Cafe Mckenzie is one of the new cafes that has opened up across the road from Prince of Wales Hospital. I first ate at Cafe Mckenzie while picking my partner up after a night shift, and then again after an interview (results pending).
My partner really likes the Beef Brisket Hash ($19). She eats at Cafe Mckenzie with her colleagues sometimes and she tells me she’s had the dish five or so times in total. She’s a big fan of potato, which this dish has plenty of, so I think her feelings may be a bit skewed. I enjoyed the fresh radish, which is not something I normally go for. The beef brisket was yummy, and the poached eggs and beetroot relish provided a good balance for the more oily, heavier components. I can recommend this dish.
Mandarin is one of the fruits that I never think to eat, but often enjoy when I try. The menu sells the Lemon Ricotta Hotcake ($18) with raspberry and lemon butter short. It’s topped with fresh raspberries and mandarin, which help to freshen up the pancake. The hotcake itself was soft and fluffy, and the flavours all blended together successfully. Maybe only a little bit too sweet.
The Chicken Baguette ($12) with lemon poached chicken, mayo, avocado, shallots was quite good. Upon general inspection I was worried that the bread would be too hard, but the first bite allayed my fears completely. The bread was fresh , warm and crisp. The chicken filling was mild but good, and the surprise rocket was a nice addition. This baguette reminded me of the first time I had had rocket, which was back in 2011 during an open day at UNSW. I had purchased a chicken rocket sandwich from Biblio outside the Matthews Food Court for the exorbitant (for a high schooler) price of $7, which I enjoyed so much that I started buying rocket all the time for the rest of the year.
I can’t believe how happy I am to spend $14 on a toastie. The Triple Cheese and Mushroom Toastie ($14) with mixed mushroom, gruyere, parmigiano reggiano, ricotta, dijon and thyme is one of the highlights of Cafe Mckenzie. The flavours are complex and delicious, and the quality is very consistent. The pickles on the side were a delightful surprise, and I wonder if it would help for these guys to actually start advertising all of the components of their food. Great for a quick breakfast. Can recommend.
The Lamb Meatball Soup ($17) with freekeh, tomato, lemon, toast is strong, but perhaps the weakest of a very strong bunch. I thought the soup was a bit sour, and we could’ve used a bit more bread keeping in mind just how much soup there was. The meatballs were delicious and I think this would be a good dish on a cold day. The soup and bread actually comes with Pepe Saya butter, which again I feel is worth mentioning on the menu, as it is a premium component.
THOUGHTS (2020)
I am a Cafe Mckenzie Stan. If POW gives me a job for next year I suspect I’ll find myself here very very often. I think they would be perhaps even more successful if they added all of the secret elements of their food onto the menu. There’s no reason not to advertise that they serve Pepe Saya butter, or keep the rocket a surprise. 10/10.
UPDATE (2022)
I never did get that job, and ended up spending the next two years working in Western Sydney. My partner however was lucky and skilled enough to be chosen for a Eastern Suburbs training program, and I found myself back here with her and her colleagues after their run of nights. I think it is important to mention that they were happy to serve their lunch (11AM and onwards) menu to us at 9:30AM.
Along with a redo of the triple cheese and mushroom toastie (still fantastic, by the way), we also had the fattoush salad ($16) with optional grilled chicken breast ($9, hence $25 all up). This fattoush was perhaps the best I’ve ever had, and that’s spoken having lived as a working adult with access to food delivery apps in Western Sydney and now Sydney’s South West for four years now. I loved the freshness of all of the components, especially the variety of herbs (some combination of mint, parsley, and/or coriander) within. The chicken breast was an expensive addition, but reasonably well done with a tender, juicy, and tasty result. The total cost ($25) was reasonable despite the large cost of the chicken due to the quite good pricing of the non-proteinaceous base salad. Quite good!
I don’t know if this is made in-house or from an external vendor, but this passionfruit and raspberry cake ($6) was really quite nice. A bit on the sweeter side, but great moistness and combination of fruity flavours.
VERDICT
Very good. Can strongly recommend.
Cafe Mckenzie
Shop G04 &, G05/162-164 Barker St, Randwick NSW 2031
(02) 9310 0624