A suburban gem: Hide and Seek Cafe in North Lyneham. Photos: Kazuri Photography.
It is a Sunday morning and it is going to be a hot one, but right now I am sitting in Hide and Seek Cafe’s alfresco space, with a cool breeze refreshing us and sunlight dappling our table, as the cicadas start up their chorus.
This is owner Brett Waslin’s first venture as a business owner, although, with a culinary history that includes Aubergine and solid cafes such as A Bite to Eat and The Knox, he has already established himself as a creative chef.
What Brett and his wife couldn’t anticipate when they launched the cafe 18 months ago was that their precious baby would make his entry into their lives three months earlier than he was due, requiring round-the-clock care and multiple surgeries. Brett credits his amazing team, led by stellar head chef Josh and uber-capable manager Tilly, with keeping the cafe running seamlessly while Brett and his wife focused all their energy on their son’s wellbeing.
Jewel-bright cherry tomatoes speckled with a generous smattering of pepper-smooth labneh.
For the past few months, Brett says, the team has partnered with Canberra’s coffee stalwart Red Brick Espresso and the growth has been exponential.
“It happened in a time where we could’ve gone a bit stale and become just another cafe in Canberra,” he says.
”I think we bought them at the right time. Tim and TJ, they’re just fantastic to work with. They’re so synonymous with Canberra these days. Canberrans love local; they love being able to know where their produce comes from and to know the person.”
We choose our brunch while enjoying a very good Red Brick Espresso flat white. Also, these guys do not charge extra for milk alternatives!
Here is what we eat for brekky.
House-made Balinese sambal incorporated into the scramble.
Eggs Benedict has always been a favourite brunch option for me and this one is flawless: silken citrus-tinged Benedict sauce poured over impeccably poached eggs, lashings of smoked salmon and tender spinach all sat on a spongy English muffin.
Crème brûlée French toast fills a brioche bun with creme patisserie and mascarpone and sits it like a moated castle in a delicious pool of strawberry coulis. A delicate shell of torched toffee coats the edges of the brioche bun. The strawberries are soft and juicy.
The wild mushroom medley. What a fabulous and unique breakfast for mushroom lovers like me, heroing the lemon and herb butter-sauteed mushrooms while the other components on the plate bring so much flavour. Chef Josh’s cashew and rosemary cream takes more than 24 hours to create, and the balance of flavours within its creamy folds encompasses tang, lush, umami and herbaceous. The crunch of the pangrattato on top is perfect.
The incredible wild mushroom medley.
The confit tomato bruschetta comes out so pretty. Jewel-bright cherry tomatoes speckled with a generous smattering of pepper-smooth labneh spread over thick slices of toasted Turkish bread. The sweet earthy bursts of confit tomatoes are a flavour foil for the sour creaminess of the labneh.
Tilly recommends the chilli-scrambled eggs that incorporate house-made Balinese sambal in its folds. Brett tells me: “We roast the chillies, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger, then add palm sugar and fish sauce; it is not just chilli and eggs. There’s a lot of depth and complexity in there.”
So much love and effort and chopping has gone into creating this dish. And while there is some heat in there, I cannot stop eating mouthfuls of fragrant seasoned egg. The exotic scramble pairs well with its sides: rich fried haloumi, and the charred flavour of the grilled chorizo.
Brett says Hide and Seek is excited to host your BYO event. The cafe can comfortably fit 100 people. Check out its functions page to see the minimum spend and the canape menu.
Hide and Seek Cafe is at Shop 4/2 Colville St, North Lyneham.
It is open from 6:30 am to 3 pm on weekdays, and from 7:30 am on weekends.
Follow Hide and Seek Cafe on Facebook and Instagram.
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