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Petit Cafe, Cairns
Have you ever wanted to try somewhere new to eat out and then arrive there only to take one look at the menu and walk out again? Well that happened to my mum and I yesterday. Unfortunately for you I’m not going to divulge any more the details or give you the name of the place I am referring to because I didn’t try their food and it might just be amazing, it was just the menu didn’t really float my boat. Lucky for me, due to my incessant hourly scrolling through Instagram I already had a backup so mum and I jumped in the car and headed straight there.
My backup lunch destination was the newly opened (as of yesterday in fact) Petit Café on Lake Street. Directly across the road from Woolworths mum and I were both blown away when we entered the schmick Sydney-esque interior with soft blue walls, IKEA type retro furniture and mirror like polished floors (although much to mums dismay no communal table).
The whole place is very ‘not Cairns’ in a very good way! The Petit Café on Lake Street is the second such branch of it’s kind in FNQ with the first one being the ever so popular (so I have heard anyway) shop in Kuranda.
Mum and I took up a table for two in the middle of the floor and had a look over their extensive menus with a page each for Traditional Crepes, Gourmet Crepes and of course Sweet Crepes. With over 30 different types of crepes on the menu it was quite a difficult choice for both of us, even mum who is still – despite my initial thoughts that she would barely last 2 weeks – a vegetarian. Sorry mum!
She chose a Traditional Crepe with Creamy Goats Cheese, Homemade Onion Jam, Toasted Almonds, Cherry Tomatoes, Cheese and Spinach while after a tough choice I ended up choosing a Gourmet Crepe with Medium Rare Roast Beef, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Egg, Cherry Tomatoes, Cheese, Cornichons and Baby Spinach. Initially I did think that the prices were a little high – a couple of the Gourmet Crepes are around the $23 mark I instantly changed my mind when I saw the sheer size of the things and the generous toppings.
Mum’s Traditional Crepe came out pizza style whilst mine was folded up a little like a calzone. I’m going to try and keep this short and sweet because there’s not a whole lot that needs to be said other than both of our crepes were absolutely delicious. Mum thought her crepe had a few too many almonds on it but I tasted it and disagreed with her.
Traditional Crepe with Creamy Goats Cheese, Homemade Onion Jam, Toasted Almonds, Cherry Tomatoes, Cheese and Spinach
My egg was runny and the homemade tartar sauce along with the cornichons gave my Gourmet Crepe a lovely zing! It was so big that I was in fact full for the rest of the afternoon but I am looking forward to my next visit to try the Kangaroo Prosciutto Crepe and of a course one of their amazing sounding Sweet Crepes – and yes of course they have Nutella Crepes for those of you that were wondering!
Gourmet Crepe with Medium Rare Roast Beef, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Egg, Cherry Tomatoes, Cheese, Cornichons and Baby Spinach
Mmmm runny egg
Attentive service, knockout decor, beautiful fresh ingredients and crepes made with love I have absolutely no doubt that it’s going to be on for young and old at the newly opened Petit Café.
Petit Café
Lake St, Cairns
Opening Hours: 7 days 7.30am – 3.30pm
German Tucker Wursthouse, Kuranda
The amazing weather that we have been having the last few days reminds me of why I love and live in Cairns. Taking advantage of this weather MS and I decided to go for a drive up the range and head to Kuranda. Why oh why would I want to go to Kuranda you ask? To go to the German Tucker Wursthouse of course. I am one to avoid the little town of Kuranda since it is a bit of a tourist racket and nothing really interests me up there, except the food of course. Another card in the nifty Table 52 pack of cards, which I am absolutely powering through the GTW is across from the park in the main area of shops in the village and packed with people. There is a takeaway grill out the front of the restaurant for walkers-by but we chose to go inside and sit at a table to eat our tasty German Sausages. Being the big man that he is MS ordered two ‘hotdogs’ – one with a Kaseknacker sausage (beef/cheese/smoked/spices) and one with a Thuringer Bratwurst sausage (beef/pork/herbs/pepper/salt/spices). And me being the little person that I am ordered just one hotdog – a Kaseknacker sausage with sauerkraut. The more sauerkraut the better! I could shower in that sh*t it’s so damn good.
Controlled chaos seems to be right at home at the GTW however the owner Patric (the man on the grill) doesn’t miss a beat. Seems at the GTW they rely on the honesty system but if you are not honest don’t think he won’t notice. When you arrive at the restaurant you order your food from Patric (he writes nothing down just somehow remembers it all), grab your drink out of one of the fridges, take a seat and wait for him to bring the hotdogs to you, paying when you leave. MS and I observed a large group of tourists eating hotdogs at a table next to us each with a beer in hand. Upon leaving they went to the register to pay for their meals and ‘accidently’ left off a beer when reciting what they had. That didn’t fly with Patric. He was well aware of how many beers they had consumed and called them on it. And here I was thinking he was just a crazy German with a pair of tongs in his hand. He’s obviously a lot more attentive and good at this ‘running a restaurant’ stuff than I thought. That’s a joke.
Patric
Anyway back to our sausages… On each table there is a bottle of tomato sauce and a bottle of mustard because every good hotdog has to have mustard and tomato sauce on it. The two cheesy sausages (Kaseknacker) arrived first since the Bratwurst was still cooking. MS opted for onion since he doesn’t like sauerkraut and I skipped the onion since I don’t like onion. The hotdogs arrived on simple woven basket type plates served by Patric with a smile. The sausages were big, juicy and firm, the bread rolls were fresh and crusty and the sauerkraut was gooood. MS thought that the bread rolls were too crusty and claimed they were ‘sharp’ and cut into the inside of his mouth. Poor little lamb. I didn’t see a problem with the crustiness of the bread rolls but hey who I am to comment.
Kaseknacker (beef/cheese/smoked/spices) with Sauerkraut (AU$5.50)
Our little trip up to Kuranda solely to go to the German Tucker Wursthouse was well worth the visit and with our Table 52 card cost us less than AU$20 for the two of us. It’s a great little place with a lot of character, a crazy looking but super friendly owner called Patric, super tasty sausages and mountains of sauerkraut for all you sauerkraut lovers out there. But seriously who doesn’t love sausage in and around their mouth? Get to Kuranda STAT.
German Tucker Wurst House
Therwine St, Kuranda QLD 4881
Ph: (07) 4093 7398
Opening Hours: 7 days 10am – 2.30pm
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