Defying the We$ti3 Stereotype at La Roue Cafe

If you're from Sydney then you would know that the western suburbs are notoriously known for it's bad reputation. The media depicts the west as a string of suburbs of high criminal activity coupled with a not so spiffy reputation - unfortunately, that's what the west is renowned for to the public eye and unfortunately, this was a stereotype that I used to buy into.

However, going to a uni where people from the north, east, west and south study gave me a new perspective. I was no longer confined to my easties pre-conceptions and I'm glad for that. Now, two of my bestfriends are from the west and almost all of my closest friends are from the inner-west or western suburbs too. In the words of one of my bestfriends, Casey, "[they] defy the stereotype". They're actually some of the most amazing people in my life!

Having so many friends from the west means that I now travel to the west every now and then and not too long ago, 2 of my westie friends (or rather, "husbands"... I think only my law cohort will understand this, haha) introduced me to a little gem of a cafe called Circa, which is located in the western suburbs of, Parramatta. 'Parra' as the locals call it, isn't the classiest of areas but this cafe looked like it has been plucked out of Melbourne. I loved this cafe and thought the indie ambiance was quite quirky, especially since it's located in the heart of Parra so when Mum insisted on a Girls Day Out and requested for me to pick an interesting place... I chose Circa.

Unfortunately, Circa was closed on the day that I went (perhaps because it's almost Christmas?), so starved as we were, we scoured the suburb for another place to eat and that's when we stumbled across yet another quirky cafe, La Roue.

 1/223-235 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150

La Roue was a fair walk from Circa and the local Westfields but just like Circa and funnily enough, my friends... it defied the typical stereotype of the western suburbs. The interior of the cafe looked like it belonged in Sydney's hipster central, Surry Hills. Seemingly inspired by bicycles and the up-cycle movement, it was very alternative indeed with bicycles suspended from the ceilings and latched onto the walls.

While the interiors of the restaurant was up my alley (seeing as I'm a closeted hipster according to my friends), I had high expectations for the food and beverages and needed that to fall into my good books for it to be a winner.

To start off, I ordered the Appletiser Juice which consisted of Apple, Pineapple and Pear.

Appletizer

The Appletizer was delicious - sweet and slightly sour but I don't think there was any added sugars which is good because I hate juices with artificial flavourings. If I want juice, I want to be healthy so don't give me any of these synthetic junk. I didn't really like the fact that the pulp took up half of my glass but that's probably just me being fussy because the taste was spot on and I really shouldn't complain!

Mum ordered the Soy Cappuccino and it seems as though it was nice and creamy. Plus, La Roue uses Campos coffee beans, so I'm sure the taste was superb too although I wouldn't really know the difference seeing as I'm not a big fan of coffee.

As far as breakfast meals go, I'd give La Roue a 7/10. Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious but they weren't mind-blowing.

I ordered the Big Breakfast which consisted of Beef Sausages, Eggs, Spinach, Mushrooms, Tomato, Beans and Bread. 

Big Breakfast

The spinach and mushrooms were delicious. I love mushrooms but often when you caramelise mushrooms, there's a fine line where it becomes bitter and La Roue did not cross that line. The scrambled eggs were cooked to perfection - not dry, still a little gooey but not raw and seasoned well with a bit of salt and pepper. The tomato needed a little more time on the heat as it was slightly undercooked but I'd give it a pass. The beans are yum but you can never really go wrong with baked beans! The sausages were beautiful, full of flavour and cooked well. I really enjoyed those sausages actually.

Mum ordered the Free Range Eggs with a side of Chicken Sausage. On the whole she agreed with what I thought of the eggs and tomato though she loved her chicken sausage and said that it tasted beautiful.

Free Range Eggs and Chicken Sausage

However, I must say that the bread was what dragged down both dishes. When you go to a lovely cafe, you expect a delicious slice of sourdough (or other artisan bread) to accompany your meal but La Roue served us plain white bread with a little bit of butter glazed over the top. I'm not a big fan of white bread and to have white bread accompany what was otherwise a lovely meal dragged down my brownie points!

Nevertheless, La Roue was a gem found in the heart of one of Sydney's most ill-famed suburbs. The food was satisfying and the drinks were lovely, as were the ambience so it's getting me more and more excited to find more hidden jewels in places where you least expect it. It just goes to show that you should never judge a suburb by its depiction in the media.

I'm looking forward to finding more amazing cafes dotted throughout Parramatta and the other western suburbs so stay tuned to find more reviews!

Love always,

Nisa