cafe oratnek

it was a little bit hard to spot this cafe but they definitely have the best port katsu sandwich in sydney (crunchy and juicy!). also loved kobe hayashi rice but can be a little overwhelming with the amount of cheese. the matcha tiramisu is a highly recommended dessert from me :p it’s not too sweet, but full of rich greentea flavour and the layers fit well altogether. would love to revisit this cafe sometimes!

this cafe has a beautiful yard and i’d like to sit there but it was full. so i had my inside seat and delicious food. the matcha milk shake was quite thick which was good but it was a bit hard to use the paper straw they provide. the metal one would be better in my opinion. the matcha tiramisu was good, not too sweet and the taste was soft. the kobe rice was a bit expensive but the mix of rice, wagyu, onion, cheese and sauce was just wonderful.

went here a few weeks ago with a friend for lunch- we both loved japan and thought we would reminisce over japanese food. this is a less traditional japanese fusion- i ordered the miso beef short rib san chow bau($21) and he got the calamari salad ($17)
the beef was melt in mouth tender, super well seasoned, however, as this came on slim plate which was covered to the rim it was super difficult to eat without throwing it all over the place- they should serve a side plate for you to construct it, the lettuce cups were too big and only 4 of them. the salad was super tasty and decent sized as well. the customer service was efficient and quick. the match goodies looked delicious, i think next time i need to try the matcha latte and lamington. cant wait till they open for dinner!

small fusion cafe that doesn't break the bank. our names were taken at the door and 10 mins later we were seated. pleasant interior and outdoor seating. attentive and friendly staff. we ordered the recommended pork sandwich, and for myself, gyozas in a beetroot glaze. i wanted to try something different and even though i am not fond of beetroot, the dish itself was nice. after a good catch up we refreshed ourselves with a pot of hot tea + (brownie for me and for my friend the signature matcha lamington). have to come back to check out other menu items! nice way to relax on a lazy sunday :)

relaxing vibe. amazing apple muffin. very cinnamoney. has this bits of crunchy cookie toppings which are a delightful. strong coffee. and if you love the colour mint!!

the best matcha thick shake in sydney!! matcha muffin is very tasty as well. will definitely come back again try something else. service is friendly and quick.

cafe oratnek is a japanese-inspired fusion cafe headed by kenny takayama who was previously the head chef at bills. it is a small cafe located in surry hills with minimal seating inside and outside the restaurant. the only way to identify the restaurant is a picture of a fork.

we specifically came here for breakfast after googling where to try matcha desserts. we were the first to arrive but the cafe quickly filled up. luckily they had an all day lunch menu as there wasn't much on the breakfast menu i wanted to try. we ordered the beef belly and yakitori chicken sandwich. to drink, we ordered a vanilla thickshake, matcha latte, and house baked chai.

the miso glazed boneless bbq beef belly was served with lettuce, bean sprouts, mint, sliced cucumber, sliced chilli, coriander, and kimchi. i've never tried beef belly and i was so glad that i did! it was so soft and full of flavour. the combination of fresh vegetables and meat was nice. the chilli slices were not chilli at all which was a disappointment. it would have made it next level yum as it was missing the spice factor. the lettuce leaves were too long making it difficult to eat. the kimchi was made in house and was nice but i would have preferred it more spicy.

the yakitori chicken sandwich came with burdock chips, iceberg lettuce and mayonnaise. we requested not to include japanese seven chilli and shallots. the chicken was soft and there was flavour in the sauce. the bread wasn't very soft. the sandwich was nice otherwise.

the matcha latte was creamy and not very bitter, i just had to add brown sugar to sweeten it to my liking. the house baked chai with soy was okay. it wasn't extra hot as requested. the vanilla thickshake was thick and yummy. it wasn't very sweet and very moreish.

the dessert menu had a few matcha desserts which i was looking forward to try. we ordered the matcha lamington, matcha and white chocolate brownie and matcha french toast.

