In Short: Bringing the Byron Bay feel and aesthetic to Kellyville Ridge is The Borrowed Table. A menu that balances the hearty with the healthy. We loved the chicken burger that was ultimately satisfying, and those triple cooked chips! Coffee is consistent and excellent with a super friendly service team that will look after you from the moment you walk in.
As I completed my Saturday bike ride, I rode past a new condominium development, one of dozens nearing completion in the rapidly developing north-west corridor of Sydney. Amongst the blocks of concrete I spied a space with a lone bench with pastel coloured pillow. At that point, I had an inkling it was a new cafe. So, a couple hours later, I came back with family in tow, for a closer inspection, and as I walked up to the entrance of The Borrowed Table, I knew immediately my inkling was right. And the beautiful font used for the entrance signage was just the precursor to the well thought out design that was to follow.
Take for example the palm tree fronds. I actually had spent the previous day in the backyard with a chainsaw hacking similar fronds away from our out-of-control palm tree, yet at The Borrowed Table the pair of fronds are presented in a beautiful arrangement. The coastal, tropical design is carried on throughout the cafe with a cabana-style wooden structure along the back wall. A textured white wall reflects the light beautifully into the cafe.
Wooden tables and the centre-piece “borrowed” table, dominate the front section of the cafe. Co-owner Lerissa sat down to discuss their little cafe oasis. She explained that the “borrowed” table was rescued from a neighbour, and had taken pride of place in her Nonna’s house. Lerissa and her sisters enjoyed many a meal around the table. Now, this same table symbolically welcomes The Borrowed Table’s new family to taste a menu that skims between all-day breakfast classics and share plates. For vegetarians, The Forgotten Table’s menu will be make for pleasant reading as two thirds of the choices on the lunch section are meat free and sound fascinating with some of the vegetables being wood-roasted.
Speaking of fresh produce, my eyes were drawn to the Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes with Burrata. Now, if there’s burrata on the menu, I develop tunnel vision; so there was little hesitation in ordering up this dish. I was not disappointed when it arrived. Generous blobs of of burrata sat on a bed of wedged tomatoes. Scattered basil dressed the dish along with a crown of paper thin garlic basted croutons and splashes of extra virgin olive oil. A scoop of the burrata and it stayed true to its Italian meaning. It was buttery smooth, with a rich flavour and only the tiniest sour finish. It’s that creamy centre that wins me over. Every. Single. Time. I actually assembled mini bite sized canapés by using the garlic croutons as the base, spreading the burrata, and stacking a wedge of the heirloom tomato and finishing off with leaf of basil. I loved the contrasting textures with the snap of crouton along with the soft burrata. The tomatoes are both sweet yet acidic and finally the herbaceous punch of freshness of the basil. It’s summer on a plate, and what a delightful introduction to what the kitchen produces at The Borrowed Table.
To go with my exceptional lunch, I had to see what head barista, Isabella, could do with the gleaming white coffee machine with its Specht Design custom wood panels featuring the name of the cafe. I ordered a Flat White. The Borrowed Table have teamed up with Sydney coffee legends Mecca to deliver some of the best coffee in north-western Sydney. I enjoyed the milk chocolate flavour. It’s a quality cup with exemplary strength and makes for easy drinking. The milk work was flawless, and I loved the sheen on the flat white as it sat on our table.
In the ninety minutes we spent at The Borrowed Table, I must have seen at least a half dozen orders for the Chicken Burger. Its popularity is epitomised by how ravishingly delicious it looks. It’s chunky and the chicken bulges from within the bun. I stole a couple bites, and well, fell a little bit in love. It was crunchy, yet the chicken remained tender and moist. Complementing the burger was an amazing house-made sauce. It reminded me of a chipotle sauce, with it’s slightly spicy zing and zesty tang, and added another dimension of flavour. A slaw refreshed the palate, and was delicious. But, do not discount the chips, because they too are quite special. Triple cooked, they are some of the best I have tasted in a long while. Do yourself a favour when you visit: either order your own, or order one for everyone else at the table, a side of these triple cooked chips!
Mavis loves her Almond Cappuccino and she really enjoyed her cup of coffee. Like the flat white, it delivered a mouthful of milk chocolate flavour. Of course, with almond milk those chocolate notes mixed with the inherently nutty flavour of the milk deliver a richly flavoured coffee. Mavis appreciated the shaved chocolate on top that really was the exclamation mark to a sensational cup of coffee.
On a return visit, we were lured back by the promise that the pancake creation was one to sample. We were not in the least bit disappointed when Rosemary Frangipani Pancake landed. A beautiful creation with a single pancake filling the plate. On the outside, it was crispy and crumbled in my mouth. Moving to the middle, I was met with a soft, spongy pancake which had absorbed the juices of the fruit. Speaking of fruit, this creation from The Borrowed Table is positively resplendent with a mix of roasted and fresh fruit. From a roasted peach, fresh berries, it really brings the plate of food alive. Its crowning glory is the frangipane. Soft and creamy, with a macadamia crumble, it adds depth to what is outstanding breakfast dish.
To contrast with the pancake I also sampled sliced Avocado on Ash Sourdough Bread. It was another beautifully dressed dish which graced our table. Of course, it goes without saying the avocado was sublime. Creamy, with hints of lemon juice infused through. What I really loved though was the chickpeas which added a crunchy contrast. A zesty finish was the ricotta which cut through the creaminess of the avocado.
We are spoilt in the fact that we will be not be faced with a long drive to come back to visit The Borrowed Table; it’s only a five minute drive from home! This translates to many more visits to sample the rest of the menu. Kellyville Ridges’s newest cafe, I suspect, will become a gathering space for many. It joins cafes like Good Fella Coffee and Alt that have opened in the last year to deliver an exceptional cafe experience in the north-west, coupled with really awesome people behind the counter and in the kitchen.
Leave a Reply