Rustic Pearl, Surry Hills

Nothing is better than finding a parking spot right infront of the designated cafe...well besides the food that we're gonna be having of course!

Situated on busy Crown Street where I could name at least 10 cafes in a 200m radius lies Rustic Pearl. This cafe sets itself apart from the others with a heavily influenced Mediterranian twist to it.  This is evident in the decor, the tiles embedded in the tables, the assortment of Turkish coffee and the variety of Gozlemes on the menu.

Capacity of roughly 15 inside and 8 outside, this cafe certainly packs a punch

We got ourselves an inside table and I straightaway had a "foot in my mouth moment"
Waitress : How's it going?
Me         : Good! It's a gorgeous day and I don't have to be at work!.......oops
Waitress : Well, I do. *chuckle*
Me         : *laughs* Sorry!!! I didn't mean it like that, I hope you're not working tomorrow???
Waitress : Actually I am...
Me         : I think I'll shut up now... 
 WN       : *frowns* Can't take you anywhere!"

Small things like these never fails to leave a huge impression on me

Ok back to the cafe. I like it when cafes make little changes to the way they do things. Something as simple as using a fruit as a bottle stopper and also putting a slice of lemon and a mint leaf into our cups automatically makes them 'different'. Little things like this goes to show that they really do care about what they serve and the impression they give. 

Latte art interpretation : I love football(soccer)?

What do you see in the latteart above?  I don't know if it's because World Cup is on now but I see a guy kicking a football and there's a heart to the right. Rustic Pearl sources their beans from Mecca Expresso so you know it's going to be good. 

Delicious-must-order-beverages

Next up were 2 really good beverages. 
Left : Chocomole Smoothie  Avocado, cocoa, honey, pistachoe, pomegranate
This drink is rich! It's super chocolatey and thick due to the avocado. Even with the honey, it wasn't overpowering in terms of sweetness. This drink goes well with the tartness from the pomegranate.
Right : Turkish apple iced tea w/ lemon, rose, mint & cucumber.
Somewhat similar to the line from Anchorman, it's like a party in your mouth. The tartness of the granny smiths works well with the mint. Throw in the sweet rose for flavouring, the subtle taste of cucumber and a dash of lemon for abit of zing and there you have it! It's like tripping out on tea!

No bigger than my iphone. I wonder what else, one could use this for. ;)

Bosphorous Benedict - grilled lobster meat with poached organic eggs, crushed avocado, hollandaise, chives, coriander, chilli

WN and A ordered the above eggs benedict with lobster but unfortunately, they both agreed that the star of the dish was a little on the bland side. I tried some of it and had to agree. It had no flavour...just the texture of prawns. No complaints on the other elements of this dish though.

Smoked wagyu omelette, buffalo mozzarella, spinach skordalia, bacon dust, tomato relish & toast

I on the other hand, had a smashing dish! The smoked wagyu was wrapped in a moist scramble of eggs which had just the right texture. Combine this with a small piece of sourdough and a dollop of spinach skordalia, every bite was thoroughly enjoyable. The cherry tomatoes were really sweet and I wouldn't have minded another helping of it. Whilst it sounded cool, the bacon dust didn't really have much of a presence in this dish. I literally wiped this plate clean with the last piece of bread and would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Rustic Pearl. 

Mediterranian sweets with our bill? :)

In my books, Rustic Pearl is another one of Surry Hills must visit cafes. The menu is vast so revisiting this place and trying out new dishes is no problems at all. I initially planned to get the Gozleme but got swayed by the word wagyu. That's ok as it's another reason for me to come back here again another time.