Get whisked away at The Wooden Whisk.
When entering into The Wooden Whisk, you can’t help but feel that maybe you took a wrong turn and ended up in the Eastern Suburbs. Kale and quinoa all throughout the menu, green smoothies and cold drip coffee, it would be hard not to. However, this hip little cafe sits right in the heart of the North Shore in St Leonards, located just off the Pacific Highway.
It was a sweltering forty degree day when we first discovered this cafe and their Single Origin cold drip was a necessity. Brewed over twelve hours with a drip every three seconds, this was the perfect refreshment, with the same flavour of an espresso without the heat.
The Whisk also has an extensive smoothie, cold brewed juice and frappe list. The Kale Crave was a real thirst quencher, combining kale, cucumber, apple and mint. We also tried a smoothie off their list of specials dubbed the Green Ninja. It was healthy blend of kale, spinach, ginger, and chia seeds, sweetened with mango, orange and apple. We were hooked.
Their lunch specials feature many exciting and unusual lunch options, packed with nutrition and surprising combinations. Their roast field mushroom is a great alternative to the typical café food like eggs on toast. A giant field mushroom acts as the bread and is covered with truffle duxell, a recipe where mushroom is cut up finely, mixed with truffle, pate and butter. With two poached eggs, bacon, spinach and asparagus, this dish could sit comfortably on any fine dining menu.
We also tried two healthy salads. The Middle Eastern inspired salad of grilled chicken tahini and quinoa tabbouleh salad was a real winner. Likewise the smoked salad, with many juicy pieces of well-cooked salmon that matched perfectly with fennel, garden peas, potato and an oozing poached egg to top it all off.
Neither salad was drowned in dressing but both were full of flavour. The grilled chicken salad had a large dollop of greek yoghurt, which added a creamy element to the fresh ingredients. With the salmon we were given a lemon wedge on the side and mixed the egg yolk through, which really brought out the flavours nicely.
For dessert (yes, we like dessert with three meals a day), try the affogato. Instead of plain old vanilla, they mix their Single origin coffee with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and maple syrup.
The Wooden Whisk is not fine dining, and it’s not a coffee shop. They just do a nice product at an affordable price. A local favourite, it also does the North Shore proud with some unique menu items and a focus on wholesome, delicious food. A relaxed environment, that (lucky for us) blasts the AC and delivering incredible service. It’ll whisk you away!
The Wooden Whisk
Ground Floor, 35 Chandos Street, St Leonards, NSW 2065
(02) 8065 8743, Open Mon- Fri 7am-4pm
http://www.woodenwhisk.com.au/