Self-actualisation is at the top of
Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid. To quote Abraham about
self-actualisation, he said: "What a man can be, must be". Speaking
of Maslow's, Chef Jack New (Ex-Pier, Cafe Sydney, Sokyo
& Edition) and crew has recently re-opened Maslows at a new
location in Naremburn.
I really dig their new space. The
interior has a clean, slightly Scandinavian and contemporary minimalist
approach. Seatings for 2, groups of 4 and 6 are available inside and outside
the cafe. There are also single seatings by the brew bar and the long wall-mounted
table. The style of food can be classified as Modern Australian but is also an
accumulation of all of Jack's culinary experiences as chef and lover of food.
Expect anything from French to Japanese.
They still source their beans for
espresso from Melbourne's beloved roaster Seven
Seeds. For filter they use single origins from Drop Coffee. Tommy's brewing game is strong and I knew that we're
in for a treat:
We had a latte ($4) and piccolo latte
($4) with Seven Seeds seasonal blend. Milk texture and temperature were on
point. I especially loved the sweet plum and floral notes from the blend.
Filter coffee |
I had a V60 pour over filter coffee ($5) of Ethiopia Wote by
Drop Coffee. It's good for up to two servings. It was citrusy and not heavy on
the palate with a floral aroma.
Now down to the food! We ordered two
pork based dishes because: 1) We love pork and 2) Jack does wonders with pork.
Mr. Pig |
The new and improved version of Mr. Pig ($12 - available all-day) has
braised pork, onsen egg and herb salad in brioche bun. The pork may appear like
it was pulled but it's actually super tender pork that just fell apart in the
process. It was also flavoursome with hints of sweetness. The beautiful onsen
egg with runny yolk was perfectly cooked and the herb salad acted like a slaw.
The buttery soft brioche held the whole dish well.
Besides being seductively plated dish,
the 3 Little Pigs ($24 - available from
11am) was delicious! It had three glorious shards of pork crackling, 2
chunks roast pork belly, sour cream caramel and charred vegetables. The pork
crackling were nothing short of awesome. The roast pork were fatty and tasty
that had a nice caramelised finish. The charred veggies went well with the
pork. I've never had caramel with pork but Jack's sour cream caramel sauce
works just as well as apple sauce or chilli jam with pork belly.
I was already a fan of Jack and Tom's
work to start with. My experience at the new Maslows has left me still in awe
with this duo. I look forward to going back to try other dishes like lotus root
carbonara ($18) which consists of lotus root, edamame, speck & egg yolk and
the Tokyo schnitzel ($21) which has nori crumbed chicken, fennel slaw, white
bread and kewpie.
Maslows
286 Willoughby Rd,
Naremburn NSW 2065
Opening hours:
Monday – Friday: 7:30am - 4:30pm
Weekends: 8am - 3pm
ermahgerd that crackling!
ReplyDeleteOh my that osen egg, soooo vibrant!!
ReplyDeletewoohoo love that they've moved closer to my hood, no excuse not to check them out now! that 3 little pigs dish looks so good
ReplyDeleteSo much porky goodness. I think I need a date with Mr Pig soon :)
ReplyDeleteI thought I wanted the Mr Pig burger but then BAM you hit my up with 3 little pigs!
ReplyDeleteI salivated.