York Lane on York Lane

Ok enough about Melbourne! I hear my Sydney loyalists shout at the top of their lungs. Surely we have equally amazing cafes in our town.

You see I am part of this breakfast club that meets once a fortnight. No, no, not that 1985 movie about puberty blues... we are way over that and way cooler (I hope). If anything, we are probably closer to the Sex and the City gang than The Breakfast Club... My friends and I founded this breakfast club as a way to stay in regular touch. As work hours can get unpredictable, breakfast is a constant meal that we can all share.

As if it was their attempt to brainwash my fondness for Melbourne laneways, my breakfast club took me to York Lane on my first day back to Sydney. Though York Lane doesn't exactly seem to have a number, I promise you it's not that hard to find. It's about 100m from Wynyard Station.

The bike off the ceiling, the team shirts and Tour de France on TV instantly grabbed my attention. I couldn't help but adore the charm of this little cafe and its passion for cycling.

The food was equally full of passion. Overflowing cappuccinos and lattes were mandatory morning energy drinks. Whilst not as aesthetically pleasing, the coffee was definitely quality.

Over conversations on love, life and work, we ordered raisin toast and muffin for breakfast. They sounded pretty simple but each bite was full of surprises. These baked goods were rustic and filled with amazing ingredients, as if they came out of an oven from a country house of the yesteryears.

Raisin toast had raisins and large chunks of dried figs. You could tell this was authentically made from the kitchen of the cafe, and not some raisin loaf off the supermarket shelf.

The muffin was no ordinary muffin. Large chunks of lemon skin was scattered through it. In a way, this was way more exciting than lemon rind as the chunks gave the muffin so much more flavour and taste. Unexpected: yes. Different: yes. I wouldn't have the audacity to put such ingredient in my own muffins but I did admire York Lane's experimentalism and gutsiness. It must be from the spirit of sport-loving cafe owners.

Thanks York Lane for hosting our breakfast club with your passion for sport and rustic food. To my fellow club members - thanks for always opening my eyes to the wonders of our city. Long live our breakfast club!