Three Blue Ducks

There is a casual cool that emanates from the fairy light lit, street art adorned, Motown-playing Three Blue Ducks. Located on the main street of the Eastern Sydney beachside town of Bronte, the café is renowned for its famous brunches and sustainability philosophy.

Diners are privileged to view the theatre of the kitchen with an open gallery design which is featured in both seating areas (the space is divided between two shopfronts married by the alleyway).

The appreciation of seasonal produce translates to the cleverly designed menu of Smalls, Bigs, Sides and Sweets, with being meals being designed to share as part of the mellow experience. Little tikes also have a small range of kid meals to choose from.

Smalls come from land and sea, offering a modern twist on traditional favourites. Beef Crudo with radish, wasabi slaw and sea greens is structured with a wabi sabi precision of paper thin slices of beef matched with the freshness from the slaw founded by Japanese flavour tones throughout.

French influences are distinct with the Chicken Liver Parfait – a rich and indulgent item. Its creamy and bold flavours are enriched when spread on the crusty duck fat toast. The inclusion of the red currants introduces an acidity and sweetness to cut through.

Seafood lovers will rejoice with the rock oysters, the citrus cured salmon served with avocado puree and an apple and grapefruit salad. Like many of the other menu items they are subject to availability and seasonality.

Diners are spoilt for choice with an array of ‘Big’ items. Asian and European flavours are evidently an underpinning influence on this menu, starting with charred chicken smokey eggplant, mushrooms and farro to sesame crusted kingfish, Chinese broccoli and caramelised chili.

Being a cold winters evening, the Egghoppers, lamb curry served with yoghurt, sambal and mango chutney seemed like a fitting choice. Aromatically and aesthetically the dish was inviting and provoked curiosity with the curry being presented within two small sized egghopper baskets. Looking for something to really sink my teeth into I was surprised to find there was hardly any lamb pieces and an excessive amount of fruit within the curry making it too sweet, bordering desert like.

Pork shoulder served with smoked cabbage, caramelised onions and black garlic, held promise of robust and hearty flavours; however the meat tasted like Sunday night's roast reheated with a lack of zest.

Options for sides were the only real saving grace on the menu. Choose from a selection of fresh and vivacious seasonal dishes like the brussels sprouts, grapefruit, mint and a fiery jalapeños. Cauliflower, grape and hazelnut salad is a mellow mix that delivers a unique flavour fusion with crunchy bite of the vegetables married with the soft sweetness from the grapes - a clever combination and the highlight of the menu.

Sweet choices included the two cheeses, fruits, nuts and sourdough, and for the hard core sweeties a caramel parfait served with granola, butterscotch and buttermilk.

The wine list is pricy but offers an extensive selection of both local and imported varieties.

Essentially Three Blue Ducks is more of a hip café then a serious restaurant. I admire the philosophy and laid back approach, but felt there was something missing from the overall experience. The ingredients and flavour combinations embraced the seasons with international influences, but did it push the envelope to new grounds? I would have to say no.