Working in the city has undoubtedly many perks. One major benefit is without a doubt, the abundance of good food surrounding my workplace. Being an avid fan of coffee and brunch, I am always on the hunt for a good boutique cafe, so it was a nice surprise to receive an invite from Botero house, a mere stones throw away from my office to try out their new menu. With Iron Fist off cavorting in Chicago and having the time of his life, I took another colleague of mine, Spiderman (Tom Holland Spiderman, not Andrew Garfield or Toby Mcguire) to go and try it out during our lunch break last Friday.
Situated along Adelaide Street, the shopfront was deceptively small. but the cafe comprised of three levels. We grabbed a table on the third level, away from the bustle of street level.
Menus were provided, and we were told by the manager that the beans they use in their coffee are slow roasted for around 17 minutes at low heat, rather than at high heat for 2 - 3 minutes like other roasters. Of course, that meant that we had to try some for ourselves.
Spiderman opted for the espresso, and he mentioned its strong robust flavours which was very enjoyable. Needing a caffeine hit, I went for the chemex brew which was had sharp citrusy and fruity flavours and also a very clean crisp texture to it which I really enjoyed.
To match our meals, we were also surprised with a glass each of red wine. Without Iron Fist, my red wine connoisseur to be here to make a selection, I let Spiderman (who is only barely over 18) and he selected the full bodied shiraz which had a strong berry taste and a peppery aftertaste.
Our food arrived not long after, and what a sight it was.
Our first dish was the Onyx open steak sandwich. cooked rare just as I like it, served with beetroot hummus, rocket and polenta chips. The beef was soft and tender with a light peppery seasoning that complemented well with the beetroot hummus. I liked the sourdough also, which was quite dense and filling. The polenta was quite crispy and went well with the tasty aioli.
Our second dish was our favourite, the Slow braised duck ragu with potato gnocchi, roasted chipolini onion, salmariglio and shaved grana padano. I really enjoyed how the duck was infused with a delightful onion taste with meat that disintegrated in my mouth. The gnocchi was very well textured with a slight bite to it. Other than that, I also found the grana padano to be sharp and elevated the dish to a new level.
Of course, no meal is really satisfying without a side of chips, so we got a bowl of hand cut chips with chipotle mayo. The chips were amazingly crunchy throughout the meal and the chipotle mayo was nice and tangy, cutting through all the heaviness of the potato and making for a very fulfilling meal.
Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Botero House, but as always, our opinions are solely our own.
Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 8.5/10
