Nic & Kolo

45 Ardross Street, Applecross
Ph: (08) 9364 9496
www.nicandkolo.com.au
An award-winning experience with the ‘oomph’ factor
Feeling hungry? Step this way. If you are not already impressed by the location – a leafy street with a brightness that reflects inside the café – you definitely will be by the tantalising dishes on the menu. The café is owned by two engineers: Ben and Nicole Kon-Yu, aka Nic and Kolo (Kolo is Ben’s nickname from when he was growing up).
A word of advice – do not let one morsel pass your lips before you take your place at one of Nic and Kolo’s tables. The portion sizes dictate that you will walk away, appetite satisfied and full.
From the welcoming smiles, unfussy service and the relaxed happy vibe that emanates from this twice Gold Plate Award winning cafe, you can be assured you will be treated to a smorgasbord of delicious, fresh, WA produce, cooked with passion by one of the venue’s five chefs.
I chose Mac n Cheese Egg Benedict for my breakfast – a feast and a solution to the demands of a rumbling tummy. Perfectly cooked, the poached eggs were nestled on top of panko crumbed macaroni cheese croquettes with pancetta and parmesan, and topped with a perfect Hollandaise sauce. This mouth-watering dish was accompanied by crisp asparagus.
The beautiful foreshore is a great place to walk along and only a few minutes from Nic and Kolo’s open door. I went back for breakfast again the next morning.
For the sweet tooth amongst you – get back in line. This time, I chose the Buttermilk Pancakes – all three pan-fried to perfect fluffiness with generous chunks of crunchy honeycomb, maple syrup and caramel crème, all paired perfectly with a slab of cured and smoked bacon. It’s an interesting combination that works brilliantly. This sugar fix on steroids will keep you on pace all day.
The dishes I tasted were so good I enlisted my companion to go back for dinner the following evening.
The ambience of the restaurant wraps around you when walking into the spacious venue with its soft oak furnishings, stand-out brass counter, concrete tiled floors and soft décor.
Cathy’s wontons were our choice of appetiser and we chose wisely. A dish ‘owned’ by Ben’s sister Cathy, the homemade wontons were filled with smooth, tasty pieces of pork accompanied by rocket and the tastebud tantalising Nam Jim dressing. They were temptingly more-ish.
The piece de resistance was the Pepe duck – a confit roast breast which will be preserved in my memory for a long time, with grilled pear and orange jus. Smoked in-house, the duck had the ‘just right’ amount of smoking so it didn’t take over the entire dish. When placed together with the juiciness of the pear and the softness of the potato, it was a melt in your mouth experience.
Matching the dish with a recommended 2016 Drift Pinot Noir (Marlborough, NZ) was ideal. The wine was smooth with a
hint of cinnamon and a very, very good match with duck.
A dinner would not be complete without a dessert and you are spoilt for choices of deliciousness at this establishment.
So, with that well-known quote in mind “I can resist anything except temptation”, I got stuck into the brown butter crepe, vanilla ricotta cheesecake with a smattering of berries, lemon and that so-melt-in-the-mouth sorbet. One word sums it up: Yum.
By Linda Parkes
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