…with the perfectly poached eggs. crispy bacon, pan-fried mushrooms, cherry tomato salad, smoked salmon, smashed avocado, olives, labneh cheese ball, is served with toasted organic sourdough – now that’s a tasting plate! For all the goodness, it’s the labneh that shamelessly steals the show – you can practically taste the home-made love that’s gone into this creamy, heavenly morsel and I would be just as happy with a bowl of these cheese balls and fresh bread!
I love this place because the atmosphere, owner and the staff are completely unpretentious – with the abundance of ‘hipster’ cafes popping up all over the city – its this character that makes Motown stand out from the crowd…and this approach is further infused into their coffee and food. As we leave, fully satiated by our experience, I’m reminded of the following saying “…In character, in manner, in style, in all the things, the supreme excellence is simplicity…”.
Hhhmmm….maybe I need to add Sunday mornings here to my weekly routine…
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