Race, Brunch, Repeat

Cafe Shekin shares the same excellent brunch genetics of its Enmore-based mother; Middle-Eastern tilt, massive serves. Honestly, the main difference is amusement over the local clientele.



Erskinville is weird. I observe marauding zombies sucking disposable cups whilst dragging squealing beasts on chains. False alarm - it's just a young demographic of coffee-addicts where ownership of a designer dog is mandatory.

Menu is the same as Enmore! No point repeating the fabulous avocado falafel (The Bite) or baked eggs (Shakshuka) when I've ventured this far...

Lucky, there is back-up.



Shenkin Stack - salmon, egg, bocconocini, labanne and tomato on sourdough - $18.

'Stack' has positive word associations. Thus I don't read the ingredients.



Similar to school and career, lack of literacy skills hurts. I may be on detention.

Clean egg-slicing technique and salmon layering appeals to my OCD. Taste wise, my best translation is a bruschetta married to a DIY Philadelphia cream-cheese job. Boring.



Above, note a giant leaf. It's a decoy and I fell for it. Next time, read the ingredients. 5/10.

Smoked eggplant, zuccini, israeli salad with creamy tahini sauce - $18

Like a black truffle (sub-terrain), a smoked eggplant is a rare find in cafes. Happy days when I sniff one out. Base is crispy with that beautiful charred flavour. With creamy sauce, there is a beautiful contrast.

Fresh, filling and tasty. How can I complain. 8/10.


Shenkin (any outpost) is 8/10. Though you'll never leave hungry at Shenkin, dish selection is an art:

- Good  - The Bite, Shakshuka, Hummus Plate.
- Regret - Shenkin Stack and any standard non-Israeli affairs.

Will I be returning?
Enmore, Surry Hills, Newtown or Erskinville. All the same.

Friday - ABC

6km recovery run to work, then at lunch back in the pool with HuRTS per the new Friday ritual. PW sent out some swim set email involving [insert something hard]. No interest.

Decent turnout with Timmy, Charlie L and even Sonya out early. Think I even saw Champ, Gus, Crossy later on. My swim involved 1km easy (19:10) then 500m hard. Sadly the hard effort did not yield any time improvement. Clearly my technique is a fail.

Another 300m easy, then Timmy jumped in my slow lane and paced me to a 1:45 100m. Felt hard but I hung onto his feet with glee. 100m cool-down to make 2km in the pool.

Cool-down jog around Farm Cove added 3km running. Saw Lambert and Erika at Farm Cove.

Saturday - Coogee to Bondi

Expected to feel rubbish after a work Xmas party (few drinks) then a 6 hour sleep window only 50% utilised. Thanks Trinity.

Strangely, I felt OK. Told Lorie 'meet me 9am at Bondi' and set out into the wild with over 2 hours to spare. Cautious of over-exertion with mild soreness in the leg (way better than start of week).

Started by heading to Syd Park with Parkrun in mind but got bored as I was too early.

 Next up, headed to UNSW, my old stomping ground. Finally, followed the sun to the beach where I spent a good 60 min heading northwards along the coast.



Initiall frustrated by the uneven terrain and shirtless locals, I actually started to enjoy the stop-start routine. I also now know it takes awhile to get from Coogee to Bondi.



After battling the rising temps, stumbled into Bondi more tanned than before, dehydrated and pretty hungry. Thus the breakfast at Lox, Stock & Barrel.



30km in 2:35 at 5:12 min/km ave. pace. I'll admit a few walking breaks...

Good news - the achilles feels noticeably better. The Wednesday swim did the trick (I think). One day's rest for a pair of legs that are never on holiday makes a world of difference.

My lunch plans quickly formed once Sam Johnson called me out for a 'catch up'. The man is a gold mine for dad information and is happy to pass on his infinite wisdom. How can I say no to some newborn handling teach-in bolted to a run-dip-run session to Redleaf?

