Birthdays Part 1: Baffi & Mo and Patisse

My birthday fell on a Friday this year which made for a rather convenient reason to take the day off and have a long weekend. Birthdays are also a good excuse to do nothing but eat, if that’s your sort of thing. Which for me of course, it is.

After a short sleep-in, Monsieur Poisson and I find ourselves sitting at one of the long bench tables at Baffi & Mo. Whilst I admire the Florence Broadhurst-esque wallpaper, a couple has their backs turned to us and are quietly studying the menu. They are alerted to our presence when we place our order with one of the staff and, somewhat conspicuously, they shuffle a little further away from us on the communal table. Hmmm, perhaps my new haircut is scaring people off? That may not altogether be a bad thing!


Our coffees arrive first up before being soon followed by our ‘Pea and corn fritters’ which are served with baby spinach leaves, squeaky salty haloumi and a tomato relish. Whilst at first the fritters appear to be underseasoned, if you take a bit of haloumi with each mouthful then you’ll be guaranteed bucket-loads of flavour! Plus, you will not miss the presence of meat at all.


Although similar in presentation, the ‘Potato hash stack’ served with avocado, lemon-dressed rocket, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and a poached egg is more about contrasting textures. We’ve opted to have ours with smoked salmon (the other option being ham) and our only complaint is that we would have liked the yolk to be runnier to better offer a creamy coating to both the rocket and the potato hash. Ahhh, and what a magnificent hash it is with its matchstick-thin slivers of golden potato and nary an uncooked one in the centre.


Fast-forward a few hours after some uneventful homewares shopping and we stop in at Patisse for a recharge. The afternoon sun is streaming in Patisse’s converted warehouse windows, giving the multicoloured macaron creations an ethereal quality. I choose a colour palette of mixed berry, salted caramel and pistachio, and find that the filling is creamier than others I’ve tried yet manages to be delicately light. Monsieur Poisson cannot go past the gâteau opera which, with its thicker-than-usual layers, makes for one of the tallest we’ve ever had. However the impressive part is that the layers are evenly proportioned so that there is a balance of flavours and textures, plus there are no pockets of dryness to be found about the jaconde.

We head home for a short break to digest, and then it’s off to more eating for dinner!

94 Redfern St (near cnr Chalmers St), Redfern NSW
Tel: (02) 8065 3294

Baffi and Mo on Urbanspoon

Shop G01, PYD Building, 197 Young St (cnr Phillip St), Waterloo NSW
Tel: (02) 9690 0665

Opening Hours:  Mon-Sat  8:30am-4pm
                        Sun  CLOSED

Patisse on Urbanspoon

happy eating!

20 comments:

  1. Happy birthday! Nice colour scheme you've got going there with the macarons hehe hope you had a fantastic day!

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  2. Happy birthday as well! I'm not a brekkie person but that hash stack is changing my mind and Baffi has been on my list for a few years now. Will I ever make it there, that's the question! LOL

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  3. Don't you love SDOs so we have work respite on our birthdays. You know Baffi & Mo is sort of near my work...if I walk super fast I reckon I coudl get a lunch in there one day....

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  4. Happy birthday my dear! Glad to hear you celebrated it in true food blogger style with multiple celebrations of overeating! :P

    If you ever come down to Melbourne, I'll take you to Replete for their yummy corn fritters!

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  5. Happy birthday! What a great way to celebrate with gorgeous food!

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  6. Celebrating with food is definitely the way to go. Do love the look of the potato stack and totally agree with you, a runny yolk would have been just perfect.

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  7. What a lovely way to celebrate your birthday. Can't wait to see the other b'day eating adventures :)

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  8. Birthdays are the best excuse to spend the entire day indulging!

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  9. oh now i'm dying to try the pea & corn fritters, you know i'm obsessed

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  10. oh happy birthday! aren't the potato hash stacks at baffi's the best? they remind me of the french fries packet chips :)

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  11. happy birthday! hope u got spoilt rotten! i love the potato hash stacks at baffi's! and pastisse - LOVEEEEEEE! hope you had an awesome day :)

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  12. I love a birthday that comes in parts :) Especially when it starts with haloumi + fritters and moves on to desserts!

    Glad to see you were spoilt xx

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  13. Happy birthday past.....and lots of good food to celebrate! I've been longing for a slice of Opera Gateau, after watching Masterchef contestants make it! Love the look of the hash stack too!

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  14. I can't believe I forgot to go to Patisse!!!!!! alas, there will be a next time :)
    Happy BIrthday !

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  15. Happy Belated Birthday!!!! Seems like you had quite a scrumptious birthday :) Patisse, you can come and see me work in october! HAHAH

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  16. Hey Jacq, nothing like macarons to help brighten up the day, right? =p

    Hey joey, nooooo...why is there no breakfast love??

    Hey MissPiggy, haha, go there when you're not in a rush - you're more likely to enjoy it =)

    Hey April, corn fritters - I'm so there!

    Hey john, the best way to celebrate a birthday =D

    Hey Sara, I have a serious weakness for potato hash/rosti and the like =p

    Hey Dumpling Girl, it always is all about the food!

    Hey Phuoc, an extra excuse to indulge!

    Hey Laura, sweetness and sunshine in every bite =D

    Hey minibites, I agree!! The potato hash made me think of those packet French fries as well haha.

    Hey gastronomous anonymous, it was a wonderfully relaxed day. Thanks for the birthday wishes!

    Hey Karen, haha, all the more reason to make my stomach happy!

    Hey Kitchen Butterfly, opera gateau is one of my husband's favourite things =)

    Hey Shellie, but you went to Zumbo - three of them!

    Hey Billy, I'll come stalk you at Patisse... =p

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  17. Belated happy birthday! Wow! What an awesome day of food :) I would not be able to go past the gâteau opera too.

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  18. Hey Raff, thank you! Funnily it was my birthday but gâteau opera is one of the husband's favourite thinkgs =p

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  19. Birthday weekend sounds delightful! May I however recommend the pleasures of birthday week next year - everyone has to do what you say and give presents for even longer ;P

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  20. Hey Sasa, Well, the husband's birthday is a week after mine so it kinda extends for a week...at least!

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