Re Cafe - North Sydney

As you might have figured out, this provocative title is just another generic cliché that is not based on any scientific evidence. In fact, this cliché may apply to only 0.01% of the people of England; a country that has produced world celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, and Antony Worrall Thompson. However, my Birmingham-born, long-time friend and former radio program companion is one of the 0.01%.Phillip works in North Sydney just two blocks from the office of a key client I visitedlast Tuesday 8 December 2015; so we decided to have a good lunch together. He first suggested a nice place where we could have the best banana bread in North Sydney, then asked me to leave it with him when I objected to have a banana bread for my main meal of the day; lunch! That's how we ended up at the Re Cafe on Miller Street. Charming surroundings, smiling staff and nice display of prepared food. It wasn't easy to choose; because I slightly preferred what next door restaurant had on display, and Phillip was more attracted to the chairs of the Re Cafe than to the neighbouring chairs. Being both short of time to engage in a lengthy debate, Phillip and I swiftly opted for the comfort of the chairs rather than the look of the displayed food. I ordered a plate of ravioli with ricotta, spinach and sun-dried tomato, and Phillip ordered a banana bread. We both were served ravioli and Phillip had to cancel the banana bread as mixing it with ravioli and a white earl grey tea was well beyond his culinary fantasy!! The Ravioli and the white tea did not seem to be Phillip's favourite combination as he did not finish either of them. I finished my ravioli to the last one as I was very hungry but must admit that they were cold; so cold that they were stick to each other's in patches. They were also dry; so dry that what was supposed to be a sauce could not bring any warmth to the last moments of their life on this planet! There was supposedly some ricotta cheese and some spinach in the ravioli filling, but it remains impossible to figure out which of the two ingredients has imposed its flavours on the other as the ravioli did not taste any! Finally, the two tiny bits of sun-dried tomato seemed completely lost and wondering what were they doing in this plate! They were no doubt dried but I really wonder if they have ever met the sun before being thrown on this plate, accidentally on a sunny day.I have no problem in recommending this dish to diners that are fit and strong enough to be able to plant their forks in a hard and dry raviolo, and to be able to either separate it from the other ravioli stuck on it or to swallow a whole bunch of ravioli in one go! In addition, the diners I am recommending this dish to, should have the capacity to not distinguish between cheese and vegetables, and not even between hot and cold!Last but not least, I must also add that the two staff at the Re Cafe were friendly, very friendly in advising us that they had no no cracked black pepper for our ravioli, and no slices of Lemmon for my classic coke. They reimbursed without hesitation the banana bread that Phillip did not order, and we hesitated without asking why he was served ravioli that he did not order! I assume that this experience will strengthen the addiction of my friend Phillip to banana breads and will keep him at large from any ravioli or other pasta for the years to come.

The hunky Italian waiter deserves five stars on Friday night for his exceptional service.

I don't understand how people can adhere to diets that are low in carbs or have no carbs.

I used to live near this Sopra and would visit every weekend.