When Haven Does Egg Waffles - Surry Hills

I’ve been following Haven since the first day they opened and surprised me with their fusion yet creative dishes. And now here I am updating my post with so much Egg-citement as Haven recently introduced a new menu series!

Get the hint I just gave to you? Yup and just in time for Easter, I can’t get more excited than trying Haven’s new egg waffle! So, without further ado, let’s start our egg hunting this year!

A basic egg waffle can turn into egg-straordinary dish by adding a little bit touch of Parmesan and Kimchi. This combo is not something new for Haven as previously they have won people’s heart with their first Pork Belly Kimcheese Burger creation!

To be honest, I haven’t tasted the original Egg Waffle like the one in its origin, Hong Kong, but Haven’s texture is already satisfying for me. The innard has a slightly chewy glutinous texture yet soft and crisp on the outside. The parmesan gives a mildly sharp and distinct flavour that goes along with the saltiness (not spicy) of juicy kimchi pieces found in the waffle. The vanilla bean ice cream and kimchi on the side looks a bit off for me at first but when we actually eat them both together, they leave a sweet savory taste and somehow pleasant on the tongue and complement each other well.

Moving on to the sweet side..

Look at the presentation of this Matcha and Red Bean Eggettes! The plain waffle is perfect as a base for all the creamy sweet goodness on top with smooth matcha ice cream, creamy coconut cream, the-can’t-be-separated sweet red bean, and the rich bitter and legit matcha sauce to balance out all the sweetness.  Eat this one quickly as it’ll get quite soggy the longer you leave it with all the cream.

The Banana and Nutella is the safest combination and can be a sweet simple option for non-matcha lover but wanting some sweet eggettes here. Well who can resist Nutella when it’s spread below the eggettes and then topped with chocolate ice cream, walnuts, and caramelised butter fried banana right?

Note: These eggettes are limited to 100 servings per day. I guess be there earlier to avoid any disappointment =)

Haven Tailoring Coffee Joyously

Address:

30 - 34 Chalmers St, Surry Hills

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday 7am - 4pm and Saturday to Sunday 8am- 4pm

Visit on the 26/9/15 - Spring Menu Tasting!

Spring has sprung! New season means new produce and most importantly, Haven has just launched their new SPRING MENU! Some of their winter dishes are no longer there but they really keep their promises and bring The Forest of Melon and my favourite Roasted Plum Parfait back~

Together with Isaac from Ifat - Food Chronicles , Anna from Polyphagia and Natalie aka Nutellasum, we went there to try their recently launched SPRING MENU (Thanks for the invitation, Roy!) 

 

I have promised myself to try their new version of House Cured Kingfish and Chilled Soba Noodle the next time I visit Haven! This dish is basically cold soba noodle with crunchy shredded green papaya and topped with house-cured Kingfish. I love how the cured fish got its bold and smoky flavour as well as its red-to-brown colour from the Lapsang Souchong Tea. The noodle itself was unfortunately a bit uncooked for my liking and quite bland if you didn't eat it together with the fish. 

I didn't get a chance to try this Forest of Melon last year but hey they're back now! Watermelon is cut into blocks that resemble trees on a bed of house-made yoghurt with dried currants, toasted pepitas, cracked pepper and roasted plum reduction. 

There are so many elements in this dish but somehow we feel like they don't belong with each other. The house-made yoghurt has a rough consistency closer to ricotta cheese, while the toasted pepitas lend a nutty flavour to the yoghurt, the overall taste is still a bit too peppery for our liking.

  

All Day Breakfast Menu:

Yes the one that caught my heart, the Roasted Plum Parfait, was so fragile soft with intense fruity sweetness from the roasted plums. The addition of orange and grapefruit slices gave an extra refreshing punch and I'd say this is another better option to enjoy these citrusy goodness than in baked goods. 

 

Sometimes we just want to start our day off with something big, simple, but also delicious and this G'Morning Haven Big Breakfast comes with two poached eggs, avocado, balsamic roasted cherry tomato, broad bean pesto and bacon on soy & linseed toast.

There's no limit to the flavours and sights that Sydney's cafes have to offer for breakfast. We love little tarts and chocolate croissants, but sometimes we want something big. We have sorted through Sydney's most delicious morning tucker to bring you Sydney's best big breakfasts. With huge meals like these, your belly rumbles will be deliciously silenced. - See more at: http://www.theurbanlist.com/sydney/a-list/big-breakfasts-where-get-them-sydney#sthash.wu7lhcou.dpuf

I've never had a Potato Latke before and I'd say this tastes like a combination of potato pancake and hash brown. It's super thin and golden brown with slightly cakey texture and Haven serves their version of latkes with extra delectable buttery flavour of burnt butter sage, poached egg and watercress.