Took the shortish way, saw JFen warming up for the 8x800m intervals to which I politely declined.

Unlike Monday, the pace was an easy 5:15s. In a fairly empty Redleaf, I knocked out one perimeter lap (5 min) before making the return trip. Crisp water temps but nothing I can't handle.

7km out, 5km back making 12km all up.

Bike wheel is flat so I'm stuck commuting on foot. Thus 23km for the day. Whoops.

Still relishing the off-season. ABC swim tomorrow and of course, a Centennial brunch combo is Sunday's plan.

Giving the legs a much needed break. This time I was solo at A.B.C. in cold, windy conditions. Once I got going, it was OK. Very low intensity type swim, covering 2km.

Pace was about 60s/lap. Always tough exiting the water and getting blasted with wind chill.

Had to warm myself up with a 3.5km jog around Farm Cove. Lucky enough, Lambert was at the tail end of his recovery, meaning I had good company back to work.

Started at the Stone Pillars with a decent sized HuRTS crew, seemingly irrationally set on a 45 progressive tempo in mid 30s temp.

A quick spot check of my right achilles? Not a pass. Joined Charlie, Liam, Champ, Smolly and Jono to Redleaf pool for a trip. Impossible to resist this 'easy' direct run (5km one-way) over the tempo.

First time running with Smolly, who to my dismay looks at hills (or steps) like a fat kid on cake. Raced the big guy up Loftus St (a steep 300m incline) using only nose breathing. His rules... Yes I lost by 5m. First time I've been passed on a hill YTD.

Lovely dip at Redleaf involving some casual free, before heading back the same way. Picked up JFen at Rushcutters, who was doing his own  secret training. By the end, the leg was noticeably sore. Big regrets not just doing a lighter run + ABC.

9.8km all up in 55 min.

Will see a temp drop tomorrow. Uncertain what my lunch will involve.

DOMS from the weekend has left the achilles very sore. It doesn't feel good. No problem - switch out the wharves recovery run for an easy A.B.C. swim.

Convinced RG and Matt (both colleagues) to join me. First time swimming with RG, clearly a superior swimmer but happy to let me slipstream behind. First 600m assisted (10s break at 300m), 400 solo (another 10s break), then 500m solo. The other two finished up at 1.2km.

Pleasingly, the 500m splits were:
- 8:55 (drafting)
- 9:10 (half drafting)
- 9:25 (solo)

1.5km in 27:XX. Doesn't count as a PB but I'm feeling slow gains are coming.

3.5km warm-down jog around Farm Cove with Matt. Crossed paths and chatted to Taffy and Smolly. Taffy is still trying to work off the Thanksgiving food coma.

Saturday - Molly

No training plan heading into xmas, just jogging and lots of it. Today's 15km at 5:30s would suggest an 'easy' one. My legs and my dog (Molly) disagree.

Jogged over to Callan Park, then tracked East along the south side of The Bay Run. Worked the endless hilly side streets of Birchgrove, Balmain, Balmain East and finally Rozelle. A messy run with countless rolling hills. Molly and I were two lost dogs with too much energy.

I reckon this stuff does wonders for the legs when maintaining base.

Over the 15km, an impressive 330m elevation change.

Race season is now closed, race weight goals gone and out comes the stretch pants. Friday's sprint event was the Beer Mile, then comes the food equivalent of a 42.2km. Thanksgiving at the Fentons.



Pleasure mixing it up with only the food-loving runners of HuRTS (and +1s, offspring); notably the Everetts (R&J), Heyden, CT, Macca, Renaud, Jeet, Eoin, Fats, Sonya, JO'C, Quentin, James M and LJ.

At 1:30pm, 20 of us are hungry and share the same unspoken skepticism...Is American cuisine more than deep-fried butter sticks, peanut butter bagels and a take on Chinese Peking Duck that's closer to Lebanese kebab?

Like a steep climb, breathing shortens as covers are lifted. First flies, then diners converge on the amalgamation of American classics.

