Often in romance we can mistake the idea of love for what love actually is, and I think that in food, we can sometimes love the idea of a dish perhaps a bit more than the dish itself.
Tell me, have you ever tried a Cronut?
A Cronut – if you don’t already know – is a cross between a croissant and a doughnut. Croissant dough is cut into doughnut shapes and then deep-fried, then injected with filling or covered with a glaze.
Brewtown Newtown has their own – Brewnuts, which is the subject of constant adoration on Instagram and beyond. Coupled with an amazing cup of coffee, this has made Brewtown Newtown the pinnacle of trendy cafes, ensuring a minimum 30 minute wait for a table on weekends.
So is it worth the wait?
Besides Brewnuts and coffee, Brewtown actually has a really interesting all-day breakfast and lunch menu. With items like Wood Smoked Salmon, Squid Ink Linguini and Corned Beef Hash, the promise of a hearty meal awaits in the next order.
There is a Malay term – “jelak” – that refers to that slightly sickly feeling when you’ve eaten something that is incredibly rich and fatty, and let me not be the last to tell you that jelak is exactly what a Brewnut causes. And really, what else would you expect from deep-fried croissant dough? On first bite my mouth is filled with butter – or dare I say margarine? – which first pleases, then quickly overwhelms my palate. I struggle to finish a whole one by myself, and I would say that this is the definitely one of those foods that I find much easier to stomach the idea of than the actual food.
So, being the glutton for punishment that I am, I also ordered the Elvis Burger, $16.50, to share.
A savoury Brewnut is sliced in half and filled with a beef patty, Canadian bacon, and melted gruyere cheese. Chips and heart attack on the side. This was so much more intense than the sweet Brewnuts, especially with the inclusion of the melted cheese. Two people could not finish this dish, but to be fair, we weren’t particularly starving.
Thank goodness we had the coffee to break it up. Rich and aromatic, the coffee carried no burnt bitter aftertaste, and really didn’t need any sugar at all.
On top of everything, the service at Brewtown Newtown was excellent. We were not only greeted immediately – on a busy Friday afternoon – by a miraculous waiter who appeared out from within the crowd, we were also seated immediately, even though it was absolutely buzzing. We then requested a different seat by the door so that we could get better light. and were obliged with grace. It took a few moments because people were paying their bill, but we were informed every step of the way of what was going on, and never left guessing. Even with a growing number of people at the door, we never felt rushed, and everything was speedy and efficient, and consistently of quality.
Definitely worth the wait.
Brewnuts are now also available at other select cafes, like Kingswood Coffee in World Square and Reformatory Lab in Surry Hills.
Brewtown Newtown
02 9519 2920
6-8 O’Connell Street
Newtown, NSW 2042
http://www.brewtownnewtown.com
Your photos make me want to eat wherever you go.