Biskit Cafe and Kitchen
The Parnell fusion cafe has food, ambience and service in spades.
Overview
"People who love to eat are always the best people", reads the window of Parnell's youngest café, Biskit. Situated on the corner of Parnell Rd and Gibraltar Crescent (Esquires' old haunt) and boasting an all-day Western/Japanese fusion menu, Biskit is already teeming with locals while filling the void for a decent coffee and bite along this strip.
The space is welcoming and airy, with the navy blue stencilled feature wall, lashings of mint green, chalk-scrawled blackboard and cute wooden schoolchildren chairs reminding me of an expensively decorated kids' bedroom. Premium seating is along the sofa lining the front window, where you can enjoy the sun on your shoulders as you sip on a deftly made Allpress coffee or Asahi on tap.
If you're peckish, breakfast offerings include the vegetarian Good Morning Burrito that will make you forget all about bacon, and for lunch you can sample "culture clash" pasta: tom yum linguine with prawns or tofu.
Small plates and an extremely pretty selection of sweet treats in the cabinet top off a varied and intriguing menu by ex-Masu chef Korapin Sripong. Keep an eye out for the rotating daily specials too – the Japanese pancake, according to affable owner Nick Bashota, is not to be missed.
While the dinner scene in Parnell is on the up and up, the 'burb was somewhat lacking in quality cafés – luckily this new opening's got great food, and ambience and service in spades.
Three cheers for Biskit.