Element6

The vision before me looks so virtuous it must have been ordered by one of those ultra-healthy bods: the raw-food blogger, the fitness junkie or the Bondi yoga bunny. Or one of the strange breeds who manage to combine all three. 

Anyone but me, really. I’m normally a potato rosti kind of girl, or a pancake fan at a stretch.

But no, the waiter heard me correctly. The menu sells it as humble avo on toast but what is delivered is an eminently Instagrammable plate of glossy greenery. Slices of ripe avocado are topped with fresh herbs, pepitas and chunks of tomato, drizzled in a rich balsamic glaze. 

We’re a long way from any beach, let alone Bondi. On a Saturday morning in West Ryde, Element6 is the only thing buzzing along a quiet strip opposite the local train station. 

It’s an inviting little place with a stripped-back aesthetic. Monochrome murals embellish basic plywood panels, naked bulbs illuminate bare brick walls and industrial chairs bump into squat little tables made from milk crates. 

The cafe is a big departure for Susan Chan and co-owner Hae-jin Song, who were working as a dentist and an environmental co-ordinator respectively when they opened the space on a whim more than a year ago. 

But with help from Song’s brother-in-law, a chef, they concocted a fusion menu with big flavours and exotic spices that has proved a hit with locals.

On our visit cyclists sit outside, couples and friends inside and a few families in between. A small girl at a nearby table squeals when her plate arrives – a mountain of French toast with mascarpone, pistachios and ripples of maple bacon so big they threaten to devour her.

Our healthy resolve already crumbling, we can’t help but order the same. Before anyone starts counting calories I’m in sweet, soft, eggy-bread heaven. 

The “south-west ryder” big brekky delivers all the big hits – crispy bacon from Black Forest Smokehouse in Marrickville, poached eggs, corn cakes and the salty-sweetness of boston baked beans. Onion jam tops the lot, so potent and pungent we slather it on everything.

You’ll need a bit of gumption for the chubby bacon and sunny egg roll, a great burger-like creation. The pumpkin chutney, aioli and that onion jam again take the simple bacon-and-egg combo up a notch and add novelty to a breakfast staple.

The kids’ toastie (ours with ham and cheese) wouldn’t look out of place in any small bar across the city but the sourdough is too much for our small girl’s tiny teeth.  

The frothy, emerald “green with envy” smoothie glows in the obligatory mason jar. Packed with an odd mix of kale, celery, spinach, cucumber and apple, it tastes so good even my tot tucks in (look, everyone, my kid’s eating kale!) 

For coffees, the doppio has good crema and body while the latte is almost the opposite – languid and smooth, with a velvety milkiness.

We had heard the service was on the slow side but we have no trouble on that front. Orders arrive quickly and our waiter is happy, confident and quick. The whole operation seems well-oiled and nimble until mid-morning, when a small queue starts snaking down the street. 

We take the hint and start making tracks but not before picking up a raspberry and white chocolate muffin, a possibly not-so-nutritious treat for the post-breakfast playground session. 

That’s right, I was being healthy, wasn’t I? Virtue can wait.

THE LOW-DOWN
THE PICKS: AVOCADO AND TOMATO ON TOAST; GREEN WITH ENVY SMOOTHIE
THE COFFEE: FIVE SENSES COFFEE AND SINGLE ORIGIN ESPRESSOS
THE LOOK: INDUSTRIAL WITH INVITING DIY TOUCHES
THE SERVICE: QUICK AND CAPABLE