EAT: PARAMOUNT COFFEE PROJECT, SURRY HILLS SYDNEY

Much like Melbourne, there are plenty of options when it comes to brunching in Sydney. We decided to forgo some old favourites to try some new brunch destinations during the most recent visit, starting with the Paramount Coffee Project cafe in Surry Hills. A sign of good things to come, the cafe was buzzing upon arrival just after 9am on a Saturday morning with a 20-minute wait for a table. We opted to skip this and brave the cold instead snagging one of the last few remaining spots on the shared table outside. Some warmth soon followed in the form of coffee (good coffee, tick) and then our selection of pre-run sustenance not long after that. The crumbed eggs on toast had immediately leapt forth from the menu to catch my eye but the inclusion of ham hock had me umm’ing and err’ing. And while there was no vego option (or alternative dishes that I really, really wanted), I figured I could cast the meat aside if I really didn’t like it, which is usually the case with thick meat cuts. But as it turns out, the smoky saltiness of the ham hock combined with the earthiness of the kale was a delicious, moreish flavour combination that worked really well with the eggs. I also tried a bit of the skillet pancake - despite its thick appearance hinting otherwise, the pancake was quite light and the herbed ingredient pairings the perfect blend for wintery comfort. A solid first brunch to kick off our weekend in Sydney.