Brunch at A1 Canteen (#2)

With my ankle sprained, I decided the next item in my #top50inSydney project needed to be less walking, more eating–and there’s no meal I love more than brunch. Michael and I headed over to Chippendale on Monday, for the next excursion on the List: brunch at A1 Canteen.

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It was a public holiday (observance of Australia Day), so we got there bright and early to beat the queue. Kensington Street, where A1 is located, is this cute, narrow road just wide enough for one car, with shops and restaurants on either side. It was a quiet morning in Sydney, on account of the holiday I’m sure, but the restaurant was already half full when we arrived. Inside, A1 has an unpretentious, industrial, minimalist vibe. The kitchen is open to the dining room, and it struck me that the word “canteen” seems to fit the decor. I was wondering if the concrete and high ceilings were a recipe for noise, and perhaps it does get louder with the after-work crowd, but I was pleasantly surprised by the volume. The place steadily filled up until the time we left, but there was never a point at which it felt loud inside.

We ordered coffees–flat white for me, latte for Michael–and we were quite pleased with them. Looking over the menu, we discovered that only the Breakfast section was available, since it was about 9:15am; there is also a sandwich section that starts at 11:30am and lunch at noon. The breakfast dishes on offer at A1 are not simply your standard brunch fare (nary an avocado toast nor benedict in sight); as Michael put it, the food seems to be “a step up” from the average cafe. I was intrigued by several options, such as the breakfast plate with smoked trout and ricotta cheese, and the XO omelette with blue swimmer crab. Ultimately I went with the tomatoes on toast with smoked feta and a lime and harissa dressing, plus a side of avocado. Michael chose the curried scrambled eggs with sausages and an English muffin.

I had a bite of Michael’s eggs, which were delightful and not at all spicy hot as I’d expected. My meal was satisfying as well, with a nice balance between the flavorful tomatoes, the dressing, and the subtle bite of the feta. I did forget how hot the harissa would be, though; let’s just say I was anxiously awaiting a refill of our water, which felt like it took years .

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We stuck around long enough that we could have ordered adult beverages, but we weren’t really feeling it at 10am when the alcohol licence went into effect. What I was really craving was something sweet, and I’d seen a dessert section on the menu, but the server didn’t offer; it was probably too early. But I figured that was for the best, as my hunger had definitely been sated. Brunch for the two of us was about AUD $50.

After our meal, we walked down Kensington Street just a bit and wandered into Spice Alley. I imagine the space is bustling by lunch time, but it was still very quiet when we were there, the restaurants just beginning to open. I would love to check out this area for dinner sometime.

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Overall, we had an enjoyable morning at A1 Canteen, though I think it would be interesting to go back for lunch. Time Out Sydney recommends the muffuletta sandwich, but since sandwiches aren’t served until 11:30am, we didn’t have a chance to order one of those. Despite the way Time Out described it, A1 Canteen doesn’t do brunch, per se; when sandwiches become available is also when breakfast ends. Perhaps we’ll have to try a weekend lunch with cocktails next time.