*Flour Drum Spring Menu

*Thank you to the boys at Flour Drum and the FCBA Community for inviting me to try the new Spring menu. Special thanks to the company of @once_upon_a_craving, @eatingwithyoureyes_ and @philtiono for your company 

Flour Drum is a gorgeous cafe in Newtown known for their baked treats and sweets but mostly for their ever-popular lamingtons. 

I've dined at this venue before to sample some of their sweets. If you missed it, catch up by clicking here.

This time around, I got to sample some of the savoury parts of their new spring menu.

The table was set with beautiful flowers and as always, the cafe had a buzzing vibe.  The cakes under glass cloches adorned the window and were truly reflective of the change of season - each cake full of lovely fresh fruits. 

We started with iced tea which was very welcome on a 30 degree day. The café was kept quite cool from the beating sun outside. The iced tea was a refreshing combination of lemon, berries and mint. The iced tea didn't have that artificially sweet taste you get from the bottled varieties and was bursting full of fresh flavour and natural sweetness from the fruits. 

Chicken Liver Pate with Fresh Pita Bread

We started our big brunch with a shared chicken liver pate.

A rustic and unique plate, the pita bread is made to order so you can always guarantee fresh and warm pita every time you order. The pate is drenched in brandy, which pulls out the richness of the liver whilst adding a sharp contrast to the earthy flavour from the chicken. The pickle is a refreshing and sour release from the pate. The pickles are quite light and refreshing on their own. Overall a well thought out plate and the bread is a beautiful addition.

These simple balls, crumbed and pretty, are little bundles of surprise. If you weren't careful, you could easily mistake them for arancini balls rather than potato and salted cod. The filling was warm and moist whilst the outside was crunchy and light. The sesame dipping sauce added a creamy smooth addition to the salty and soft potato balls. They're definitely moreish from the salty cod and before you know it'll be gone off the plate.

One of the dishes we sampled were cold buckwheat noodles which definitely suited the hot and humid day. The dish was plated beautifully with generous portions of duck spread across the noodles. The noodles were on the sweeter side for my preference but the duck was rich and savoury to balance - definitely a clear star perched upon the noodles. A very filling dish that was perfect for a hot summer's day. 

Panko Crumbed Free Range Chicken Schnitzel 

The classy plating of the schnitzel was something the table marvelled at. The contrast between the crispy chicken with the cool salad and plate was simplicity and beauty at it's finest. 

The schnitzel had a crispy and light batter that just coats the chicken without becoming heavy or overbearing. The chicken itself was juicy and moist, with a hit of lemon aioli bringing it to life. The accompanying salad was an interesting take on potato salad without being drowned in mayonnaise. The dish as a whole was quite light, which isn't what you expect from a schnitzel. A well balanced combination. 

Chinese Spiced Pork Burger

Who doesn't love pork belly these days?

The pork burger by Flour Drum is accompanied with a healthy amount of pickled vegetables to cut through the savoury caramelised pork. 

The pork was full of flavour that was supplemented by the fresh vegetables with every bite. A wonderful burger that doesn't make you feel like it's a cheat day. 

Polenta chips 

A generous bowl of polenta chips made it to the table piping hot. Beautifully crunchy and crisp on the outside and a soft fluffy centre on the inside. Simple and delicious, they didn't last long at all. 

Aren't these so pretty?

These biscuits are buttery and creamy without being too sweet or rich. They're perfect with a hot coffee or tea. 

Pain au Chocolate French Toast

Johnny served us the queen of desserts; a dish that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. 

The pain au chocolate french toast has a generous serving of mascarpone and a drizzle of sweetened milk chocolate just to top it off. The combination with the mascarpone and chocolate is a decadent and well balanced combination, really lifted by the soft and rich bites of french toast underneath. This dish is certainly one you don't want to share. 

Thank you again to the boys at Flour Drum and the lovely FCBA for organizing this tasting. It's always a real pleasure coming to Flour Drum and I look forward to more beauties to come out of this kitchen as always.

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Written by Jay Santiago (@the.eatventures)
@mister_eats
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