#elkandpea

[thrifty-eats-blog]

Braised lamb shoulder taco with ancient grains and smoked garlic & rosemary yoghurt ($7.50).  Chicken and cauliflower empanada with fresh lime and aioli ($9). 

[thrifty-eats-blog]

Review: Elk & Pea

I haven’t, by far, explored the entirety of Lonsdale St, but I feel like the lunch menu at Elk & Pea is the most gorgeous, sensory, lip-smacking and plate-licking menu in Braddon.  A disclaimer: my boyfriend L and I fully splurged at Elk & Pea.  We broke the $9 rule and bought drinks (exceptional coffee!) and shared a burger after we devoured the reviewed dishes.  

I highly recommend throwing your money at Elk & Pea, because you will receive an incredible experience in return.

Another disclaimer: the dishes in this review are snacks, not full meals, so just be aware if you intend on trying these out.  Also note that Elk & Pea don’t run their lunch menu on weekends (they have an all-day breakfast), so be sure to check them out during the week.

L had a taco, filled with braised lamb shoulder, ‘ancient grains’, and a smoked garlic and rosemary yoghurt.  He demolished this pretty quickly.  It was mellow, mild and relaxed.  Perfect for a summer’s day, which was a shame given the weather was chilly and overcast.  The lamb was excellent, and the flavour combinations were subtle and worked well together.  He’d love for the taco to have been bit warmer (given the weather), which would really mean more lamb (which would be great!).  

I had the empanada of the day, whose flavour was chicken and cauliflower.  The filling was bursting with salty, tender chunks of chicken, soft cauliflower, and sweet onion.  I was amazed, and so, so keen to get it in my mouth already.  The generous serving of sauce was spicy and creamy, and offset the sweet and salty pastry.  Speaking of, the pastry was crisp and flaky outside, and delicate inside.  Exactly how it should be.  The lime was zesty, and rounded out the other sensory elements.  The empanada was big on flavour, small on size.  I am all for a bigger empanada!

The happy ending doesn’t end there though.  We were waited on by the most charismatic, lovely man.  He saw to our every need, gave well-received recommendations, and was so jolly, it was impossible not to enjoy his company.  Super friendly service with an infectious smile is an understatement.  

Honestly, get to Elk & Pea immediately.  They won’t disappoint!  

Find Elk & Pea on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

[toohipornottoohip-blog]

Elk and Pea

Elk and Pea located on Lonsdale Street, Braddon is hard to find parking for. I ended up having to park in one of the streets next to Lonsdale and walk to the restaurant. Which I didn’t mind, but for some, this could be a bother. For parking I rated it a 6/10. Although parking can be difficult, the restaurant itself is quite accessible on foot and was rated an 8/10.

The restaurant from first glance looks warm, comfortable and inviting and as I entered and was seating I found this to be true. From the outdoor eating area that’s covered and heated to the decorative, unique landscape of the interior, the whole place gave an aura of sophistication but at the same time it was quite relaxed. 

I found my way to the back of the restaurant, through dimly lit tables and elk hangings. There were paintings covering the roof, wooden boards covering the walls, and awesome background music playing from the speakers. There were interesting light shades, hand painted doors, vintage water bottles, beautifully patterned seat covers, and an intricately designed menu (both food and drinks). Overall the restaurant was extremely unique in both its style and personality. It represented itself beautifully with both interior and outdoor decorating. For the uniqueness aspect I gave Elk and Pea a 9/10 and for inside and outside view it was also rated a 9/10.

Elk and Pea offer both gluten free and vegetarian meals. I ordered the Chilli Con Carne: slow braised chilli beef, corn crisps, avocado, sour cream as my main for $18. For dessert, I ordered the Dessert Taco (Crepe): caramelised banana, dark chocolate, candied pecans, marshmallow and vanilla ice-cream for $15. The main was presented, I thought, really well for what it was. I mean it’s not easy to make chilli con carne look pretty on a plate if we’re going to be honest! So for this the main got a 7/10 for presentation. The dessert was intricately placed with the sides of the crepe propped up on marshmallows and was rated a 6/10 for presentation. Both meals were equally rated as 8/10 for quality.The main was filled with spice and flavour, I couldn’t stop eating it. The dessert on the other hand, although nice, my expectations were a lot higher and I found myself a little disappointed. It said dark chocolate - I expected a chocolatey dessert, not just a few sprinkles of chocolate! As for speed, the food came out relatively quickly but I found myself looking around seeing where my meals were and so I gave it a 7/10.

The staff were both welcoming and ready to answer any queries about the restaurant and the meals and when I was having trouble with the card transaction, they were helpful and patient. 

Overall I had a really good experience at Elk and Pea and would definitely find myself visiting again in the future. 

Is Elk and Pea too hip or not too hip?

Presentation: 7/10 (main), 6/10 (dessert)

Speed: 7/10

Quality: 8/10

View: 9/10

Uniqueness: 9/10

Location: 6/10 (parking), 8/10 (accessibility)