Cafe Rumah, Surry Hills

I fricken love kaya toast. I’ve seen the mothership occasionally make kaya from scratch, stirring the coconut milk, eggs and sugar for hours until it turns into a fragrant, caramelised jam that we would then slather onto thickly buttered bread. Cafe Rumah opened in February, up on the quieter end of Surry Hills (opp Bar H and next door to Wild Rover) with a Malaysian fusion menu and I excitedly stalked their Instagram account when I saw their menu had Kopitiam Kaya Toast ($7) with Onsen Eggs ($4).

Mmm check out those slabs of butter! That’s the way it should be! Sadly Rumah don’t do the traditional kopi coffees or teh tariks but my piccolo was pretty tops and fyi Rumah sources their beans from Cabrito Coffee Traders.

Breakfast of champions! Side note: I know everyone says that you’re meant to dip the kaya toast into the onsen eggs but I’ve never been keen on the idea of mixing egg yolk with sweet jams so I usually eat the middle section of the toast, saving the crusts to dip into the eggs with a dash of soy sauce and white pepper. Surely I’m not alone in this, is it just me guys???

On another visit we arrived after 11.30am and ordered the Asian Cuban ($14) from the the list of sandwiches on the lunch menu. It’s a pretty filling sammich with slices of fatty 5 spice roast pork, grilled luncheon meat, pickles and mustard and toasted until the swiss cheese is nicely melted.

The Bak Kwa French Toast ($14) is a Saturday special, fluffy French toast holds candied five spice bacon, squiggles of kewpie mayo and a lightly fried egg with a perfectly gooey centre. It’s rich, slightly on the heavy side but oh so satisfying and perfect after a late night out on the town 😛

For beverages, Noods orders the Green Bliss juice ($8) which is a healthy and refreshing mix of cucumber, greens, apple, mint and ginger. I opt for the Malaysian classic, the Milo Dinosaur ($6) which is an icy glass of milo, topped with a generous amount of milo powder on top.

There’s a 15mins wait when you order the Kaya Madeleines ($6/3 or $8/5) as they’re baked to order but they’re well worth the wait! These shell shaped buttery cakes have that signature bump and there’s a bit of kaya piped into em. I think I’d be happy having the madeleines plain and with the kaya on the side to dip?

The baked goods rotate each day, on the weekend there was steamed tapioca kuih covered in shredded coconut and also a fluffy pandan chiffon cake.

Seating in Cafe Rumah is spread out in two rooms, with clothing displayed in the larger dining room. Up the flight of stairs is 15sheets, a premium men’s boutique store stocking small independent labels from across the US and UK and is the second outlet for owner Riszal Nawawi.

Service at Cafe Rumah is warm and efficient, and with a menu price range within the $10-$15 mark, it’s firmly on my revisit list. Especially for that kaya toast. Mmm kaya 😛

Cafe Rumah
71 – 73 Campbell Street,
Surry Hills

Trading hours:
Mon – Fri: 7:30am – 4pm
Sat: 8am – 4pm