Hedge Espresso - Cooper's Plains, Brisbane. Using what was once a standard, old-style suburban house they have managed to make a well-thought out layout of the slightly small space that they have. Off to the side, using the former yard, is a good bit of al fresco dining with astroturf and a space for the children to play and run around in. There is also plenty of seating there, with benches and barstools looking out to the road; in fact, most of the seating available is yet another hodge-podge of a random, eclectic assortment - most of the furniture is, in fact, built by the cafe owner. He must be a really talented fellow, as they were all quite lovely to look at.. There are also some of the barstools out on the pavement, an old-style couch right at the back, a long table for a bigger family and standard, square tables in the main part of the cafe. With exception to right out on the road, everywhere is well-lit and shaded giving an open, safe and cosy feel - good tips for any aspiring coffee house.
Service is also very good, friendly and efficient. Really, it does what it needs to do and has a dedicated client base in which names are known. This is one where people are wished to come back. You will be greeted with smiles when you walk in the door.
The food they serve is fairly basic. While it would count as a breakfast place, it is essentially just one menu here with an assortment of sandwich-style items, and some sweets. Most of the drinks available are coffee, including their own Cold Brew (none were there at the time), which uses Bare Bones Espresso beans. For the kids, there are milkshakes on offer. It is focused again on providing quality as opposed to quantity.
Starting out, I got a double shot flat white in the regular cup. A bit of a clerical error, but I am not one to complain. It was good to have a break for a while from the usual order. Trying this, it was good to indicate how well crafted the coffee is. The foam crema was smooth and fluffy, with a great body of espresso which was well extracted. It was not burnt nor bitter, and tasted really pleasant. Though it gave the needed jolt of energy, the overall strength was not overbearing.
From the menu, I went with the most unusual of the selection: the lamb shank toastie. This had lamb shoulder that was slow cooked then pulled topped with parmesan cheese on sourdough ciabatta. On the side were a couple of additions - a pea mash and a tomato-apple chutney. This is as good as it sounds, and the serving was substantial. The lamb meat was tender, and brought out its taste beautifully. Sandwiching the whole lot initially, this cause the parmesan cheese to melt and infuse into the meat. Adding a balanced lot of tastes, the chutney added a sweetness and the peas added a more tart, zesty edge to it. This was one inventive, innovative dish done from simple, whole ingredients.
I tired a bit of my dining buddy's order, as usual - with swapping. He got a pear and raspberry bread. This was tell toasted, combining sweet and tart flavours together with the infusion of butter. As usual, it is hard to go wrong with a combination like this. Before heading off for the day, I decided to try another one of their coffees, this time reverting to the usual double shot cappuccino. Take everything that was said about the flat white, and that was the case. Fantastic flavour, good head of foam on top and a smooth texture made it another good drink. They have the knack for coffee at Hedge.
As much as it gets a bit hackneyed discussing "the local" among all the neighbourhoods and side streets, this time around it has an honest, organic feel to it. This is one that is worth a visit, and if foot traffic is substantial enough that might mean more business hours. Here's hoping to that, and plenty of luck.
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