big tree house cafe @ calder rd., rydalmere

So I'm starting to catch up on my blog but at the same time catching up on all the other food blogs that are out there. So much has changed in the space of the year - there are so many food blogs! Sadly a lot of my favourites are either no longer blogging or are only blogging intermittently but then a lot more blogs are morphing into lifestyle blogs which every now and then I toy with the idea of (yes I'm very tempted but we'll see). Excitingly, I also hand the baton over to two of my younger cousins (bunnybloggers - bunnybloggers.com and friedfoodfanatic - friedfoodfanatic.blogspot.com.au) who have started their own respective food blogs and who on a rare mid week which I had off work, I caught up with to check out Big Tree House Cafe in Rydalmere.

In a most unsuspecting location (nestled in amongst residential), Big Tree House Cafe joins the wave of hipster type cafes which seem to be popping up. When I say hipster, I refer to the meals served on chopping boards, milkshakes served in old fashioned milk bottles and the menu, of course, must have a pulled pork burger. This hipster trend can be a bit of a hit and miss but I think Big Tree House Cafe are doing a reasonably good job (this was actually my second visit and there's still items on the menu which are bringing me back).

What did I say - here's my chocolate milkshake in its signature milk bottle.

My choice of the pulled pork burger with fried potatoes.

My younger cousin Chris orders the Baked eggs with toast which is part of their breakfast menu. There's actually a lot more items on their breakfast menu compared to their lunch menu so might be an idea to check them out for breakfast/brunch if you're planning to head here.

The cafe appears to be Korean own/run and serves up the Gangnam style burger - a burger of bulgogi beef on a brioche bun.

The meals aren't overly generous so meant there was room for dessert. Between the three of us we shared this delicious slice of ricotta cake.

And just because - I felt like banana bread which comes served deliciously toasted with a side of whipped cinnamon butter. I've tried to make banana bread so many times at home now and nothing beats banana bread ordered out at a cafe (and of course toasted and with a generous serve of melted butter).

Big Tree House Cafe offers both indoor and outdoor seating (seating available out the front but also out the back). We had a sneak peak of the back as the cafe is meant to have a big tree for climbing (hence the cafe's name) but was a little disappointed to find that the tree wasn't all that big. Ah well - we had a lovely time sitting indoors and having managed to nab a spot out the front, we didn't have to waddle very far after our meal.