Reuben Hills

Reuben Hills sounds like a faraway destination.  Not quite as distant as Far Far Away (sorry Shrek) but getting close.  Perhaps it's simply the word "hills" that suggests a rolling green landscape lying beyond the reach of city-dwellers like you and me.  Fortunately however, Reuben Hills is not as far-flung as the name suggests.  It's a bustling inner-city cafe located right in the heart of Surry Hills, a little way up Albion Street, two minutes walk from Central Station.

Come rain or shine, this place will be packed - guaranteed.  We became quite friendly with the front door, having stood so close to it for so long (waiting for a free table).  Don't let the queues put you off though, they are absolutely worth it.

Salted caramel milkshakes.  This was the very first thing we ordered off the menu, as soon as a waiter swung past.  Never mind that it was 11am on a Sunday morning and we hadn't even eaten yet - a good helping of frothy, milky caramel was just what we wanted.

These milkshakes were amazing - just the right balance of sweet and salty.  A word of caution - be careful of any gloops of caramel lurking at the bottom of your shake - shake vigorously before consumption!

This was baleada (bal-YA-da), a wheat-flour tortilla, quite thick, folded in half and stuffed with pulled Pimenton pork and chimol.  The meat was soft, flaky and rich in flavour.  A surprisingly light way to start the day! Well, for meat-lovers anyway (Amy).

The innards.

This was my choice - soft baked eggs with shaved jamon, black beans, Ranchero sauce and schiacciata (bread).  Wonderful!  Gooey (the egg), crunchy (the bread), chewy (the jamon), gloopy (the black beans), spicy (the Ranchero sauce) and generally warm and filling altogether.  Perfect for a rainy winter's morning.

Prod.

This was affectionately titled 'the NOT reuben' - wagyu salt brisket, pickled slaw, melted manchego and horseradish cream.  I didn't try any, but apparently it was very satisfying.  It looked good anyway.

And now for the pièce de résistance - the Doggs breakfast (yes, two g's) - an icecream sandwich with salted caramel.  It did taste pretty good, but not quite as good as it looked.  The chocolate sponge on the sandwich was a little underwhelming, and the splodge of salted caramel on the side felt a little detached from the rest of the dish, like an afterthought.  The salted caramel milkshakes were definitely the winner.

So if you ever find yourself on a street like this, battling autumn leaves, fending off the rain and generally keeping winter blues at bay, duck into Reuben Hills for a lazy weekend brunch that will keep you coming back for more.