Danks Street Depot, Waterloo

It was my birthday last weekend, and amidst a whirlwind of errands and celebratory dinners, there was a much welcomed moment of respite at Danks Street Depot.

We only take a few steps inside the converted warehouse before our ears are overwhelmed by the clatter of cutlery and the relentless amplification of chatter. We sit in remarkable peace
outside instead, although the aluminium tables could be a little bigger to accommodate the super large plates that our lunch arrives on.





Iced chocolate $5.50

The iced chocolate doesn't look particularly impressive, but appearances can be quite deceiving. A tall glass of milk is rich with real chocolate shavings and topped with large chunks of ice. The bigger bits of chocolate tend to get stuck in your straw but it's a small hardship to bear for the taste of chocolatey goodness.


Bowl of coffee $5.00

I'm equally impressed with my bowl of coffee. Sure there's always a sense of Parisian novelty when sipping from a vessel so large it requires two hands to steady it, but this coffee (Allpress Espresso) is strong and robust with a smooth aftertaste.


Organic chicken liver parfait $18.50
served with caramelised eschalot and sourdough toast

The organic chicken liver parfait is the size of a giant doorstop. Encased in rich creamy butter, the pate is smooth and elegant with a hint of brandy. The caramelised eschalots are the perfect pairing, especially if you manage to get some of the sweet sticky syrup onto your sourdough toast.

The pate portion is so ridiculously large it requires another serve of sourdough to do it justice. Even then we have to slather it on an inch thick to make sure we enjoy every last mouthful.


Sourdough bread $3.00 ($1.50 per slice)


Toasted Rueben sandwich $13.50
Corned Wagyu beef braised in balsamic, sugar and spices
served in a rustic loaf with Heidi Farms tilsit cheese and sauerkraut

We also share the Toasted Rueben sandwich, a culinary delight I first made acquaintances with at Tom's Diner in New York. This is more in the style of a gourmet jaffle with thin slices of tender corned beef (Wagyu, apparently), a smattering of sauerkraut and a squidgy mass of molten Heidi Farms tilsit cheese. The dollop of wholegrain mustard is used almost all up, but I'm secretly wishing for more sauerkraut, and perhaps a pile of chips as well.

Congrats also to Jarod Ingersoll for winning the Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Award for Best Hardcover Recipe Book under US$30 with his first cook book, Danks Street Depot.





View Larger Map

Danks Street Depot
1/2 Danks Street (corner Young St), Waterloo, Sydney

Monday to Wednesday 7.30am - 4.00pm
Thursday to Friday 7.30am - 11.00pm
Saturday 8.00am - 11.00pm
Sunday 9.00am - 4.00pm

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Cafe Sopra and Fratelli Fresh, Waterloo
Danks Street Festival 2006