OK this can't be safe. Carved turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sides, sides and more sides. My opening shot shows a segmented section for pie! Fantastic.



Food critic hat goes on and I'm not deterred by generous portions. No dish labels displeases me. Some of us venture from the Inner West and we need to know if the carrots are organic?

Initially, we're laughing at the minute plate diameter of 20cm. Too small to house such juicy turkey.



70% beehive straight to a peculiar looking tray, to which JFen proudly insists is The Dish to try.

Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Casserole (Fenton Family)



Translation - golden potato mash, encased in crusty flakes and generously layered in melted clouds of toasted marshmallows. What is this abomination?



One fork later ... the US citizenship application is out. Ignore a defunct political situation and a broken healthcare system. Worship the mashmallow upgrade! It works and Jeet and Renaud are all on the same page.



Carb loading does not end here. Cornbread (RHS), being so heavy is a waste of stomach real estate. A few unnamed Bondi residents express disappointment in the lack of quinoa sprouted bread.



My pick of the salads is the pumpkin. Creator is not certainly not shy to showcase feta!



Everyone knows to quarantine a 2nd stomach for pie. Imagine our fear seeing the pie count at five!

Left to right ... Lattice Apple Pie #1 (Everett), Straight Apple Pie #2 (Fattorini), Pumpkin Pie (Heyden), and Pecan Pie (Fenton). I order the lot.
For me - Pecan > AP #2 > AP #1 > Pumpkin.

Pecan wins due to strong caramel flavours, high nut ratio and thick crust. Meanwhile, J Everett, the aspiring Apple Pie maestro nervously waits for my verdict.

I'm no pie expert but I credit him with hand-made pastry and a slow apple cook-down job. He could take a leaf from AP #2 (Fats) with finer apple slicing and cinnamon agression.

Lastly, Pumpkin Pie is sweeter than my preference. Not quite for me.

The result of this five course is a food baby that displaces my actual kid.



It's time to ignore the photogenic people in the forground (Lucy, Taffy, JFen, Renaud, Macca and Sonya) and utilise the jumping castle.



Desperate for a turn in the castle, we waited, waited and waited. Sadly, Fats and a dozen kids had a four hour monopoly on this house-of-fun. Everyone else suffered. Even so, overwhelming feedback on those that did try, said the bounce-factor was sub-par.

On balance, tick to the food and company, cross to poor Castle utilisation:

- Food - 8/10 - marshmallow combo wins. Turkey good, other sides hit and miss.
- Value - 9/10 - main costs for me is bridge toll, screaming toddler and 4L Blue Ribbon ice-cream.
- Other - 7/10 - limited parking and the wait line on the Castle was ridiculous.
- Overall - 8/10 - North Shore lacks good American cuisine. This is a decent plug.

Thanks to the lovely Fenton family and HuRTS chefs for salvaging the North Side's faltering reputation as a respectable food destination. We all had a great time and look forward to 2016.

Photo disclaimer - kids photos not shown as I'm concerned the type of people that read this blog. 

Lovely outdoor seating with Greta, JO'C, Taffy, J&R.


Renaud and Quentin gleefully lining up for the fourth course. JFen said neither tipped...


JO'C, CT and Jeet hiding beers from the shot.


Quentin and JFen crossing swords


JFen's sword is inadequate, so Bonnie steps in.


Everyone pretending to smile whilst actually waiting to eat.

Eventful day down at A.B.C. Pool with the Friday swim squad. A much anticipated Golden Duck 1km TT. Being new to this cliche, I had zero idea what's involved...

With a proliferation of pre-swim group email banter, I was left highly confused as to 'target times' set by Pete / Timmy L. These define handicaps off a staggered start.

Heading in, Yum Cha Wong was destined to break 16 min, Mike Gleeson highly nervous from 6 months on land, and finally Timmy L's generous self-set handicap....

