A haven of coffee and breakfast delights awaits at The Q on Harris
Cafe owner Benji Salim, initially opened The Q on Harris an a project for him to pursue his passion for coffee – importing beans and roasting on site. Today, The Q on Harris has evolved into a successful breakfast and lunch cafe, where they smoke their own salmon, bake their own pastries and continue to roast their own coffee beans. Along with Chef Taiyo Shima, The Q on Harris has created a seasonal and creative menu, showcasing passion for simplicity and quality products. Featuring house classics such as the Kabuki Waffle ($20) and Kinoko Tartine ($16), we are spoiled for options of fresh produced brekkie delights.
Once comfortably seated in the back of The Q’s courtyard, we’re taken aback by this airy and bright space, reflecting their strong aesthetic design. The courtyard seats one large group on a communal table and several smaller ones, all covered by a retractable roof. The courtyard is decorated with greenery, blue pillows and coffee table books adding a final touches to the intimate space.
Benji is quick to offer some knowledge on their coffee varieties, suggesting we try two of their recently brewed drips, both from Toraco Toraja Coffee. As we sip on both the light and medium brew, Benji passionately explains the story behind his interest in coffee. Coming from an Indonesian background, Benji and team at The Q on Harris try to primarily use Indonesian beans, improving the trade between farmers and producers. That being said, they also serves a range of other origins as dictated by the seasons.
We decide to try three of their mains. Not only are we hungry, we are also beyond curious to see Taiyo’s creations. Settling in for the house smoked salmon tartine ($16), Kinoko tartine ($16) and the house smoked pastrami sandwich ($17), our table is filled with beautiful dishes and flavors. An immediate favourite is the House Smoked Salmon Tartine; smoked by the crew at Q themselves. Benji explains how they carefully have tried a range of different recipes in order to make the perfect smoked salmon, heavily inspired by iconic New York diner Cathy’s Place. Balanced with fresh dill cream, Spanish onion and cucumber, this is a very good choice for a light but filling meal.
The Pastrami Sandwich is served on a plate alone, no need for a side salad or chips. The fresh pickled red cabbage and Dijon mustard mayo hits the spot straight away, complementing the house smoked Pastrami and Swiss cheese. If you are after a ridiculously tasty meal for under $20, then this is your choice. Before serving our final dish, Taiyo explains how he chose to shorten the menu, removing three items to better focus on their house specialities. As the latest addition to the menu, we try the Kinoko Tartine. Served with herb roasted Shimeji, Enoki, Oyster mushrooms with creme fraiche and garlic crisp on sourdough, this is a dish that differs from the usual suspects. However, if you are not a fan of garlic, perhaps try something else. Leaving behind a lingering taste of herbs, this could be a bit overwhelming for some customers.
Despite having just finished the biggest brekkie, Taiyo convinces us to try dessert. Made on site, The Q on Harris offers four different desserts and it would be a shame not to try them. We order the yuzu caramel chocolate tart ($9) and the rose tarte ($9). The yuzu kills the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate, making this dessert more savoury than sweet. The rose tarte is served with fresh lychee and strawberry, making it an endless favourite for hot summer days. Both desserts are by far some of the tastiest pastries we have tried in a very long time.
As of February 23rd, Benji will offer “Cupping” sessions, a coffee tasting project where customers will get at chance to experience Indonesia and speciality grade coffee. The cupping sessions will be held every Thursday to Friday at 8am, 11am and 1pm and Saturday at 8am and 2pm. The Cupping sessions are $15 per person, with a maximum of six people per session. After going through the different stages of coffee farms, discussing flavour, origins and roasting of coffee, each attendee will receive a 250g bag of coffee of their choice to take home.
02 8597 3527