Element 6

Saturday was girls day and we kicked it off with a hearty brekky at a locally famous cafe in West Ryde, Element 6. I must say that I have not and do not frequent the area, so I felt a little like I was in a foreign land. West Ryde is approximately half an hour's drive from Baulkham Hills but is also right next to West Ryde train station, so it's nice and easy to get to if you're catching the train. 

Just before 11am, we arrived at the cute little, hipster-esque cafe with a moose head on the wall, cute decor and crates for seats outside. The place was buzzing but luckily there was a spare table for us inside.

We thought breakfast was only served until noon, but that's only the case for weekdays; on Saturdays breakfast is served until the closing time of 2:30pm. 

We started off our meal with drinks. I had heard about the Sultan's Sunrise ($5.50), which is a refreshing drink containing orange juice with a splash of pomegranate, and recommended it to Cherry and Marina. I felt as if there would be an opportunity cost if we ordered 3 Sultan's Sunrises so I went with a Milo Explosion Shake ($5.50), which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like - a Milo chocolate shake with Milo sprinkled over the top. 

Marina and I couldn't decide what to order from the regular menu, and then we realised there were awesome specials. 

Eventually Marina and I decided to share. One of the dishes we ordered was the chorizo baked eggs with roast potato, herbed passatta and gremolata ($16). The dish was tasty, the chorizos were well cooked, and I liked the addition of the potato which I haven't seen in other baked eggs variations. (Excuse our lack of makeup in the below photos; we were preparing for a facial/makeup day that afternoon.)

The other dish Marina and I shared was the rosemary garlic mushroom with poached eggs, haloumi, roast tomato and baby spinach ($15). I love mushrooms and these mushrooms were seriously tasty. The poached eggs were a tad overcooked because the yolk didn't spill out, but the veggies were cooked well and the haloumi was a tasty addition to the dish. As expected, this typical breakfast combination was a winner. 

Cherry had the French toast with ricotta, poached fruit and pistachios ($13) with ice cream ($2) and oh my goodness! I only had a bite but it is seriously the best French toast I have ever tasted. I would come back just to have their French toast. The toast was just so crispy and light but fluffy at the same time, and the sides would have complemented it perfectly. 

Element 6 was a great find and I really enjoyed my meal and the atmosphere. The food, drinks and service were great, and except for the fact that it is so far from home, I can't wait to go back for the french toast and to try the rest of their menu!