In Short : Relaxed dining close to Chatswood, paddock to plate philosophy, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I think the residents of Lane Cove West are blessed having Mowbray Eatery at their doorstep. A cafe by day, and restaurant by night, it sits in leafy surrounds framed by tall natives. We arrive on a warm spring morning, and have a choice of relaxing in the beautifully decked exterior or taking a seat inside. We opt to sit outside. Even as the sun blazed down, the aforementioned native gum trees shield us from the heat of the day and make for a perfect al fresco dining experience. Have a kid or two tugging at your tails? Like we did? Well Mowbray Eatery is about good as it gets in that regard, as an enclosed playground allows you dine and keep an eye on the kids. So good!
Without a coffee in the morning, my day hasn’t started, so not long after taking our seat and releasing the little one to the playground, my flat white arrives. Mowbray Eatery uses a Toby’s Estate blend for their milk coffees. I enjoy the robust flavours, with hints of chocolate and toffee. A nice body, and low on the acidity, it goes down fast . A smooth, beautifully flavoured coffee to start off the morning.
A quick chat to Tasia who manages Mowbray Eatery, reveals a paddock to plate philosophy. Her team are at the markets often and talking to local producers to source as much of their ingredients from the region. It would be remiss of me then to not sample a salad that showcases some of the produce. I go with a trout salad. It’s a beautifully vibrant dish of yellow, red and green. The star of the dish is the smoked trout which is tender with the smoky flavours permeating all the way through the flesh, yet not diminishing the naturally subtle flavours of the fish. The smoked trout and the salad sit on a bed of saffron cous cous. The saffron injects hues of yellow into the cous cous. It provides a nice texture and is perfectly cooked and you can pick out each grain. Fennel is one of the my favourite vegetables and I love the peppery hints along with the heat and earthiness of the radish. The crunchy vegetables are countered with a beautifully seasoned smashed avocado.
Next up I sample Mavis’s fish burger. The fish is seasoned with a Moroccan spice mix. Spice and fish is like walking a very fine line and the chef at Mowbray Eatery navigates it finely, with spices not overpowering the tender chunks of barramundi. The mayonnaise has little grains of mustard in which create bubble bursts of flavours when you bite into it. There is also a relish with sweet onion flavours quite prominent. Tomatoes add an acidic balance. A slice of cucumber provides a cool crunchy hit. All of it sits in a super soft, and buttery brioche. On the side are expertly fried chips cooked through perfectly and so crispy and crunchy.
We manage to extricate little Coco and Viner Sammi from the playground for just a few minutes to eat her lunch. Mowbray Eatery look after the kids with a little menu of delights. Her favourite words when we go out to eat is chicken and chips and Mowray Eatery delivers delicious chunks of chicken, which are tender and nicely flavoured. Like those with the fish burger, the chips are supremely crispy. It’s also refreshing to see a side salad, that we bribe Sammi to munch through before she can head back to the playground.
We loved our visit Mowbray Eatery. It’s a real urban gem where you can kick back and savour a meal before enjoying the rest of the weekend, or if you live or work close to Chatswood, it’s proximity to major arterials, provide a good stopping off point for a quick bite and coffee.
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