Visit on the 17/9/15

I gave this Cauliflower Popcorn after being indecisive as I also wanted to try their Kingfish Soba Noodle. It didn't really taste like popcorn (of course!) but surely they were moreish, yummy and perfect if you love deep fried food! Coated in light batter and fried until crisp, it went so well with the sweetness of wakame butter, creaminess of poached egg and the subtle flavour of chewy-gummy lemongrass breadcrumb. 

Visit on the 7/8/15

Yap! I heard that Haven has updated their menu with some new additions especially to their breakfast choices!! So I decided to go here as I needed a light lunch and ordered their Raspberry Bread and Caramelised Apples from the all-day breakfast menu..

I could say the Raspberry bread was more like a cake.. It was light, moist, flavourful and not too sweet without being too heavy and dense.. The bright reddish-pink rhubarb compote together with the fresh mandarins, dried currants and creamy natural yoghurt combined into a divine flavour of sweet, sour and creamy.. As for the apple, I don't think it was a caramelised one (as stated in the menu) as it was crunchy with strong scent of rose fragrance instead..

Some Drinks?

Here at Haven you're encouraged to tailor your coffee until you find the perfect combination to spoil your taste buds.. Starting from the brewing styles and flavours (you can choose a nutty, chocolatey or fruity blend) then you can adjust the acidity, sweetness, aroma, body and even the aftertaste. They also pair your coffee with dates, nuts and cacao nibs to create a contrast on your palate so you can taste the coffee notes easily.

Try their indulging Hot Chocolate if you're not a coffee person.. This heartwarming and creamy drink is made from 73% Madagascan Dark Couverture Chocolate.. It's rich, not too sweet, deep with hints of winey notes and natural bitterness.. 

Ps: Sorry for the poor quality of the photo.. It was taken on my N-th visit and I forgot to bring my camera =(

Haven's Signature Heroes:

Mr. Nomnom ordered their must-try Classic Heroes, Pork Belly Kimcheese Burger! This crunchy yet juicy and flavourful Five Spices Roasted Pork Belly was served on a bed of sweet Grated Apples and topped with Sesame Omelette, Kimchi and Shaved Radish.. The bun was pillowy and had a distinct sweetness that was compatible and balance out the flavour of the meat.. 

You can't leave Haven without trying their Masfogato! 73% Madagascan Dark Chocolate Gluten-free Brownie served with Frozen Mascarpone and a shot of House Blend Espresso.. I've heard of adding coffee to the brownie batter will enhance the flavour of chocolate when you are baking it.. I guess this also applies when you pour the coffee straight and let the brownie absorbs it..

The brownie was so rich in chocolate flavour with a nice slightly fluffy interior.. It had a moist crumb and went really well with the smooth texture of frozen mascarpone cream.. 

Haven's Tea-Inspired Series - Visit on the 19/6/15

The first dish I tried from their Tea Inspired Series was Soba Noodles in Miso, Earl Grey and Lavender Broth (v, gf) served with Baby Bok Choy, Tofu, Soy Seared Mushroom and Black Sesame. 

The soba noodle was cooked well and had that firm springy texture when you took a bite.. I love how flavourful the mushroom was but it (unfortunately) overpowered the too-subtle broth and gave me a feeling of eating a soy-based with tea scented broth instead..

Say.. If they made a stronger broth or infuse the mushroom with tea flavour, this dish'd definitely be a star with its light and clean aftertaste!

On another visit, Roy treated me with their Rose Tea Infused Sticky Black Rice Pudding (v)..

This warm and pretty black rice pudding was creamy and had that sweet and fragrant aroma from the rose tea infusion.. The addition of rose petals and soft coconut sago to this dish brought the vibrant colour out and somehow it looked so whimsical! The flesh of red Ruby grapefruit was juicy but the bitter grapefruit and slightly citric flavour quickly overwhelmed the dish in overall..

Roy told me he's thinking to alter the "formula" a little bit by adding some sweetness factor to balance out the grapefruit bitterness.. Hearing that, I know this dish will win my heart with their new appearance later!

There's always room for some desserts! That's why we decided to try Baya Bomba Jelly from the Tea Inspired Series.. I'm loving this silky and light mixed berries and coconut iced tea jelly with burnt mandarin and poached rhubarb! 

The tea flavours combined with the sweet-yet-sour rhubarb and mandarin definitely brought you the melt-in-your-mouth moment from the first bite.. I love the idea of adding flaked almonds and shredded coconuts as they can add flavours and textures when you eat all the elements together..

Haven has always been one of my favourite places as I could sit here for hours without realising it.. LOL! I'm loving their new Tea Series dishes and can't wait to be back to try more of them!

Let's Nomnom dined as guests of Haven on the 19.06.15 and we would like to thank Roy Yu for the invitation to taste the tea-series menu!