Saturday, January 12, 2013

Milkbar by Cafe Ish, Redfern

When I heard that our beloved Cafe Ish in Surry Hills was closing down I was VERY sad. As a true addict of Ai's Freaking Awesome Fried Chicken I went into panic mode and visited the cafe non-stop in the weekends leading up to their closure.  When I later found out their were relocating to new digs in Redfern I was VERY happy. VERY VERY HAPPY!


The new incarnation of Cafe Ish still has some of the old favourites that we all love - like the Karage Softshell Crab Omelet - but it's taken a bit of a turn back to the 80s and now has some great milkbar classics that oldies like me know and love all too well. Chicko Roll anyone?


Barista and co-owner Ai still makes her wonderful Wattleseed Macchiato that is as rich and sweet as ever. Chef Josh (the other co-owner) has gone all "weird science" concoting a huge range of wonderfully delicious milkshakes. On my first visit we try the Peanut Butter + Jelly Milkshake that is perfection in a glass - it's sweet, rich and you'll need a friend to help you finish this. We also gave the Miso Caramel Milkshake a whirl - not as sweet as the PBJ but deliciously salty and sweet(ish).


If you've not had enough indulgence with the milkshakes then take yourself up to the dessert counter to peruse the HUGE range of sweeties on offer - all made inhouse by Josh. I bought a homemade Tim Tam to take home for The Boy...but it never made it home to him. Whoops.  The Crunchie Tart is also pretty good...ok, very good!


It's not all sweets at The Milkbar.  A range of hamburgers are on offer starting from just $5 for a plain cheeseburger that comes with cheese, sauce and pickles. The patties are made from lovely pasture-raised beef from Urban Food Market and then bread is freshly made inhouse everyday. Seriously, for five bucks this has got to be the best value food in town!  The more toppings you add the taller the burger seems to get (plus add a few dollars to the price) - check out those two burgers on the right (below)!


A burger wouldn't be a burger without a side of crispy fries. And a visit to Cafe Ish...or the new Milk Bar wouldn't be right without a side of Ai' Freaking Awesome Chicken Wings. There are three wing sauces on offer these days (chilli, crab sauce and vinegar) but I cannot go past the traditional Vinegar Sauce that they used to serve up at the old Ish. Finger Lickin' Good I tell ya!


The Milkbar by Cafe Ish is at 105 Regent Street, Refern.  Closed on Tuesdays and not open for dinner.

Milk Bar By Cafe Ish on Urbanspoon

10 comments:

  1. I love the chicken wings with the vinegar sauce! Was definitely digging those milkshakes when I went there last time too - deliciously rich ;)

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  2. i love this place, i may or may not come here too often for ai's chicken wings!

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  3. Great to know they're in Redfern now, I never got to visit them in Surry Hills. Man, that burger is TALL! Cheap and sustainable, what else can you ask for?

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  4. Why do you do this to me??? This looks so scrumptious and I have such limited time before we go to Welly to visit. But I will add it to my To Do list and give it a go as I am a sucker for a good burger!

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  5. loveee the chicken wings with the vinegar sauce here, could do with some right now actually! You gotta go the Chuck Norris millkshake next time! I usually dislike milkshakes but MAN it was amazing!

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  6. Those chicken wings are to die for! I quite enjoyed the PBJ milkshake, the one I got wasn't too sickenly sweet so finished it all to myself! Mmm.

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  7. This place will always be a favourite of mine! Love the PBJ, burgers & wings. By the way, Ai's signature coffee is actually called wattle macaccino :)

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  8. my my! I still haven't had a chance to check this place out yet >< your pics have got me droolin'..mm $5 burgers!

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  9. The sweet things all look seriously good and those burgers are incredibly tall. Great value too :)

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  10. $5 for a cheeseburger? That's how it should be! Peanut butter and jelly milkshakes also sound like pure delicious sin...need in my life! Popping up to Sydney for a weekend in march...might need to pay a visit! :)

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