You know when you find a place that just ‘fits’?
…a place where the food ventures slightly east of your comfort zone, the smiles of the staff and patrons are wide and the view is a complete jaw-dropper?
Well, my friends; I found it.
Today was ‘taste the freedom’ Tuesday; my work day when both kids are in care. I even allow myself a legit lunch break, hence I hit the Coogee hood and swung freely down to Barzura; a bar, come cafe, come restaurant. After my most recent ‘can’t get you out of me head’ meeting with one of their signature dishes, the Nasi Goreng, it was time to step it up and test the Coogee Bay waters of their new menu. As a local, I have eaten here many times before and always come away more impressed than the last time. Today, I shared a couple of dishes with a friend, because we all know there is nothing worse than a dose of food envy to bring the mood down.
With an Eastern influence still winding through their dishes, I was ready for that Savoury Seafood Pancake ($24) and Teriyaki Butterflied Spatchcock ($30) – I was really pleased that this entree and main was easy to share and the staff were accommodating.
Whilst both were INCREDIBLE, my fave was the seafood, because a) between you and me, I never just bang up a pancake bursting with fresh ocean bites at home, and b) drizzled in BBQ sauce and mayonnaise, it COMPLETELY rocked my world.
Completely.
Still thinking about it.
Oh, but then the chicken. Super hard act to follow, but it came close. The nice char grill on the skin was delish and the bed of barley and rice was moist and packed a punch. The light pear salad and mayonnaise ticked off my ‘greens’ serve and I think I maybe ate it all way too fast. But I would like you to know I did manage to restrain myself from licking the plate.
But the real magic of this place is the incredible work that Barzura does within the community. For 22 years it has been a staple by the sea and has extended to include the Yoga Studio upstairs. In this way, the pulsing energy of hospitality downstairs is balanced by the calm of meditation above. However, as a Mum, and a soon to be school mum, the charity work that Barzura is involved in (amongst many) that caught my eye, was the “Kids for Kids” meals. As I begin the drama of preparing school lunches (*yikes), the concept of buying a fresh and healthy meal for my Kindergarten son that has been prepared by the team at Barzura is appealing. What’s more; these proceeds go directly to Community Assist, providing aid to kids in Tanzania. So if you are a Coogee local with kids in Primary School, keep your eyes open for this option.
To be honest, these guys have fingers in so many pies it is worth checking out this page to see how simply being a patron at Barzura can help the team continue to help others.
So my husband; call up the babysitter pronto. It is time I got you down to Carr St, Barzura, to check out my new love…oh seafood pancake (*sigh*)…until we meet again.
