SIMON & LEE
As with many of our lunch endeavours, this one was sparked again by an Instagram photo (if any budding café entrepreneurs are reading this, start up an Instagram account stat). It was a dreary and cold Friday as we pulled into Parnell and weekenders beware, parking is notoriously difficult in this part of the ‘hood, especially if it’s around Parnell-market-time. Simon & Lee’s caffeine-drug of choice seems to be Supreme with daily filtered specialty blends from all over the globe — this week was a Kenyan blend from Berlin roasters Five Elephant, then next week’s, a Kavisa from Congo. Their food is a tasteful mix of Korean flavours — try the savoury congee packed with umami and aromas of shiitake and sesame oil, or for something a bit heartier, their SL burger with a house-made galbi patty and tempura kimchi. Mix that all up with on-point cutlery and crockery and you’ve got yourself a trendy brunch spot for a long, long time.
Innie had the The Good Bowl: cauliflower rice, kimchi, roast pumpkin, marinated broccoli and eggplant, pickled beetroot, avocado, onion salsa, and a Strawberry Plum Smoothie. She said “R.e.s.p.e.c.t.”
Katie had the SL Burger with Tteokgalbi patty, fried egg, tempura kimchi and smoked cheddar cheese with fries and wasabi aioli, and a Bubble Earl Grey Tea. She said “That wasabi aioli is to die for! Very impressed with the flavourful patty, and while the bubbles/tapioca pearls were a bit undercooked, the tea was very flavourful. Will come again to try their miso benedict.”
Rebecca had the Congee with wood ear mushrooms and marinated egg and a Maple Walnut Tea. She said “Loved the congee, was so warm and delicious on a cold windy day.”
Emma had the Dolsot Bibimbap and a Peppermint Tea. She said “I had food envy and Innie was nice enough to swap with me. The teapots were super cute!”
Bri had the The Good Bowl: cauliflower rice, kimchi, roast pumpkin, marinated broccoli and eggplant, pickled beetroot, avocado, onion salsa, with fresh tofu added and a Pineapple Ginger Batchwell Kombucha. She said “Overall a nice healthy fresh lunch with lots of different elements to add texture and flavour, which I enjoyed. I did expect a larger portion for the price, and would say it is more of a light lunch. The avocado still had the skin on which I found odd, and was bothersome to remove. My diet meant there were only 2 dishes on the menu I could choose from. I admired the cutlery and serving dishes which were stylish and quite unlike what is used at other places, and made for nice food presentation. “
