Lately I have been so busy trying to manage the balance between work and uni that I have neglected one of the most important things in my life - brunching. Ok that may have come out a little ridiculous but seriously picture this - a sunny Saturday morning, a cosy cafe buzzing with locals, the fragrant aromas of coffee, plates of eggs stacked amongst bacon, chorizo, mushrooms, haloumi and sourdough bread - if you did not just fall in love with that descriptIon...you'd be lying. Element 6 ticked all the boxes for that perfect scenario depicted above and despite having to go through horrible traffic to get there, it was worth the while!
M and I chose to go Element 6 because it was relatively close to us as opposed to heading all the way out to Surry Hills in the City. Situated in West Ryde right next to the station, there is ample parking available nearby (bonus!). However the lesson we learnt was to leave the house earlier than 11am because traffic was horrid on Concord Road and it took us nearly an hour to get there. I am grateful though for perservering! The desire to enjoy good brunch trumped my impatience that day :)
Element 6 is not too big in space but they do have a nice outdoor area. The vibe is very similar to what you would find in the likes of Surry Hills or Newtown. Do expect to wait in line for at least 10-15minutes as the place is quite popular!
By the time we were seated, it was safe to say that we were famished. My Strawberry Milkshake ($5.50) and M's Iced Coffee ($4) was absolutely delicious! The milkshake was nice and sweet with a consistency that wasn't too thick nor thin. I slurped away in delight hoping it would fill the hunger void in my stomach. The coffee was also great - I liked how it wasn't too bitter although the ice cream probably helped with the creaminess!
M's order of Chubby Bacon & Sunny Egg Roll with Onion Jam, House Pumpkin Chutney and e6 Aioli ($9) with an extra side of Chorizo ($3.50) was the ultimate big breakfast for the super famished. The addition of chorizo was definitely a smart choice because it added the kick in flavour to this juicy burger. We both give a double thumbs up!
Although my order slightly paled in comparison to M's, it was still quite delicious and surprisingly very filling. I must admit, I did regret not adding some additions to my dish (options include smoked salmon, poached chicken, bacon, choirzo and a whole lot of other genius ideas FYI).
The E6 Fav Rosemary Garlic Mushrooms with 2 Poached Eggs, Haloumi, Baby Spinach and Roast Tomato on Sourdough came all stacked up, waiting for me to demolish sans grace. I digged in immediately and was overcome with joy due to the abundance of mushrooms - I am a huge fan! The flavours meshed well together, especially with the gooey poached eggs. However as mentioned before, I think adding some meat would've made it just that much better!
Overall both M and I loved Element 6! The atmosphere was really chilled, just like how a local cafe should be and the staff were super friendly. The other great thing is the wide variety of options on the menu - we found it so hard to decide so I guess it was good we had the extra time to contemplate while waiting in line. It's also situated at a very convenient location - right across from West Ryde Station and for those who prefer to drive, there's parking spaces surrounding the cafe. Will definitely return to try some of the other dishes on the menu!
How cute are the wall decorations?
There are also specials so keep an eye out for the blackboard :D
Element 6
65 Ryedale Street
West Ryde NSW 2114
(02) 8021 2838
http://www.element6.com.au
Labels: Breakfast, Brunch, Cafe, Coffee
