Left of Field

It might be further from the city than many other great cafes, but this spot is setting the standard in Rhodes.

This cafe’s name couldn’t be more fitting; the menu is in a field all its own. It’s also an outlier in terms of location – it’s unusual to find a cafe pushing boundaries like this so far from the city.

Matthew Abi-Arrage (ex-Merivale and Sand Hill Road Group) is Left of Field’s co-owner. He grew up in the west and wanted to bring quality food to the area.

Abi-Arrange and his business partner and cousin, Clovice Khachan, have brought in Ashley Patfield to run the kitchen. He’s a fine-dining chef with excellent pedigree (est., Guillaume at Bennelong, Wheelers of St James, The Gilbert Scott).

His experience is evident with dishes such as gin- and juniper-cured trout with fennel, poached eggs and yuzu foam. Or the umami-rich toasted brioche with fried duck egg, wild mushrooms, asparagus, pecorino and truffle. Fluffy hotcakes are topped with caramelised banana, Earl Grey custard and popcorn. The burgers, instead of being stuffed with American cheese and bacon, have either mud crab, Asian slaw and a pickled pear and lime mayonnaise in them, or a pig-cheek-schnitzel patty, kimchi and a fried egg. The latter is served with panko-crusted pig’s-ear fries instead of chips.

The cafe’s design fits in with current trends; high ceilings, pastel-coloured furniture and a collection of greenery. Once the surrounding construction has finished the cafe will have water views. It’s easy to imagine it becoming a hub of the area.

http://leftoffield.com.au/