Satis

 

Apparently, most of Canberra’s cafes haven’t realised that Sunday IS brunch day, which perhaps explains why they all insist on being closed on the one day of the week we all just want someone to poach us an egg. We can rejoice, however, that Satis has agreed to feed us vegetarian delights as we lazily roll out bed on hungry Sunday mornings. 

Elated about S’s imminent move to the northside, we ventured to Satis to celebrate, cruising along to the crooning of Al Green, which S maintains is THE Sunday morning music. Sure enough, as we entered Satis’s door, Mr Green was crooning away as smoothly as ever. Clearly Satis understands what Sunday morning is all about.

Satis is vegetarian, can cater for vegans and gluten intolerance, serves fair trade coffee, and uses a lot of organic produce- all things that I like. Its interesting name is latin for ‘enough’ or perhaps a literary reference to Dickins’ Great Expectations. Miss Havisham’s house was named ‘Satis House’, as it was said that anyone who owned such a beautiful house could want nothing more. Miss Havisham was clearly wanting, so interpret the name as you will…

The space itself is very eclectic and tastefully used- its not the sort of café you’d usually find in Canberra. The interior is characterised by dark wood and not much light, with tiny little tables next to the tiny little kitchen. There is a sweet little courtyard out the back with wooden benches, cushions and plants. It is mostly covered over, which is very sensible for the summer heat, but a bit of a shame on crisp sunny Canberra days throughout the rest of the year. They also have a couple of long (sometimes communal) tables out the front. The staff seem happy to bring coffees and food out to the brick structure outside at the Watson shops so people can casually perch out the front in the sunlight. 

Because this is Canberra, there’s no table service, but try not to let that get you down. The menu is really interesting, but not very long. I’d be interested to try the wild rice porridge with coconut milk and some of their coffees to which certain spices are added. On a previous visit, a friend declared the soy chai tea delicious.

Our coffees took ages to arrive- it was almost unbelievable. When they did come, they were weak, but a nice temperature and had a decent flavour. 

Our breakfast took even longer, but we were prepared for that. S maintains that she liked the wait anyway- she’s a leisurely, drawn-out breakfast kind of girl. I was really happy with my meal- the scrambled tofu was really nice. S said she found it a little dry and, in fairness, when eaten alone it lacked seasoning. However, paired with the salty fetta and spring onion, it worked perfectly. The pepitas throughout added a lovely nuttyness and a textural crunch that I loved. The basil oil over the fetta and the slight chilli hit were delicious. My zucchini was great- lightly grilled and perfectly cooked. Sadly, the white toast was a huge let down- I had meant to pay extra for rye but had forgotten. 

S’s eggs were creamy and delicious. She also commented that the basil oil and fetta combination was a winner.

The meals only cost about $13 each which is pretty reasonable considering im happy to pay a bit more for organic produce. I think the food is great, but be aware that you’re committing to wait for it- Satis is not for people who are in a hurry!

While I’d encourage everyone to eat here, I’m selfishly reluctant to mention Satis to too many people in an attempt to avoid competing for weekend tables! And, of course, the thought of making the wait even longer is too much to bear! A final warning- you may have Al Green stuck in your head for the rest of the day….

Satis

Windeyer St

Watson Shops

Watson

no phone line!