Barista & Cook, Waterloo

Three weeks in a row I've visited this place to try out most of their menu! They have a different variety for breakfast and lunch. Went here the first time with the Hubby and we tried the Breakfast menu which blown the hubby away. He wasn't the type to do brunch or any breakfast but he specially told me that he would go to Barista for breakfast any day of the week!

The cafe is located in Waterloo where Hurricane Express used to be. The place has a very good lighting and very spacious. There could be wait during peak hours but the wait won't be too long considering the space :)

The first dish that we tried is the Charred Grilled Pork belly with Chilli egg, Crushed Edamame and Puffed Black Rice. I must tell ya, this dish right here is a no jokingly delicioussssss thing to eat to start your day! The pork was tremendously flavoursome and tender! The egg got a chilli kick to it and the edamame + the puffed rice add a nice texture to the overall dish! I highly recommend this oneeee :)

Char grilled Pork belly $19

The only dish that is available both in the breakfast and lunch menu is the Mac n Cheese Toastie served with house made Relish. Who would've thought to put mac n cheese in the middle of a crunchy thick toastie! It's damn delish ~~ I recommend sharing though cause eating the whole lot can be too much :)

Grilled Mac n Cheese Toastie $12.50

Lastly, got the Buckwheat Waffle with butterscotch pears, toasted poppy seeds, raspberries and creme fraiche ice cream. The waffles were crisp and it tasted pretty good for buckwheat waffle. Does not blow me away but worth a try :)

Buckwheat waffle $16

On the second visit, we tried the Corn Fritter with Avocado, Black bean salsa, Poached egg and a side of soft tortilla. We thought that the fritters were pretty good with the avocado and the salsa. We did leave the tortilla in the end cause the whole thing was just too heavy for breakkie....

$19.50

Now this one right here is another must get dish! no wonder it made the top on the menu. Smoked Trout Kedgeree - Spiced rice, Boiled egg, Citrus Yoghurt, Coriander.  Yum! That's all I can say!! The yummy food without any guilt! hihii ^^

$19.50

My other fave dish here is their Coconut Chia Pudding with Tapioca Pearl, Vanilla Peaches and Passionfruit. What a great COMBO! The flavours works perfectly well and that small jar is too precious to be shared! Legit.

Now aside from the breakkie menu, we did tried the Lunch menu once.
Their lunch menu is pretty simple, apart from the burgers and rolls, they offer a DIY plate. So basically you choose the protein and also the side of salads.

This one right here is their Southern Fried Chicken with Grilled Zucchini Salad

$19.50

And the other one that we ordered is the Crispy Pork belly Szechuan pepper with sweet potato salad.

$20.50

The verdict... My foodie troops and I preferred the Breakfast menu than the lunch. But we probably need to try the burgers/roll. We thought that the portion is pretty small considering the lunch menu and the price offered. The salad needs more dressing, the pork belly was great but the chicken tasted a bit bland ;P

Don't get me wrong, I still love Barista & Cook, I think they are a really great subs for Hurricane occupying the space and their Breakkie menu's a Champ ^^