The boys who have done amazing things in The Hills have come together with a few of their crew to create Soulmate in Newtown. Where The Tuckshop is renowned for their burgers and Goodfella for their bagels, I see Soulmate’s sweet spot being their rolls especially their Black Sausage offering and of course continuing a great coffee tradition.
When I first heard that Soulmate was in the works, I wondered how it would it fit in with the boho type feel of Newtown. Well, we have been twice now, and its location at the end of Philip Street is perfect! It’s a mashup of the cool spaces in Bella Vista and Glenhaven. Industrial in parts, with a relaxed, bright, open aesthetic and feel. On one end there is a big sharing table and smaller two and three seaters throughout. It’s about 150 metres from busy Enmore Road, yet by the time you reach Soulmate you are cocooned away from the traffic and there is an almost suburban relaxed feel.
Single O Origin is the constant as with their other cafes and the coffee is dialed in for sure. A Cappuccino hits the right notes. A perfect temperature with silky smooth milk work and bright, punchy flavour. Nice chocolate notes of the coffee are enriched with a sprinkling of chocolate on top of just the perfect sliver of froth.
Little Coco and Viner Sammi loves her Bacon And Egg (BAE) Roll, so it is no surprise that she would choose Soulmate’s Basic BAE Roll from their menu. What makes this one stand out from other BAE rolls is the potato bun that is so light and fluffy. It is lightly toasted to give it some crunch texture on the outside and also to help it hold up the delicious bacon and sunny side up egg inside. It is basic in terms of ingredients, but when you use fresh ingredients like good eggs, crispy bacon and an outstanding bread roll, the Basic BAE Roll becomes a wonderful sandwich all on its own.
Soulmate’s Breakfast Burger is officially one of my favourite sandwiches in all of the city. Using the same soft fluffy toasted bun as the BAE, this time the flavours of the pork and fennel patty reminds me of sausage, but in the shape of a round patty. Topped with a square of fluffy scrambled eggs, a slice of melty American cheese, hash brown, and finally a generous drizzle of house BBQ sauce. All the flavours in the burger meshes together in a harmonious manner but it is the house BBQ sauce with its sweet, salty, umami flavours with hint of chilli kick, that tips the scale of this burger. This for me its the ultimate breakfast burger and one of the very few times I finished all the food on my plate without leaving a single morsel behind!
Soulmate’s Black Sausage Sangas is a grown-up version of the traditional hot dog in a bun. Instead of a chewy hotdog roll, you get a soft fluffy perfectly toasted hoagie roll. Instead of a simple hotdog, you get black sausage, which is essentially minced meat mixed with spices and blood to give it a distinctive dark colour and intense robust flavours. Instead of tomato sauce, you get a sambal sauce to add an amazing chilli kick. Finally, a fresh herb aioli helps to cut through some of the richness of sausage and the sprinkle of chopped onions aids as a palate cleanser. You have to be a little adventurous to try Soulmate’s Black Sausage Sangas, but the gamble pays off as you will be rewarded with one of most unique hotdog sandwiches you would get in town.
We walked away from Soulmate not one bit surprised at how good our experience was. Friendly service, coupled with excellent food that ticks all the flavour boxes washed down with quality coffee. We only skimmed the surface of the menu, and cannot wait to return for more.
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