Badde Manors, Glebe
"Wow, everyone ordered vegetarian," says Mrs Presley, and it's only then she realises that everything on Badde Manors menu is completely meat and seafood-free.
It's a commendable feat that this fact slipped unnoticed, the comprehensive menu littered with a range of dishes that all sound tempting and filling. We skip our eyes down the page that includes stuffed crumbed mushrooms, Cajun-spiced eggplant schnitzel, vegetable lasagna and falafel burgers.
This quirky corner cafe on Glebe Point Road has long been a favourite haunt for locals and university students. The furniture is an eclectic mix of recycled wooden church pews and formica-topped tables. Decorations are anything goes, an op-shop's delight of vintage clocks, porcelain statues, childrens stuffed toys and dragon sculptures hanging from the ceiling.
Crispy sweetcorn capsicum and coriander cakes $12.50
Served with baby spinach, sauteed mushroom, fresh tomato and homemade tomato chutney
The food is generously portioned and budget friendly - key selling-points for the impoverished uni students huddled around each table.
I order the crispy sweetcorn, capsicum and coriander cakes on one occasion, the fritters generous with corn and crisped well. The only detractor is the homemade tomato chutney which is tasty but fridge-cold.
Garden salad $8.50
Garden salad is almost a meal in itself, filled with mixed leaves, cucumber, tomato, black olives and slices of crunchy radish.
Crumbed bocconcini served with wild rocket $7.50
I'd also ordered the crumbed bocconcini, three nuggets of baby mozzarella battered and deep-fried, perhaps not quite long enough as the cheese remains more solid than molten and stretchy.
Grilled haloumi $9.50
with wild rocket, fresh tomatoes, baby spinach, walnuts and shaved parmesan
Grilled haloumi has been seared to a blistered squeakiness, fats slices draped across a plate of wild rocket, cherry tomatoes, toasted walnuts and shavings of parmesan.
Dragon sculpture
Roast pumpkin risotto $16.50
with sun dried tomato, wild rocket, basil pesto and topped with shaved parmesan
Risotto is often a game of chance when it comes to ordering out, but we're relieved to find the versions here are reassuringly al dente. Both the roast pumpkin and the mushroom versions arrive as veritable mountains - the only thing missing is seasoning, but a few shakes of salt does the trick.
Three mushroom risotto $16.50
with baby spinach and a hint of Dijon mustard
Buttered toast on the side will easily tip you into a carbohydrate coma. The three mushroom risotto is probably the tastier of the two options.
Moroccan-style vegetable tajine $16.50
with couscous, almonds and sultanas served with natural yoghurt
If risotto's not your thing, you can revel in a whole tajine of couscous with Moroccan-style vegetables. It's another enormous meal, the simmer of pumpkin, tomatoes and onion spicy and comforting.
We didn't have room on this occasion but the chai tea here is worth ordering, brewed using a custom Badde Manors blend of spices and served in a teapot with frothy foamed milk.
Outdoor seating at Badde Manors Cafe
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Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Glebe - Flying Fajita Sisters
Glebe - La Banette Patisserie Boulangerie
Glebe - Mamak Village
posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 7/20/2011 01:45:00 am
22 Comments:
At 7/20/2011 2:47 am, Lola (Figs and Brie) said…
Ahhh, I am one of those impoverished uni students you speak of and I love this place, plus my veg friends are totally enamoured with their menu. So much yumminess, and I must bring me camera with me next time I visit!
At 7/20/2011 3:13 am, Lay's said…
I like coming here for afternoon coffee or late night coffee. The deco is really rustic!
At 7/20/2011 4:41 am, Michelle Chin said…
the food looks really down to earth. :) rocks my boat!
At 7/20/2011 9:03 am, ragingyoghurt said…
ohhhh... badde manors, how i love you! it was one of my favourite cafes in sydney, and definitely served my favourite chai. i'm finding that most of the places i've been to in melbourne make it from powder. rrr. that food looks so delicious! and you managed to resist the enormous strudels and pistachio-riddled gelato! [slinks off to pine for badde manors and take solace in vegemite toast]
At 7/20/2011 9:13 am, Anonymous said…
I didn't find the food here particularly good. And I've read comments about food safety issues (crunchy bugs) and service rudeness so I'm not planning to go back.
At 7/20/2011 9:16 am, Anonymous said…
This is my sister's local and she took me there on one of my first visits to Sydney about twelve years ago. I too did not realise that it was vegetarian, picking up on that only when I went to pay the bill. I go there every chance I get for the great atmosphere, real coffee and good, wholesome food.
At 7/20/2011 9:29 am, Two fit and fun gals said…
i love this place you should've ordered the chai tea it comes in a pot for like $4.50.. :) cheap and the best tasting chai i've had! very gingery heheh
At 7/20/2011 9:38 am, tania@mykitchenstories said…
OMG, this place is still going. It is incredible that a cafe should survive Sydney for so long. Still quirky, and loved by locals.
At 7/20/2011 9:44 am, Minh said…
LOL I remember coming here for breakfast once and being absolutely stunned by the fact that there was no crispy bacon. That said, their mushrooms are amazing!
At 7/20/2011 9:46 am, chocolatesuze said…
i told you i had a dream about mushroom risotto right? and now i cant stop thinking about it!
At 7/20/2011 9:47 am, Tina@foodboozeshoes said…
I always have the chai tea with a slice of cake here. Those meal options all look so delish!
At 7/20/2011 10:28 am, Trissa said…
I briefly flirted with eating only vegetables for two weeks... It was hard at first, especially as I wasn't being too creative with my meals... I think I would have lasted longer if I had read your delicious post sooner!
At 7/20/2011 10:31 am, Dumpling Girl said…
Loving the look of those crispy sweetcorn capsicum and coriander cakes. Shame about the fridge cold chutney though.
At 7/20/2011 10:34 am, Nic@diningwithastud said…
I'm a sucker for haloumi! Those risottos look awesome though! And who can resist deep fried cheese :) Shame it wasnt as stretchy as hoped though
At 7/20/2011 11:20 am, Keely aka The Richest Girl in Bondi said…
Looks like a great atmosphere with decent prices too. The Grilled haloumi looks tasty -- it's the perfect time of year for a bit of 'carb coma' and risotto though!
At 7/20/2011 2:18 pm, Hannah said…
Bahaha! Bread on the side of risotto? Gold! Just you wait til I take us to a raw vegan place in Sydney...
At 7/20/2011 4:20 pm, Arwen from Hoglet K said…
What a great name! Looks like they've done an excellent job of making vegetarian exciting, which is how it should be. The melty cheese balls look amazing.
At 7/20/2011 6:23 pm, shaun@everybodylovesramen said…
Such a cool name.
I love sweet corn fritters!! And the crumbed bocconcini looks very good.
At 7/21/2011 11:13 am, Anonymous said…
Hahah I remember the first time I went I prob looked through the menu 5 times looking for meaty goodness but I have been back to this place quite a many times cos of the good food
At 7/21/2011 7:51 pm, ameanderingmango said…
Another great review - I live nearby Badde Manors - love the name and the pancakes. Thanks!
At 7/23/2011 9:17 pm, sara (Belly Rumbles) said…
I have wanted to try Badde Mannors for way too long now, the crumbed bocconcini looks dreamy.
At 7/26/2011 9:33 pm, Crissreid (Sydney Showboat) said…
I Love this place! this is incredible stuff!
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