Situated in a quieter nook of Chatswood, this café is blooming as it fulfills the many “musts” that café-hopping and brunch eating requires – interesting beverages, trendy food with big and bold flavours along with Instagram-worthy plating.
chimichuri
It’s definitely become my new go-to when I schedule weekend brunches with friends and am too lazy to venture out into different neighbourhoods or the city. The café has an interesting aesthetic, there is graffiti on the walls and an open kitchen so you can see all the buzz and work behind the plate of food you’ll be receiving. The look is almost warehouse-like, but at the same time you’re treated to seasonal flowers on your table which adds warmth and welcome to the café.
sharon
The name Chimichuri reflects the roots of the café which at it’s heart is Latin American – and you can see some of this flow through in the menu such as Chimichuri eggs which is poached eggs with labneh, artisan bread and chimichuri sauce. However, at the same time it has completely branched off to ‘exotic’ flavours which excite the public. For me, I found the assortment of lattes very interesting – they covered dirty chai, green matcha which I feel have almost become staples in any busy and trendy café, but have also added into the mixture coconut, taro, red velvet and golden turmeric. Wow – what a bonanza.
golden tuermeric latte & taro latte
I’ve visited this cafe maybe four times over the last 6 or 7 months and whilst it was once on the quieter side, it has really become very busy ~ but packed enough without the queue at 11:30 for Sunday brunch. The prices are ok – a little on the expensive side for a student budget – but still worthwhile as the portion sizes are definitely fair and the food really yummy! I suggest readers in Sydney go soon because I’m very sure with it’s Instagram following that it’ll only become busier. For those who want to visit, I’ve popped the café’s details and opening hours below. I’ll keep the writing on this one short and let the photos speak for themselves, because for sure they speak volumes.
Sauciness ,)
Moony
coconut & cherry hotcake (signature) with cherry compote, toasted coconut flakes, glazed cherries, vanilla ice cream, lindt dark chocolate sauce ($19)fried chicken burger with crumb fried chicken, avocado, chimichuri slaw, tomato salsa, peri peri sauce served with chimichuri black bun & battered chips ($19)black benedict (signature) with soft shell crab, poached eggs, salmon roe, house black hollandaise served on brioche ($22.50)chimichuri eggs with poached eggs, labneh, chilli oil, chimichuri sauce, house dukkah served with artisan bread. ($17)french toast with brioche, nutella, lychee ganache, berry coulis, strawberry gel, marshmallow, persian fairy floss, seasonal fruits ($18)brunch spread
Wow, I know this dish isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing – partly because of it’s actual appearance, but mostly because of my very poor photography skills and the fact that there is not much natural lighting at 5pm on a wintry Sydney day. But such is the reason that I made this in the first place – it’s easy and it’s exactly the kind of more-ish comfort food that I crave for in late July Sydney.
pumpkin, sweet potato, sago, coconut cream, brown sugar
For those who have been game enough to look at this post despite my photos – welcome and I sincerely hope you make this and feel the warmth that I did. I made this with my grandparents in the late afternoon/early evening and ate it before dinner because we simply couldn’t wait. And as we ate Bubur Cha-Cha together, I don’t know why but my natural reaction was to fake sob with my whole body (shoulders, stank face and all) and exclaim in a teary kind of way 很好吃 (Hěn hào chī) which means “it’s so delicious!!” to which my grandparents semi-snickered and chuckled 神经病 (Shénjīng bìng) which figuratively means “you’re crazy.” It is that good, I kid you not – I mean imagine, sweet potato, pumpkin, sugar, coconut and sago mixed together in a bowl of vegetable goodness, in dessert form and swirling in velvety fragrant coconut liqueur.
sweet potato and pumpkin
Wow.
