Foodcraft

Foodcraft was bursting at prime time lazy lunch o'clock and the atmosphere (minus the baby which kept accidentally-on-purpose spraying water from its sippy cup at me) was a fun weekend local crowd. I made the mistake of arriving hangry and the first thing I saw was the mountains stack of Tella balls i.e. sugar coated spherical doughnut balls bursting with nutella. The sight of them alone was enough to start the makings of a sugar coma. But I was there for the reuben, well the "new york reueben" exactly.

The new york reuben (take away for $12, but sit down for close to $20) constituted of braised corned beef, saurkraut, swiss cheese and russian dressing. It also came with a hectic basket of chips - maybe that's why they call it the "new york" reuben. I was expecting a giant stack of juicy meat, given the new york reference and was left disappointed, with the hangry feelings not quite satisfied. Props to Foodcraft for the double cut stack, that in itself is the first double cut format of reuben that I've come across in Sydney. The sandwich itself was good, but not great and didn't have any star players. The chips were delicious and although the dressing on the side worked well to dip the chips in, the sandwich itself required some operation to get the dressing involved as an internal ingredient. A single slither of gherkin graced each layer and the bread wasn't as fresh as one would expect for a cafe that busy. The sandwich was also cut in half with a knife that obvsiouly was used prior for something that resembled pasta sauce, with the cut edges smeared with this unknown imposter condiment.

Come hungry for the Tella balls but give the reuben a miss.

7/10

Website: Foodcraft

The Henson

Recommended by a friend, I was uncertain that The Henson had a Reuben on the menu until I finally came across the "Knuckle Sandwich": wagyu brisket, fennel slaw, swiss cheese, smokey mayo on rye (& chips) for $17. Sounded to me a like lot like "The NOT Reuben" at Reuben Hills (reviewed September 2014) which was sorely disappointing compared to the hype. Now entering a realm sans hype, I found myself somewhat less disappointed even though the reuben appeared to be a mirror of the Reuben Hills one.

Fennel slaw, well that's just coleslaw  isn't it (since when has fennel been that fancy?) and the wagyu brisket probably was stretching the bow a bit. It felt like a glorified steak sandwich. A chewy steak sandwich at that - I was battling with gristle many times in the low lit beer garden (hence the flash for the photo). The rye was the less than authentic soft and fluffy square variety (I somehow attribute real european rye to anything except a neat square shape), but the chips were nice. Hmmm, I think that's saying something. Given that it's not actually called a reuben on the menu, I don't think I can be too judgmental but going by the ingredients it almost should be.

The Henson has a great outside area, which was most enjoyable once it got a bit later and the toddlers running around with upside down buckets on their head and rolling balls under my stool had subsided. Family friendly is a bonus... if you have a family. Otherwise, leave your intolerance hat at home and come full acceptance that children will be there (as if the outdoor playground area didn't give that away).

Go for the beer garden and the casual atmosphere, but maybe give a burger a go instead.

7/10 - aligning it with the Reuben Hills rating

Website: The Henson

Reuben Hills

Never having been to Reuben Hills before, I was expecting greatness as the café receives a lot of hype. The wait time to get a sit table during a sunny Sunday afternoon was about 20 minutes, which is reasonable in popular eateries about Sydney. Sitting on some sort of industrial metal beam cum waiting bench, my Reuben partner in crime and I enjoyed an iced latte. Delicious. The guy who initially greeted us and then called on us when we were ready to be seated was very friendly, however from then on we were invisible. Having to holler for a menu and then holler to order was not a great start. It was almost as if the staff were so comfortable in the amount of great reviews the café receives that customer service isn’t front of mind because the next shining review is only moments away.

 To the Reuben (technically "The NOT Reuben" as written on the menu): it was rather disappointing for all the hype. At $18, I was expecting something more substantial. It was meant to come on rye bread however when I questioned the white bread the reply was almost an afterthought, something like “oh, we must have sold out” – and then the staff member walked away. Again, customer service? The meat was delicious, soft and juicy in a brisket style. One thin slice of cheese didn’t quite cut it for me but the cabbage (not sauerkraut style, more inner-west fermented style) was pleasant and the horseradish dressing gave it a nice kick. A few thin slices of pickles and carrot were also added into the mix but wasn’t enough to impress.

I would have been happier with it at a price point of around $10 - $12; it felt like a standard café sandwich with an inflated price tag.

7/10

Website: Reuben Hills