Since opening its doors on Surry Hills' Devonshire Street in 2013, has continued to win over the brunch crowd with its tongue-in-cheek comfort food take on café staples (soft serve with fries, anyone?). Or there's the My Asian Cousin; the breakfast bowl of sago coconut pudding and fresh mango is having a playful stab at fusion cuisine but like always, chef Zacharay Tan turns things up a notch with cheffy touches like mango gel, freeze-dried lychee and marigold flower.
Raised in Penang – which fed his love of hawker street food – before he did time at the more fine dining likes of Jimmy Liks, Pier and Bistro Guillaume in Melbourne, Tan helped launch Devon with owners Derek Puah and Noni Widjaja. From the outset, it was clear their approach was different; brushing avo toast to the side, they were bridging a divide between café and restaurant, with relics of Tan’s Asian upbringing popping up in Southeast Asian, Japanese and Korean bursts.
“We celebrate the multiculturalism of Australia and embrace the multitude of cooking techniques and ingredients of our diverse country,” Tan tells SBS. He’s referring to Devon staples like the Breakfast with the Sakumas: a sweet miso-grilled king salmon nestled against a smoked eel croquette, 63° egg, radish salad and kewpi mayo.
Fans will be happy to know that the dish has made it across to the new Devon North Sydney, the third in the café’s growing stable (Devon Barangaroo is also in full swing). Their indulgent pasta Royale with lobster meat, chilli and cherry tomatoes has also crossed the bridge for those who'd rather be damned than settle for sushi rolls in their lunch-break. Their prized fluffy white bread sandos have also uprooted - go the KJI (Kim Jong-il) fried chicken, Japanese omelette (before 11am only) or the Tom Yum Ebi Katsu.
Unlike Surry Hills and Barangaroo, Devon North Sydney is open after dark, with a dinner menu that Tan describes as bold and Asian.
“Our menus consist of food we like to eat,” he says, referring to a whole chook roasted in Malay spices. “I’m often inspired by the flavours I experience on my overseas trips.”
There’s also sticky beef ribs cooked on the bone with a sweet soy glaze, coconut mignonette and a herb salad; and in true Devon style, a Sichuan-style ragu. “We call it ragu alla Sichuanese: coriander taglioni, beef mince, dan dan style sauce, burrata and a slow-cooked egg.”
Devon North Sydney is also resurrecting their popular Surry Hills summertime dessert special of kakigori: Japanese shaved ice using three different Japanese teas, soft serve, sweet red beans and house-made dango (sweet rice dumplings). Or go their seasonal soft serves with your choice of pimp-outs: matcha crumble and roasted rice tea cream are two options.
And as always, the house-blend coffee is top notch, as are the matcha lattes, iced teas and milkshakes. Beers, and wines also join the north-side fold.
1/36 Blue Street, North Sydney, NSW
Mon - Fri 7am - 3:30pm; Sat - Sun 8am - 3:30pm