This kind of dessert is known as 糖水 (Tángshuǐ) which literally translates as “sugar water” in Cantonese or Mandarin. It is a category of desserts that is very popular among Asian countries. Speaking specifically from my experiences, I have to come know 糖水 (Tángshuǐ) through Yum Cha, Hong Kong dessert shops and just home. For this Bubur Cha-Cha, my sister and I call it “Po Po Cha Cha”, but I believe the Cantonese name for it is 西米露 (pronounced Sai Mai Lo in Cantonese or Xī mǐ lù in Mandarin) which is served cold.
cook em sweet potatoes
Originating in Hong Kong, 西米露 (Sai Mai Lo) is a cold style coconut and sago dessert which is designed to be refreshing – as it is often paired with mango, taro or pumpkin. From my research, there is also a Vietnamese dish called chè chuối chưngthat is very similar with coconut, sago, pandan and bananas served warm. The one we made today is Malaysian Style ~ because that’s where my grandpa’s roots are and I’m guessing that our Cantonese accent has just moulded it phonetically to be Po Po Cha Cha. (I’ve titled this post Bubur Cha-Cha however because that is the popular name for this dessert)
Add pumpkin when sweet potatoes are semi-soft
Before I end this post, I must justify why I call this a “kind of” Bubur Cha-Cha. This is because Bubur Cha-Cha generally implies the use of sago, which we use here. However, when I go out and eat this, usually the liquid is white (the coconut milk/cream) with a lot of sago, and a bit of taro or papaya to top it off. That is also what it looks like on the internet. The Bubur Cha-we’ve made looks so different it makes me reluctant to call it so – hence the “kind of”. The liquid colour is like a soft mauve/burgundy ~ which is a result of one pot cooking convenience, but also because my grandparents and I haven’t made this in a long time and we don’t keep record of recipes (apart from right here, right now).
when the sweet potato and pumpkin are cooked through, add in the coconut cream and sago
Because of this, the recipe or these photos aren’t entirely perfect, such as life is – and I write this disclaimer because I’m sure that you may be more used to refined and beautiful blogs. But I just had to upload this, because I was so excited when I tasted it. I guess life isn’t perfect, and it’s not necessarily beautiful or Instagram-worthy, but there are these moments of deliciousness that dispel all those requirements. And this is it. Try it, seriously.
Warmth and Happiness,
Moony
bowl of happiness :).
A Pumpkin and Sweet Potato kind of Bubur Cha-Cha Recipe:
2 medium sweet potatoes (1.1 kg), peeled and roughly chopped up into 2*3 or 2*4 cm pieces
500 g pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped up into 2*3 or 2*4 cm pieces
200 g brown sugar in pieces*, broken into halves
50 g dried sago, rinsed
400 g coconut cream
water
Place approx. 1.5L water into a pot under medium-high heat. Once boiling, place the chopped sweet potatoes inside the pot – the water should just cover the potatoes. Approximately 8 – 10 minutes later when the sweet potatoes should be half cooked. Place the pumpkin into the pot and stir.
While your sweet potato and pumpkin are cooking, put the sago into a small pot/saucepan with approx 80mL water. Cook this on a stove on low-medium heat for approximately five minutes until the sago just becomes translucent. Set this aside.
Now, check to see whether the sweet potato and pumpkin are cooked through and soft. Once you are satisfied they are cooked through, put the brown sugar into the mixture and let it dissolve. Afterwards, pour the coconut cream and mix that into the soup until the clumps have melted. Then, pour in the sago mixture and once it simmers again, serve hot.
Additional Notes:
Honestly, I think you can use double the amount of sago for a bit more texture to your 糖水 (Tángshuǐ).
Be careful of overcooking your sago as it will become sludgy and the individual balls will lose their shape.
You can also add in taro or substitute it for the pumpkin or sweet potato.
You can see the brown sugar I’ve used here are in sticks* – you can buy this at Chinese grocery stores. However, the regular brown sugar from your local grocery store works just as well.
Remember to adjust cooking time according to when you think the sweet potato or pumpkin is cooked. You do not want to overcook these.
Labneh is a fresh soft cheese, which is made via straining yoghurt to remove the whey, that is the watery part of milk. It is popular in Middle East and most probably originated from there because cheeses made from strained yoghurt have been eaten in the Levant* for thousands of years. Therefore, the use of labneh is steeped in Middle Eastern cuisine as shown through the traditional use of za’atar* as garnish, as dip with pita or in traditional mezze spreads.
