Sotto on West

Sotto on West, like so many of Sydney's suburban cafes, wins on freshness. The food is simple, more a task of construction (putting together a number of good-quality ingredients) than a showcase of culinary skill; with a simple, predictable menu to match. These comments, however, are not intended to be criticisms - uncomplicated fare is deceptive in its simplicity, and it is difficult to satisfy the increasingly picky and spoilt Sydney-siders. Sotto on West does a commendable job of making simple, predictable cafe fare a satisfying meal.

Toast with Sides

 This dish is a perfect example of what I meant when I wrote that cafe fare is more a task of construction than culinary flair. The dish is extremely simple - some toast with bacon, mushrooms, poached eggs and barbeque sauce on the side. What is important, then, is that the quality of the ingredients be high. Sotto on West uses fresh ingredients which makes this simple dish quite delightful and satisyfing.

My Moroccan Affair

I chose this dish because it is the most complicated and exotic-sounding of all brunch options at Sotto on West, and it was delicious, though more modern Australian than Moroccan in spite of the name. Two corn fritter balls are topped with home-made tomato sauce; accompanied by two beautifully poached eggs (with slightly runny yolk, just how I like them), grilled halumi giving a welcome saltiness to the dish, a dollop of smashed avocado and a very fresh rocket, cucumber, quinoa and pickle salad. The pickle is light and refreshing, making it a very well-balanced salad. The freshness of the ingredients speak for themselves, and I was very happy with this dish.

Wagyu Burger

The burger is another example of how Sotto wins on ingredients, but is lacking in culinary flair. Though the individual parts of the burger can hardly be faulted - the pattie is made from good quality beef, the cheese so beautifully melted, the salad fresh and the milk buns soft - 'but the overall composition lacked cohesive flavour combination' - comments my friend. 

Score: 3 / 5 
Sotto on West is a satisfying brunch option, and indeed very safe - the ingredients are fresh and of good quality; put together in a respectable though unsurprising way. I would not go out of my way to visit this spot, but if I were in the area I would very happily sit at their table, being served by their lovely wait staff. 
Cost: by no means unreasonable, it is what one would expect from most cafes in affluent suburbs. 
Address: 67 West St, North Sydney