August 1, 2017April 26, 2018

Hidden Homey Cafe in Cumberland State Forest

Cafe Saligna is a true hidden gem because it’s literally hidden inside the Cumberland State Forest, next to the Koala Park. Though Google says it is located on the 95 Pennant Hills Road, keep your eyes on the sign to the forrest and just drive down until you see the cafe signage. (Don’t worry you are not going to get lost)

After a great hike on a beautiful sunny day, we passed a tree top adventure park, and some barbies, and reached a nursery and a cafe, Cafe Saligna.

We were so blown away that there was a big cafe located inside the forest and surprisingly that place was packed! Both indoor and outdoor seatings are available and I must say that the open kitchen looks relatively small when compared to the big size of the, I guess we can call, restaurant.

Just like most of other cafes, the place is opened for Breakfast and Lunch. Reservation is highly recommended because this place can get real busy!

We spent a good amount of time sitting, chatting, and of course eating + drinking. We managed to try both of their Breakfast and Lunch menu.

BREAKFAST

Salmon & Broad Beans AUD 19

I must say broad bean is not the most common ingredient but some how this protein rich soft mushy bean complimented the savoury salmon and buttery avo nicely. The combination is elevated with a perfectly runny poached egg, almond, and chia seeds. It’s a pretty much a more down-to-earth version of superfood mashup on nicely toasted sourdough.

Chilli Scramble Croissant AUD 19

Another interesting dish, at least to me, is to have scramble egg cooked with halloumi, spinach, and chilli. Halloumi can get pretty rubbery sometimes but not in this case because the cheese is in a semi-melted state, which gives a good bite as well as its unique irresistible savoury cheese taste. Sandwiching all that with buttery croissant so yeah I am so down with that!

LUNCH

Charcoal Beef Burger AUD 22

Lunch menu starts from 12pm and we can’t wait to try their “Black Burger”. These kind of hipster burgers are trending now but is it a yay or nay? I loved how they grilled the American cheese with the pattie, and they used a somewhat leaner bacon. We certainly don’t mind getting our hands dirty because it’s pretty juicy with all those saucy condiments including sriracha aioli, onion relish, and American mustard.

Fish of the Day AUD 26

As a fish lover, I liked that the fillet was grilled to the right doneness. I personally enjoyed the aromatic powerful saffron & lemon infusion but I wasn’t sure if the herbs they use could be widely accepted by everyone. The beautiful plated dish not only tasted delicious but looked delicious too, thanks to the cute little winter veggies and crush nuts!

DESSERT

Passionfruit Tart

You can’t go to a brunch without dessert, despite the fact that we were already very satisfied with our main dishes. We were tempted by all those good-looking cakes, apple pies, loafs, muffins, pastries. We picked probably the smallest one which is their passionfruit tart. That custard-y filling is velvet smooth and not overly sweetened. The tart base is still crunchy but not too hard to eat. It’s basic but on point.