To strain yoghurt, place 2 layers of cheesecloth over a strainer, which is propped over a bigger bowl.
My very first interaction with labneh was around two years ago when my mother and sister brought home some delicious deli cheeses marinating in oil from the Blue Mountains. My foremost favourite however was labneh, which on the label described itself as a yoghurt-cheese marinating in a selection of spices and herbs. It was incredibly delicious, a bit tangy with a cream cheese consistency. We would generously spread it on Turkish bread every morning, but as the jar emptied with the last spread ~ I thought it would be my last time trying this exotic cheese only to be found in the Blue Mountains.
ingredients for labneh with wet marinade
Yeah, I was quite silly. But, I am fortunate as well to have stumbled upon this wonderful cheese again. Upon watching Masterchef this year, one of the cooks made labneh ~ a word which sounded strangely familiar so I looked it up and shock glee, it was THE cheese. It was also incredibly easy to make. So I did.
Clockwise from top left: Add salt to greek yoghurt, pour into strainer lined with cheesecloth, tie up cheesecloth with kitchen string
There are many variations of labneh. These variations depend on the:
Milk of the yoghurt which can range from goat, sheep, cow, camel, water buffalo
Consistency, that is how long it’s taken to separate whey
For a dip-like consistency a few hours to 1 day is enough, for a harder cheese like what I have made the separation process can take up to 4-5 days
Whether it is eaten fresh, dried or preserved in oil
rosemary, chilli, garlic
Traditionally, labneh is served with za’atar as garnish. For me, I made something nostalgic and from memory. Therefore, I made a harder labneh to marinate/preserve in olive oil with chilli, rosemary and garlic. These are also known as labneh koorat which translates as labneh balls. This is the recipe I have adapted from Amelia in her Simple Provisions blog. Enjoy!
Xoxo,
Moony
* The Levant – a historical geographical term which describes “the crossroads of Western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and North East Africa.” (UCL Institute of Archaeology) It includes countries Cyprus, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Turkey.
*Mezze – a way of eating in the Mediterranean and Middle East where there is a spread of different foods, dips, meats, bread (usually pita) and vegetable dishes to constitute an entire meal.
*Za’atar – a Middle Eastern spice blend usually consisting of sumac, sesame seeds, salt and a range of other herbs and spices depending on the recipe.
Labneh recipe:
1 kg greek yoghurt
1 tsp salt
cheesecloth
strainer
kitchen string
Line the strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth and pop over a bowl so that the strainer is not touching the bottom of the bowl.
Mix salt into greek yoghurt and stir. Pour this mixture into the strainer. Fold up the sides of the cheesecloth and tie up with kitchen string. For labneh koorat (labneh balls) leave to strain for at least three days. The longer you strain for, the harder the cheese will become.
Depending on the softness of the cheese, if the consistency is harder – you can roll them into balls. Alternatively, if it is softer you can quenelle them with two spoons (which is what I did). Pop these labneh koorat (labneh balls) or quenelles into your marinade.
Marinades:
Wet Marinade:
Olive oil
3 chilies
6 cloves of garlic
1 bunch rosemary
Dry Marinade:
Cayenne pepper
Dry herb mix
For the wet marinade, chop up your chilies and rosemary roughly. Smash the garlic and put them all into a fry pan over low-medium heat with a bit of olive oil just to extract the flavours and oils. Then pour them into a jar with olive oil and leave them to cha cha cha.
For the dry marinade, combine cayenne pepper and whatever dry herbs you have in your cupboard ( I used thyme) in a bowl. Roll your labneh quenelles or balls into this mix and pop into a jar with olive oil.
Additional Notes:
To quenelle, just take a spoon with a generous amount of cheese and use the other spoon to scoop it up, repeat this motion until the cheese forms an oval shape.
You can use both the dry and wet marinade together or separately.
sorry for the blurry photo(!) but here is labneh in oil
Lemon Moon 