200m warm-up, then the count-down starts. I'm out first, followed by Gleeson 10s back.

I'm OK on cardio but less so on shoulder endurance. Today, can't fix the technique but the mental focus is on straight leg kicking.

150m in, I'm already panicking. Gleeson is converging in tight Speedos and before long, he's grabbing my ankles. Awkward. The pass never eventuates and the threat subsides. Back to the grind for another 300m.

There's another pass (like a flash), then Champ's on me with 300m to go. Tuesday taught me drafting works. I hitch a 300m ride with resounding success. Pacing re-accelerates and I recoup my mid-swim slowdown. Hitting the wall, I notice most of the crew are waiting...

18:27. Half point was 9:12, implying even splits!

Tired but impressed with this time. 30s on my maiden October TT (18:55).

Gleeson bravely accepts the wooden spoon (to my relief), Yum Cha is gutted to miss 16 again, whilst Timmy impresses with mid 16s. The real stand-out is Brendan K, taking 60s off his target 16 flat.

A warm-down with YC and BK around Farm Cove is a good close to a great lunch set.

Certainly enjoying these new challenges. I'm thinking sub-18 by end January.

Lunch - 1.2km swimming.

On the run side, double commute plus pool return aggregates to 18km all up.

Looking forward to a weekend of easy running and the Fenton's Thanksgiving Feast.

In the world of farm-to-plate breakfasts, John Smith Cafe is my key pick for the forthcoming Silly Season.

Notice how beautiful food is normally restricted to rip-off degustations or vegan cafes? No longer, because the JS signature is below.



I'm very proud of my DSLR work standing on a stool.



Day kicks off reading a deceptively unique, seasonal and healthy menu. Top right - kitchen is showcasing some recently slaughtered animals. Vegetarians be warned.



I'm torn between two lamb choices. 'Shoulder' sounds fattier and tastier.

Slow cooked lamb shoulder with watercress, pearl cous cous and charred fennel - $22



Tick to yummy pull-apart and moist lamb. Well integrated is charred fennel and very light pearl balls. Feels premium, looks great and the statistician in me notes the lamb-to-ball ratio. Bang on, resulting in ideal density indulgence.

Each chew results in deep pleasure. I deny the missus a sharing opportunity; thus the main cost is not a blown $20 budget, but 3 days on the coach. Wallet survives, home situation unsure... 8/10.

Next up, more of a yardstick. Chicken, quinoa salad is dangerously overplayed in cafes but never before have I seen beetroot hummus.

Quinoa, roasted vegetable salad with beetroot hummus and chicken - $14 + 4


Expectations are very high based on the visual of this red substance.



Good protein generosity (say 150g). One of few cafe salads that avoids putting the diner on a rapid weight loss program. Individual elements are very sophisticated.

Sauce situation disappoints. I want bold flavours but the hummus is too mild. Still, I'm happy and full. 7/10.

Finally, the dish that has catapulted John Smith to stardom on social media. It's a beauty.
Hot avocado salsa, goats cheese and lime on sourdough - $16 + $3


I'm told blogger custom is to show aerial shots.


What a great cure to avo-on-toast disenchantment. We're forced to discard generational shackles of Asian lactose intolerance and embrace goats cheese OD. Enjoyment of flavour intensity is hosed down by the crippling knowledge I paid $3 for an egg. 8/10.

First visit was 7.5/10. I add 0.5pts due to the milking and slaughtering of animals:

- Food - 8/10 - great flavours, sophisticated offers.
- Value - 8/10 - relative to hipster joints, good calorie/$ ratio
- Other - 8/10 - hipster over-crowding issues but nails the coffee. Staff are so nice.
- Overall - 8/10 - a fancy, value-conscious take on classics.

Happy to recommend John Smith as a top 5 brunch in Sydney.

Will I be returning?
Yes
 Final shots below of the barista operation. Skinny cap. Tastes just right.



Red head barista is one of the owners.