the lamington was dry and didn't taste fresh. it needed some cream as i had to eat it with a drink. i was surprised that it took a while for the brownie to come out considering it was just the brownie. i would have preferred it to be warm with the chocolate bits melted. it would have also been nice to have ice cream or cream. it wasn't very sweet which i did enjoy but it was dry, slightly bitter, and dense. the french toast (3 pieces) came with banana chips, matcha mousse, fresh strawberries and dessicated coconut. the french toast was very soft and very bitter. it was nice when you ate it with the mousse and banana chips as it gave it the sweetness it needed. the mousse was smooth and slightly sweet but there wasn't enough mousse and banana chips to spread amongst the 3 pieces of french toast. i didn't like how there was too much desiccated coconut.

staff seemed friendly.

verdict: dishes worth trying: beef belly and vanilla thickshake.

macha shake was probably the only highlight of the meal. katsu sandwich was pretty average, mustard didn't go well. chicken teriyaki burger was overkill with japanese mayo. coffee average... especially macha latte was very disappointing!

i visited this cafe for the first time and it has a nice outdoor seating area (perfect for warm days). the menu seems to be inspired by japanese cuisine with a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. i ordered "kenny style okonomiyaki" which comprised of corn, zucchini, pumpkin, bonito flakes, cheddar cheese and shallots. it was delicious and a quirky take on the japanese dish. only negative element was that the staff took a long time to deliver our food (they may have forgotten our order). i would visit this cafe again!

this place seemed to be matcha heaven on instagram. we were at pitt st mall and decided it was reasonable to go on a 26min trek down to cafe oratnek.

we waited for about 10 minutes before getting a seat in the cafe. it was relatively busy for a sunday arvo.

lets go through the order:

matcha thickshake - i loved this. love love love it was creamy thick and full of matcha goodness. this is a must if you go to cafe oratnek.

matcha latte - i got mine with 2 sugars, it wasnt too sweet and quite pleasant. i was told that without sugar the latte is quite bitter. however we both gravitated towards the thickshake.

softshell crab burger - we saw a lot of people eating the chicken katsu sandwhich, i didnt feel it was very appealing and we opt for the burger instead. i thought the burger was ok while my partner loved it. oh and beware its a softshell crab burger with chilli! i feel that the burger wouldve been nicer with brioche buns. it also came with a side of chips, a small amount but tastes pretty good.

matcha french toast - first few bites were great, french toast with a bit of matcha infusion, matcha cream i suppose , fruits and matcha coconut sprinkles. i got sick of this dish very quickly... but again my partner loved it.

each to their own!

overall i thought this place was alright but probably wouldnt go back very quickly. my partner said he loved it and would return. he gave the cafe a 4/5 and i gave them a 3/5 so we met halfway and ended up agreeing on a 3.5.

it seems to famous for matcha dessert and katsu sandwiches!!found oratnek from ig and poped in and grab matcha doughnut:)

it's 10min walk away from central station, i like the chilled ambience and made me feel like at home.

to be honest the doughnut was delicious, soft, not too sweet and just the right but it didn't work for us. i didn't taste matcha fravour a lot... maybe we expected too much?

but still i'd like to come back for katsu sandwiches for next time.

a place famous for its matcha. located in a quite street of redfern, so popular in instagram. as a group, we tried nearly all the matcha dessert on the day.

it's on the bitter side. the matcha latte was so strong that even two full spoon of sugar can't save the taste...which is kind of bad. but some people like it, you can make your own judgement.

i like the tiramisu, light fluffy and green tea fragrant.

service is a bit slow during peak hours. we asked bill for couple of times and i end up just went counter to pay.

ordered katsu sandwich and omurice, waited for like 15 mins but totally worth the wait! crispy outside with juicy pork inside, with mustard to balance the taste. matcha tiramisu was so good!! rich matcha flavour, highly recommended. the best tiramisu i’ve had so far. matcha lamington was good too, not super sweet as i imagined!

went there over the weekend and waited for 1 hour for the queue. the food is mainly the japanese food mix with a bit of western style. the fried rice covered with omelette is amazing as well as their other rice.

had the matcha shake with omurice, katsu sandwich and believe me when i say that this cafe really lives up to the hype! the cafe is a small joint in the quiet area of redfern and i throughly enjoyed every last moment being here eating the crispy tender katsu sandwhich to the wholesome cooked omurice, it is definitely one of my cafes to go to! the simplicity of the meal is what amazes me the most compare to other high end instagram friendly food where their good looks like an art project and yet it has the taste that definitely hooks you in.  i will be coming back next time to try the matcha lamington and other nice desserts since they ran out due to popularity!