You’ll be leaving satisfied and with sticky fingers after dining at this Surry Hills cafe.
It’s all in the name at Sticky Fingers in Surry Hills. A quick walk off busy Oxford Street and you’re in the back streets of Surry Hills, a cultural hub for great coffee and delicious food. Considering it’s only six months old, this cafe has established a fantastic clientele of local regulars. Walking into the cafe on a Saturday morning it was questionable as to whether we’d actually get a table. The fairly large interior was packed, every table had dish upon dish of impressive looking breakfast food, everyone had a coffee in hand. This is a good sign for any local cafe and we were keen to try out of the goods.
Co-owners of Sticky Fingers, Tristan and Naveen, are no strangers to the restaurant business. Business partner, Sam Li is the owner of wildly popular Thai restaurant Home Thai in the Sydney CBD. It’s no wonder that the Sticky Finger’s menu has Asian influences, especially the dinner menu. After the success of the cafe they decided to open for dinner from Thursday to Sunday just a month ago and are already garnering a cult following.
We started off with the basics. It was a Saturday morning after all and what’s a Saturday morning without coffee? Like many of the cafes around the CBD and Eastern Suburbs, Sticky Fingers appreciates quality coffee. They use The Golden Cobra as their supplier. Making the most of this wonderful warm Spring weather, we opted for their Cold Mocha Coffee ($4.50). Likened to a chocolate milkshake with a bit of a kick, it’s the perfect way for a sweet tooth to start the weekend.
Turmeric has made a bit of impression on Sydney’s healthy society and Sticky Fingers has jumped on the bandwagon in their own interesting way. The Golden Turmeric Latte ($5) is a blend of turmeric root powder supplied by Ovvio and almond milk, served alongside panella sugar and honey. The earthy tones of the turmeric came out well next to the lightness of the almond milk. Both the honey and sugar compliment each other wonderfully and you adjust the sweetness to your own taste. This is no curry in a glass but instead a tasty and nutritious alternative to your daily coffee.
Sticky Finger’s menu is extensive, from pancakes to eggs Benedict and everything in between. On top of that, they have regular specials. We ordered Pandan Pana Cotta ($16) which we’re told will move from their specials to the permanent menu later this month. Served alongside crunchy paleo granola, yoghurt, mixed berries, coconut, toasted almonds and a black sticky rice puree, it was an artwork in its own right. The pana cotta itself was one of the creamiest we have ever tasted. It had a melt in your mouth texture, sweet and decadent. With the accompaniment of toasted coconut and fresh mint enhancing the tropical feel of the dish, I was left wondering if I was in South East Asia or still hidden in the back streets of Sydney’s busy metropolis.
All those who are cautious of ‘breakfast desserts’ however – be warned this is one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I love pana cotta and I love granola. Add the two together and it feels like a weird combination to have at 10am in the morning. It’s like my breakfast and dessert ran away together and made an aesthetically beautiful love child but there’s something kind of odd about it.
If you feel like sticking to the menu, the Big Sticky ($19) is one not to be missed (especially if you had a particularly wild night before). It’s an epic breakfast platter served with bacon, lap xuong, two eggs, grilled tomato, kale, sweet potato curls plus sourdough toast and spicy sticky BBQ sauce. You’ll find this signature BBQ sauce served on lots of dishes at all different times of the day. It’s a big dish to get through so pace yourself. We particularly enjoyed the lap xuong, a smokey but sweet Chinese sausage.
We noticed the Miso Caramel Affogato ($8) on the drinks menu from the get go and were immediately intrigued. Miso, caramel and affagato are not three words you usually see in the same sentence. Beautifully presented, the affogato is the coffee version of a breakfast dessert. Double ristretto and miso caramel ice are served alongside pistachio, macadamia and almonds. When you think bittersweet, you’d think of this affogato. The nutty, caramel tones of the ice cream pair well with the classic bitterness of the double ristretto and you can’t have one without the other. An absolute treat for all the senses.
We came for breakfast and stayed for lunch. This should be an indicator of how enjoyable the cafe’s ambiance is. Fantastic service, great tunes and a friendly crowd of cafe goers – the only reason to leave is to top up the parking meter.
Sticky Fingers is well known for their succulent BBQ pulled pork. It is served right across the menu, from their Pulled Pork Benedict ($18) for breakfast to their Sticky Pork Bao ($15) for dinner. We got to try the Pulled Pork Burger ($9.50) which comes with sticky BBQ pork, pork crackle, asian slaw, coriander, seeded mustard, aioli, all on a milk bun. The pork is tender and succulent, pairing well with the crunchy pork crackling. The BBQ pork sauce has just the slightest hit of spice that lingers ever so slightly in such a satisfying, delicious way. We can see why it’s a staple to the menu.
The menu is extensive at Sticky Fingers and the atmosphere is warm. There is a reason why this Inner East cafe has a regular following. With the introduction to UberEats this month, Sticky Fingers is gearing up to expand across Sydney, giving everyone a taste of their food, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Sticky Fingers
23 Pelican St, Surry Hills NSW 2010.
0404 251 679
Mon – Wed 7am-3pm, Thurs – Fri 7am-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm, Sat 8am-3.30pm, 6.30pm-11pm, Sun 8.30am-3.30pm, 6.30pm-10pm
http://www.stickyfingerskitchenandbar.com/