No Ordinary Cafe, Penshurst Street, Willoughby

No Ordinary Cafe, Penshurst Street, Willoughby
Tuesday 23 May, 2006

The sign out the front says 'Great coffee, good food and friendly staff' but I think the only thing the folk at No Ordinary Cafe can claim is false advertising.

I have driven past this place a thousand times and wondered what it was like - a local cafe next to a newsagent. It's an interesting setup. As you enter the cafe there are some tables and chairs scattered near the front with an open kitchen in the middle and more seating at the rear with a kids play area and then a courtyard at the back. The kitchen in the centre of the cafe makes for a noisy, distracting centrepiece, with plates being stacked, staff chatting etc.

We sat at the rear of the cafe and there were already menus on the table. When a staff member finally approached to take our order he was distracted by another staff member and proceeded to have a conversation with them over our table. As we looked at them in amusement, they were oblivious to us and the fact we may have wanted to order some breakfast.

When he finally finished his conversation and asked for our order we ordered coffee, juice and I queried what the Eggs Florentine was. 'Don't know' came the reply. I explained that I would like to know how it was prepared and he said 'do you want me to go to the kitchen to ask?' Gee, how about some service???

The cafe soon filled up with Mums and kids, which on a week day morning was a little too much to deal with. The food arrived and the eggs benedict with leg ham was swimming in hollandaise. It was OK, but I could have done with a quarter of the hollandaise. The large muffin was not toasted through and the leg ham was uncooked, so overall it was a very average eggs benedict.

The juices were great - freshly squeezed and a variety on offer and the coffee was OK. No Ordinary Cafe would be more appropriately titled Ordinary Cafe.

No Ordinary Cafe - 83 Penshurst Street, Willoughby - (02) 9967 5011