Blaq Piq, Sydney

We don't have much laneway-ish cafes in Sydney as much as Melbourne does. But when one pops up in Sydney, it's done spot on. Just like the new Blaq Piq that opened up on Alberta Street (near Cre Asion).

The interior is Scandanavian inspired with furnishings that match the theme. The funky pendant lights add character to the place. For their espresso drinks, they use a sleek Synesso machine to make liquid magic. I first heard about them from my buddy Adrian Leonard on Instagram. The menu is Modern Australian that is highly inspired by Asian and American cuisine. Doughtnuts and pastries are also available. I don't know much about Blaq Piq's background but what I do know is that their food is awesome!

Latte ($3.50)

Piccolo latte

So how about their coffee? For their espresso house blend, they use the Crompton Rd blend from Five Senses. I could taste notes of fruits and nuts with hints of chocolate in my piccolo latte ($3.50). I also quite like the mild acidity. The milk temperature was also perfect. They really know how to work with this blend.

I also had a sample of their batch filter brew of Ethiopia Yigracheffe. As expected from a Yigracheffe coffee, it was juicy, sweet and fruity.

Dulce (Dulce De Leche) donut

Their dulce donut ($4.50) was awesome! The sugar coated donut was fluffy and the caramelised sweet milk flavour of the dulce de leche filling was beautiful.

BLT

There are a lot of familiar cafe dishes on the menu like the BLT ($10). But their twist to this classic replaced the bacon with generous slabs of super tender and flavoursome pork belly. It also had lettuce, tomato and aioli in a soft milk bun. It handled well and the garlic flavour from aioli went perfectly with the pork belly.

Pandan buttermilk pancake

Their pandan buttermilk pancake ($16) is their most Instagramed dish and now I know why. Besides being picture perfect, it was also delicious! The pancake is infused with pandan, which adds a sweet flavour to it and the buttermilk component made the pancake fluffy. The addition of coconut ice cream, berries, pecan, mango and salted coconut sugar syrup gave this dish vibrance to its aesthetics and taste.

Shoestring chips with chilli mayo

We also ordered shoestring chips with chilli mayo ($6). The generous serving of chips was perfectly cooked and the chilli mayo was tasty and addictive. I just wish there was more mayo to match the amount of chips. 

I was overall impressed with Blaq Piq.  Food, coffee and service were excellent. I'd definitely go back to try other items in their menu like their twice cooked pork belly ($17).

Blaq Piq

11-15 Alberta Street

Surry Hills NSW

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday 7:00am to 4:00pm

Saturday 8:00am to 2:00pm

Burger Bro?, Martin Place - Sydney

Update (17 November 2015): Burger Bro has reverted back to their old menu. 

"Burger bro?" That's what I ask myself everyday. Oh man, if only my metabolism would allow daily consumption of cheeseburgers! But a burger treat every now and then is not bad. Speaking of burgers, a few months ago I visited the new and improved "Burger Bro?" located at Martin Place.

The main reason for the visit is to try their new menu created by Burger Bro's new head chef, my homie Joseph Galuvao. Some of you may be familiar with his work at Pub Life Kitchen under the awesome Jovan Curic. Joseph, his new menu, the new burgers and the change from dense buns to soft milk buns are the main improvements to Burger Bro. The space still remains the same as when it first opened - a mixture of modern diner and bar lounge interior.

Now, let's talk about the food:

Phat pork chips

Joseph gave us complimentary phat pork chips (normally $10) to try before our orders were ready. I'm a sucker for shoestring fries smothered with sauce so I really enjoyed this one. But  the best thing about it was the hidden pulled pork! It was one of the most juicy and smokey pulled pork I've come across in Sydney.

Grilled corn with Dorito salt and jerk crumb

Then our orders came out starting with the tasty grilled corn with Dorito salt and jerk crumb ($4). The cheesy, slightly salty and tangy flavour seasoning from the Dorito salt and jerk crumb worked well with the smokey grilled corn.

Benji

The benji ($14 - fries included) is their buttermilk fried chicken burger with slaw and mayo blend in a soft milk bun. The rippled coating was gloriously crunchy. The meat was juicy and seasoned well. The tangy creamy mayo and slaw was perfect for cutting through the richness of the fried chicken. This was one massive fried chicken burger!

Klasik Kiwi cheeseburger

Last but not least is the Klasik Kiwi Cheeseburger ($14 includes fries). This is a classic cheeseburger with juicy grilled flavoursome beef patty, onion, pickles, tomato sauce and mustard in a soft milk bun. This burger was not only delicious but it really handled well. The smokey patty along with the tangy flavours of the sauces, the sweet & sour pickles and the sweet bite from the onion made this legit cheeseburger a winner.

Traces of Joseph's experience at Pub Life Kitchen and his own signature creativity definitely shines through the new menu. Burger Bro under Joseph's care has become one of my favourite burger joints in Sydney.

Burger Bro?

53 Martin Place

Sydney NSW 2000

Opening hours:

Monday to Frida 11am-9pm