On Harris Street in Ultimo, there is a quaint looking café with burgundy framed windows and beige painted bricks. Behind its narrow wooden doors lies the aroma of freshly made coffee, the perfect scrambled eggs sizzling away and unmatchable matcha cheesecake.
As you walk inside, honey-coloured tiles are bathed in warm sunlight, giving you the impression of entering your beloved friend’s house. Except, your friend happens to have a state of the art coffee machine, a kitchen of skilled chefs and seating for at least twenty people.
We started off our culinary adventure with an essential beverage to accompany any café meal, coffee. We ordered a regular Flat White ($3.50) and a regular Mocha ($3.50). The Q is renowned for their quality coffee beans and their coffee did not disappoint. The owner of the cafe, Benji Salim, is a passionate ambassador for Indonesian coffee and speciality coffee. He is currently running a Speciality Coffee Cupping Workshop at the café for those who want to take their relationship with coffee to the next level.
The House Smoked Salmon Tartine ($17) was fresh, light and satisfying. The salmon was delicately smoked, giving it a slight musky flavour whilst maintaining the freshness of the fish. The pickle and dill cream is a classic combination with fish and it created the perfect fusion of creaminess and freshness in your mouth. The scattered strips of fennel and red onion were a refreshing touch which cleansed your palette with every bite. The mandarin segments were a pleasant surprise. They created a burst of flavour amongst the savoury elements of the dish, perfect to have in between bites. All this goodness sat on top of a generous slice of sourdough toast.
The Q is not only known for their heaven-sent matcha cheesecake (we’ll get to that soon) but also for their consistently perfectly runny scrambled eggs. We ordered the Free Range Scrambled Eggs ($10) with added extras of Avocado ($5), Honey Yuzu Fried Chicken ($5) and Thyme Butter Mushrooms ($5). The avocado was perfectly ripe, the mushroom medley had a slight miso-flavour and the chicken was sweet and tangy. All the additions were served in generous portions (you get half an avocado!).
The scrambled eggs tasted as good as it looked. The folds within the eggs looked like it deserved to be in an art gallery. The eggs were still runny which were perfect for mopping up with a piece of bread. It was lightly seasoned which allowed the natural flavours and richness of the egg to shine. I wouldn’t be surprised if I went into the kitchen and found a robot, designed with the sole purpose of creating the perfect scrambled eggs, slaving away at the stove.
Now onto the main event, The Q’s famous House made Matcha Cheesecake ($10). I know what you must be thinking, ‘Ten dollars for a slice of cheesecake?!’. But trust me, you will taste your ten dollars’ worth (and more) in this one slice of matcha heaven.
When you press you fork into the soft cheesecake, you will first slide through the thick layer of matcha ganache covered in a lavish dusting of matcha powder. Then, you will breeze through the fluffy, velvety matcha cheesecake. Here you will be able to taste the creamy, tanginess of a classic cheesecake mixed with the sweet tones of the matcha. Your fork then meets the dense, biscuity oreo cookie base. Yes that’s right, everyone’s favourite cookie, oreo. All the elements of the cheesecake complimented one another without overpowering your palette. This slice of cheesecake was rich and creamy, one bite and you will be addicted. Keep aside a spare ten dollars when you come to The Q because the Matcha Cheesecake is unlike anything you have ever tasted.
The Q on Harris may be on one of the quieter streets of Sydney’s CBD, but its dishes are loud when it comes to unique, quality flavours. Everything on the café’s menu (except for the plain and chocolate croissants which are shipped in from France) are made in their very own kitchen. Their matcha cheesecake is made every night, put in the fridge overnight and served fresh the next day (I’m sure there’s also a matcha cheesecake-making robot lurking around somewhere in the kitchen). When you come to The Q, expect amazing flavours and gorgeous food. Order anything from the menu, you won’t be disappointed.
The Q on Harris, Ultimo
597 Harris Street, Ultimo, Sydney NSW
Phone: (02) 8317 4360
Web: theqonharris.com
