Cafe Sopra, Waterloo

What makes a combination of an old warehouse chock-a-block full of fresh ingredients and a light-filled cafe above it? That is Cafe Sopra at Waterloo, the original cafe has been so successful that it has opened 2 other branches at Potts Point and Walsh Bay. The Italian Fratelli Fresh vegetable and fruits store below also stocks some of the quirkiest tasting jams, seasonal fruits, Italian dry pasta, sardines and olives. They also have some of the juiciest, biggest oranges and tomatoes I have ever seen.

The decor of the cafe is simple, high ceilings with whirring fans and wooden timber beams spanning across the room. The rustic feel is complete with a tall blackboard menu scribbled and scrawled with white chalk. The menu by chef Andy Bunn also changes according to what is fresh in store. Why cant we have more of this kind of cafes in Sydney!

First up was good old battered dory with aioli. Unfortunately, the batter was soggy and there were pieces of the dory that were not adequately covered with batter. I could not think of anything worse than fish and chips with not enough golden batter. Other than that, the dory was juicy and fresh.

I decided to go with this dish, creamy smoked trout fishcake with soft-boiled eggs and caper mayo. The creamy smoked trout was encased in a perfectly fried crispy shell. The caper mayo adds an Italian touch to this beautiful dish, complementing and injecting a slightly tart touch to the smoked trout.

The Bannofie pie was a definite show stealer, fresh light cream, bananas, dulce de leche on a crusty base. Sinking your fork into it, the entire layer crumbled away easily. The combination was a winner and I have to say the base was ahhhh-mazing. I could not stop scraping the plate for leftover crumbs. This Bannofie pie is inarguably one of the best I've had in Sydney!

Oh, and this Italian joint has won One Chef Hat in 2009 and 2011, not bad at all ;) I will definitely come here just to cure my sweet tooth craving. I might just have dreams about that pie for all you know!