TL;DR: A slice of Nordic beauty is awaiting those who are passing on through the suburban streets of West End, right here in a little Queenslander that fits into the rest of the street from a mere glance. With a keen eye for how to do customer service, a simple yet effective aesthetic, and something quite different and unusual in terms of fare - Scandinavian anyone - it is little wonder that so many have been enamoured by the charms of Lokal + Co.
This is one of the best finds within West End, and a big reason for this is how it is eclectic even by the standards of the famously bohemian part of town. Separated from the main drag of Boundary Street, it is really only a stone's throw away from it all but it feels almost several blocks away within the quiet side street of suburbia, and even when looking for it a sharp eye out is required to spot it. Blink and you will miss this place, which is something you don't want to do.
Lokal + Co comes across as a label of love, one that truly wants to impress, from the design of the place, to having something that is completely different from any other offering in the city limits - where else but here, right? - and how it all comes together lithely. It is well and truly a winner in my book, and definitely should be marked down as a must try.
Coming into the weekend once and again, the main query for the day was going to be "where to go for breakfast". This time around, my house mate had no idea having no quite thought ahead; but with that being said, I did have a couple of ideas from an old reliable place - West End - and from having this lot of trump cards in tow, the winning aspect was that it was going to be something different for breakfast. It had also been on the back-burner for a while, and with several winning aspects going for it - in West End, had been established as a favourite among locals, and was easily accessible. Well, the case is always better late than never, and with Lokal + Co what we have on our hands is another winner.
And by winner, that is not just words being minced right there. A good indication that a place is going to be good is that there is interest piqued by the waitstaff within a minute of you walking in the door, extra points when it is not phoned in. The young lady here immediately saw the two of us walking in, and beckoned us to take a seat of our choosing - inside or outside, with in the being the former as the choice. Right after that, she was bringing over the waters along with a bottle for refilling exactly like it was clockwork. That aspect about the water will always be going down as one of the most under-rated aspects of good customer service; it seems small and insignificant though in saying that it is an easy gesture and one that showcases attention to detail.
Outside of that aspect, during the main event of the service, it was all down to effective timing. Aside from getting a good time between seating and ordering the coffees, then subsequently the coffees and the food orders, it was one where attention was on full-force the entire time. People kept on coming in, lo and behold that it is popular and the waitress was paying due attention, and in addition to that, she was clearing the table progressively. Most of the time I have found that even with great service, they wait until the end of the meal when everybody has finished to clear the table - banquets and big orders not withstanding - but here, the plates and cups were getting taken away after the meals, drinks et al were completed. It would definitely be apparent that this is a good indication about how seriously they take customer service, because as it is so often said around here, it is down to the small touches and gestures, which add up due to the attention to detail - it does not get more honed in on attention to detail than this; this is due to the diligent manner, making sure it does not pile up too much, and simply gets the small tasks done and dusted in a timely manner. All of this was with a pleasant demeanour - one that was natural and made you feel welcome.
The atmosphere - contributed in part from the aforementioned service - is one that is homely, and so it should be. Taking an old Queenslander, it has been renovated and decked out akin to an IKEA shopping trip, with small touches that add up, though here it might appear a little sterile for some people. Still, it is clean and spacious - the size helping the ergonomics even more. Outside uses some astroturf and umbrellas, so diners can easily eat al fresco adding even more to both the aesthetic and atmosphere.
Depending on the time of day, when it comes to the menu it changes its tune accordingly. Getting to breakfast first, the menu is astutely divided into light and substantial selections, and the choices deviate a lot from having the general selection on tap. There are all kinds of unusual flavour touches to the meals, and a freshness going about them using a balance of different sorts of vegetables, fruits and such. Never before has a continental style breakfast selection sounded so appetising to this little black duck, but a first time must happen for everything at one point. They do a similar structure at lunch with lights and substantials, and is a range of different cafe-style meals using all kinds of meats and preparations so that they all sound unique and distinct from one another. Dinner is similar, plus the addition of "to snack" highlighting some appetisers, and a range of more substantial and elaborate foods. That is just the food aspect, and wait until the drinks come out.
Both tea and coffee are on offer, and they are not bucking quality with either. Whatever one floats your boat, they have your back covered. As well as that, in keeping it fresh there are freshly-squeezed juices, smoothies, breakfast cocktails along with some sodas. That, and a range of wines, beers both on tap and in the bottle, then a range of spirits that will satisfy any connoisseur. Through and through with it all, the influence is certainly Scandinavian - in particular it is focused on Norway - by the aromas, the aesthetics Through and through, the Scandinavian influence comes through the food as well with a particular kind of focus on the Norwegian fare.
As per normal, the first order of business was getting the drinks, and business went the usual route as well - I got the doppio. The beans that they use here come from a blend that is down in the northern area of New South Wales, Allpress coffee. From what I remember, this was a new one to my dining buddy but I have had it several times beforehand and it is a pretty good brew for the most part. Possibly on the strong side, it has a bit of a chestnut aroma to it - one that is a little bold, distinctive to an extent, and has enough robustness to perk you up. Let's put it this way though, Allpress coffee is good enough to get a second cup so something is definitely being done right by that.
Though not a shoe-in right away, it was still pretty quick and easy in deciding what sounded the best out of the lot given with breakfast, and that was their potato waffles which was topped with some house-cured gravlax, citrus onions, salmon pearls, and a big lot of labne. Getting it out of the way, it simply looked fantastic on the plate, being well presented, and quite colourful, plus not to mention just how generous the portion size was. The waffle was light as a feather, with the potato in it all creamy and soft, the bits of gravlax were massive and the flavour was delicious and subtle in its notes plus the labne really rounded off the entire meal. This was as simple as it was divine, a much recommended breakfast.
After the two great meals that were on show here, my dining buddy had looked over to the counter and saw that some good-looking sweets were up for sale. Going up while I was finished the last scraps of my meal, it was his choice for which was the dessert of choice. He like the look of the red velvet cake, so that was it. It was served with several bits of fruit - namely strawberries and blueberries - and the size of the slice was pretty generous; without heading off to the States, this may have been the most generous size of dessert I have seen - of course with the idea of sharing it in mind being the sole reason behind it.
The cake itself was tasty, and quite moreish. Better yet, the flavour was not overtly sweet or anything, but more of a tart, slightly berry-like taste profile came through. On top of the soft batter, the cream cheese icing was thick, and gave off just the right amount of sweetness. Around it, the bits of fruit were juicy, plump and very fresh. It was here that the second cup of coffee was ordered, and it all came together nicely in the end.
Managing the buck the grunginess that often permeates the eateries at West End and going for more of a sleek, open and clean look, Lokal + Co still has that laid-back charm that goes into many of the cherished eateries so it is still not out of place at all. The attention to detail is on point here, the food portions are satisfying and the food good quality, plus this is the West End made for the residents - hidden away from the main drag, heaps of space and in the suburban surrounds. I may have taken my sweet time between knowing about here and getting to eat here, but all that time does not discount how much it was worth the wait.
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