b'WHENTHEFOODANDCOFFEEISWORTHIT,theLight meals range from homemade granola and Bircher regulars will gladly queue up for their daily hit, knowingmueslitoFrenchtoastwithhoneycomb,caramelised that this is potentially a moving feast. banana, fresh berries and caramel pistachios.Tony Moussa took his foodie passion to the streets whenLunch offerings start with Lil Miss Collins famous wagyu he first established Lil Miss Collins as a pop-up in a quietburger or the Phoenician kafta served with cabbage and park and later at the historic Bella Vista Farm in Castle Hill. pomegranate salad.Tony admits he was a cleanskin when he entered theTheresalsocrispy-skinbarramundiservedonabed industry, which was more than compensated by his loveof peas, red cabbage and quinoa, and a simple grilled of cooking and his persistence in getting it right. haloumi salad with baby beets, pan-fried kale, broccolini and spiced peanuts.Theresponsefromregularstohisearlypop-ups encouraged him to create a more permanent venue onAmong the seasonal lunch dishes are slow-cooked lamb WentworthStreetinParramatta,justastonesthrowshoulder served with roast potatoes, pumpkin, lentils, from the railway station in the heart of the city. fennel, bearnaise sauce and crispbread, or, for breakfast, theres roasted pumpkin with poached eggs, feta, labneh The pop-up genesis of the business is evident in theand kale on sourdough. eclectic mix of shipping containers and recycled timber that delivers a pleasant courtyard ambience to the cafe.Ive always loved to cook at home, so when we started It also has a dog-friendly culture that makes the casualLil Miss Collins the food and how we present it has been venue so accessible. a really important part of our mission, says Tony.Most of the materials we used to stage the caf areThe menu is always changing and evolving with each recyclables, including the tin roofing and the timber,season, but what we offer is based on the flavours and says Tony. ingredients that we as a family have always loved.The idea was to create a rustic farmhouse theme that hasCoffee is also an important ingredient to Lil Miss Collins a welcoming feel for everyone looking for a place to sit andsuccess. Tony has come a long way since the early days have a casual meal or a quick coffee. when he would experiment with a coffee machine at home to get a handle on caffeine perfection.Its the simple, yet versatile menu with a seasonal bent that gives Lil Miss Collins the edge, along with a choiceAfter opening Lil Miss Collins, he lifted the offering to a of beans roasted on site, including a house blend and anew level by roasting a special in-house coffee blend, and single-origin coffee. he expanded it later with a fuller-flavoured combination of Colombian and Brazilian beans.Wetrytosourcemostofourproducefrom localfarms,whichaddstotheauthenticityoftheThe quality of our coffee and the fullness of the flavour experience, says Tony. has been so important to our overall success, says Tony.Theres no substitute for quality ingredients that dontCoffee is the perfect accompaniment to any menu, and have far to travel to the plate. I work very closely with aas good as the menu may be, its what keeps people lot of farmers to source the best produce available fromcoming back again and again.season-to-season, and thats been integral to our success. It must be working. The popularity of Lil Miss Collins has We have a simple menu that really lets the produceled Tony to open a second caf, at Westfield Burwood.speak for itself and thats what makes us so unique. Theres no complexity in what we do but theres certainlyLil Miss Collins is opena lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes toMonday-Friday 7am to 3.30pm make it happen. Saturday-Sunday 7am to 3pmThebreakfastofferingincludesrusticbakedeggs,13 Wentworth St, Parramatta NSW 2150 sweetcornzucchinifrittersandtheMediterranean(02) 9635 3273brekky with spicy Lebanese sausage, fresh olives, diced @lilmisscolinscafetomatoes and zaatar-infused flatbread.12SUMMER2019'