THE Pig and Fig is the epitome of your local cafe.
Buried deep in the Attadale burbs, you wouldn’t really know about it unless you lived in the area or someone recommended it.
It’s part of a small row of shops and eateries that includes Redfish chippie, The Foodies Basket, The Neighbourhood Kitchen, Our Farm The Village Butchery and Corner Store Foods burgers.
It’s an impressive line-up for a quiet, almost anonymous, suburban street and definitely worth a visit.
On a mild winter’s day we took a seat outside in the Pig and Fig’s alfresco patio.
It was a pleasant area with the foliage creating a relaxing green barrier between you and the passing traffic.
There were decorative lights hung across the patio roof and inside had a green colour scheme and potted plants.
The place had a laidback feel and the staff were friendly and happy to chat.
The menu had a nice mix of breakfast/brunch and lunch dishes. All the classics were covered, but there were a few surprises in there.
Highlights included the chilli cheese scrambled eggs, chorizo beans, BBQ brisket burger, teriyaki bowl, and pork croquettes madame (pulled pork, cheesy béchamel, brioche loaf).
My wife “Special K” and I warmed up our palates with some cold pressed juices ($8 each).
My Restore was a zesty number with a well-balanced mix of beetroot, apple, carrot, lemon and ginger.
While my wife’s Vitality had a nice medley of strawberry, apple and lemon. A refreshing start.
I ended up going for the Seafood Chowder ($20) from the Specials menu, which also had Thai soup, and pancakes.
The service was a bit tardy, but it was worth the wait.
The creamy broth was teeming with squid, prawns, fish, mussels and crab.
The broth had just the right consistency – not too gloopy or too thin – and the right amount of cream – not too rich.
I was impressed by the chowder – it was a delicate affair and the seafood was perfectly cooked and not rubbery.
The celery and little sprigs of dill added a lovely freshness and the two slices of bread were light and perfectly toasted.
Great for dunking into the flavoursome broth. All in all, a very nice chowder and surprisingly refined.
Unfortunately, there was a balls-up with my wife’s pancakes with lemon curd and berry compote ($24) and she didn’t get her meal until I had finished mine.
But the staff apologised and advised there would be a delay, offering my wife a free drink, so fair play.
Again it was worth the wait.
“I’m loving the little jar of berry compote and the stack of fluffy pancakes,” my wife said.
“They taste lovely and light, and the curd adds a nice citrus tang.
“An interesting twist is the crumbled pavlova on top, adding some texture. A very enjoyable dish, despite the delay.”
We enjoyed our lunch at the Pig and Fig cafe. Hats off to them for having an interesting menu and deviating from the usual eggs benny formula.
It’s a pleasant spot for lunch and the seafood chowder and pancakes were top notch.
But as we left, I couldn’t help thinking – if my wife was the Fig, what did that make me?
Pig & Fig Cafe
88 Moreing Rd, Attadale
facebook.com/pigfigcafe
by STEPHEN POLLOCK