Haven: tailoring coffee joyously
Haven? More like heaven. But haven also works, I guess.
My point is, Haven is definitely one of the most delicious, creative and reasonably-priced cafe-restaurants in Sydney; not to mention their killer coffees, which they tailor, as their name suggests, with a substantial amount of joy.
I am proud to say I discovered Haven back when it first opened, and the owner still had the time and energy to come chat to the patrons. In a short couple of years, Haven has truly taken off - now, Haven is so popular that there is always a line to get in.
The egg waffle has become of the staple items at Haven. What is impressive is that Haven continously comes up with new flavours, but the two staple flavours which has not left the menu since the egg waffles have been introduced are the kimchi waffle (which I reviewed here: http://idonteatidevour.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/haven-tailoring-coffee-joyously.html) and the green tea waffle (pictured).
Egg waffles are a famous Hong Kong streetfood. In my opinion, they are an improved version of normal waffles, because they are softer, lighter and fluffier. And they are shaped like little eggs. The green tea egg waffle comes with a small pot of thick matcha syrup - though I call it syrup, Haven has geniusly stayed true to the essence of the matcha. This 'syrup' is more bitter than sweet. It truly preserves the tea flavour, and balances the very sweet red bean paste and green tea ice-cream.
This, my friend, is not an eggs benedict. it is better than an eggs benedict. Instead of resting two perfectly cooked poached eggs on plain old bread, Haven nestles them on crispy noodles. The concept is similar to the sounds-great-but-actually-awful ramen burgers; except, of course, Not Eggs Benedict is superior. This is one of the new items on the menu which I have never seen before - this constant updating of menu is one of the reasons why I keep revising Haven. There's always something new to tempt and surprise you.
The bun is, of course, a milk bun. The egg is, of course, wonderfully cooked. The star of the show is the house-smoked bacon, which is thick and satisfying; and which you can get for an extra 50c. Do it.
The coffee at Haven are simply wonderful, and always comes with a little side that compliments the notes in the coffee. This time round, the beans used by Haven have a very distinctive fruity taste, which is why they paired it with raisins. If you order a chocolatey-noted coffee, you get a side of cocao nibs; and if you order something nutty, you get almonds. It's the little things that count.
Score: 5/ 5
Just as in my previous posts on Haven, which is the most repeatedly-reviewed place on this blog, Haven gets full marks.
My 2015 visit
My 2016 visit
Cost: very reasonable, especially when considering the creativity and quality of the food. There are too many cafes out there that charges $20 for some eggs on toast with bits of leaves. Haven truly stands out in the value-for-money department.
Address: 30-34 Chalmers St, Surry Hills
Website: http://havenspecialtycoffee.com.au/
My point is, Haven is definitely one of the most delicious, creative and reasonably-priced cafe-restaurants in Sydney; not to mention their killer coffees, which they tailor, as their name suggests, with a substantial amount of joy.
I am proud to say I discovered Haven back when it first opened, and the owner still had the time and energy to come chat to the patrons. In a short couple of years, Haven has truly taken off - now, Haven is so popular that there is always a line to get in.
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| Green tea and red bean egg waffle, $16.50 |
Egg waffles are a famous Hong Kong streetfood. In my opinion, they are an improved version of normal waffles, because they are softer, lighter and fluffier. And they are shaped like little eggs. The green tea egg waffle comes with a small pot of thick matcha syrup - though I call it syrup, Haven has geniusly stayed true to the essence of the matcha. This 'syrup' is more bitter than sweet. It truly preserves the tea flavour, and balances the very sweet red bean paste and green tea ice-cream.
 |
| Not Eggs Benedict, $19.50 (I think - I can't remember the cost exactly) |
 |
| Egg roll with house-smoked bacon, $10.50 |
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| Latte, $4 |
Score: 5/ 5
Just as in my previous posts on Haven, which is the most repeatedly-reviewed place on this blog, Haven gets full marks.
My 2015 visit
My 2016 visit
Cost: very reasonable, especially when considering the creativity and quality of the food. There are too many cafes out there that charges $20 for some eggs on toast with bits of leaves. Haven truly stands out in the value-for-money department.
Address: 30-34 Chalmers St, Surry Hills
Website: http://havenspecialtycoffee.com.au/
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