On days when the weekend seems like an eternity away, it’s the small things that make life bearable. Like a friendly nod from the barista pumping out takeaways or perhaps just the familiar smile from the busy waitress as she runs dishes to a table.
They mightn’t seem like much but these are all the required trimmings that come together to create a great cafe.
Tucked on the corner of a Surry Hill’s backstreet is Two Good Eggs. It’s not quite in the city, yet close enough to lure the corporate crowd keen for a relaxed lunch in the uber-cool 2010 postcode. From the outside, the two-storey building which Two Good Eggs occupies reminds me of a Manhattan loft and on entering the cafe, my assumptions are confirmed. The high ceiling with old, exposed wooden beams looms overhead and the floor-to-ceiling sash windows create a warehouse vibe.
Smoked Salmon Salad
Scoring a table by the window, I catch glimpses of overly keen workers exercising during their lunch hour and I quickly opt for a salad instead of the wagyu beef burger I was eyeing off earlier. My dining partner chooses the baked eggs with fetta, pumpkin and pesto and I fear I’ll have food envy. The salad arrives first and I sign in relief – it’s satisfying packed with strips of smoked salmon, avocado slices and long cucumber ribbons . As I chew, tiny bursts of salty fresh capers cut through the richness of the salmon and avocado. But it’s the baked eggs that proudly arrive in a clay ramekin served on a wooden cutting board with two slices of organic sourdough on the side, that make a point. At first glance, I’m worried. Are the yolks running? As my partner cracks the surface of the dish, a runny yolk oozes out, covering the large wedges of roasted pumpkin and chunks of buttery fetta. The combination of the dish is special and I have to say, these two eggs are not just good, they’re bloody good.
Pesto, pumpkin and fetta baked eggs with toasted sourdough
Lunch hour is over and as we go to leave the cafe, I glance upwards, noticing for the first time a photograph of the Paris skyline which seductively looms over the cafe. I walk back to the office with a spring in my step feeling inspired and very satiated by my two, bloody good eggs.
Anna Lisle
Read more about Two Good Eggs here
