Abe is the owner and face of Caffe Il Vizio, located in Norton Plaza Shopping Centre – everyone that passes by the cafe knows Abe and he knows every one of his customers too, greeting many of them like they were family. Here Abe chats to Ciao about his thoughts on business, coffee and food…
How long have you been in business in Leichhardt?
I opened the cafe 11 years ago now and the area has changed a lot since then! I always thought it was a good area; it was very cosmopolitan and busy. I had worked all over the place in the hospitality industry for years before that.
What do you think is the secret to a successful business?
A lot of things – in the coffee industry, I think having well trained baristas is very important, they have to have a combination of good personality and coffee making skills. Staff is the key to a good business; they have to enjoy what they do and without them nothing happens.
What sets your cafe apart from the many others in the area?
We have our own brand of coffee and I think it’s one of the best in the area. Also, our chef changes the lunch specials almost every day so there’s always something fresh and different to try. She makes amazing, creative and beautiful dishes, just as if she was in her own kitchen at home. All the food is made on site and we are generous with our serves.
What’s your food philosophy?
To serve good cafe style food that’s made with great quality ingredients and has a homemade feel. There’s no particular cuisine that influences the menu, we’ve got dishes that might be Asian inspired and Italian inspired stuff – there’s something for everyone.
If you could invite anyone to enjoy a meal at your cafe, whom would you invite?
I’d invite all the local people who haven’t been to Il Vizio yet to come along and experience the difference here and try what we have to offer.
Il Vizio: Shop 16, 51 Norton St, Leichhardt. Open 7am to 5pm on weekends and 7.30am to 8.30pm, Monday to Friday, with their special $10 burgers available from 4pm to 8pm.
Eggs Benedict
Ingredients
Free-range eggs, to poach English muffins
Chives, chopped
Sauce
200g unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1 tbs fresh lemon juice, or to taste Salt to taste
2 tbs hot water
Pepper, to taste
Method
- First off, poach your eggs.
- Then, to make the hollandaise sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, skimming any
foam from the surface, and then pour into a heatproof jug. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and 1/2 the hot water in a blender. Blend on high until mixture is pale and thickens slightly. With the blender running, add hot butter in a thin, steady stream. Add remaining water to thin the sauce slightly. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Half fill a large bowl with warm water (if water is too hot, the sauce will curdle). Pour sauce into a small bowl and place in the large bowl.
- Toast and butter your muffins, and serve with your eggs on top. Stir hollandaise sauce and drizzle over the eggs. Finish with a sprinkle of chives.
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