Cafe XS at Carindale

Cafe XS at Carindale
Shop 1088a, Level 1, Westfield Carindale



My best friend Katie and I try to keep up with gossip/whinging/life advice and so forth over alternating sessions of coffee and alcohol. Our usual spot is Tognini's at Carindale but on this occasion, for a reason that I cannot recall, we went to Cafe XS instead.



Prior to this, my only experience with Cafe XS occurred when I was a young and headless high school student and I didn't have any change for the bus in the morning so I trekked around Carindale Shopping Center looking for a way in (many of the doors don't slide open before a certain time) and finally got up to the food court area. I remember seeing people in Cafe XS and asking to purchase a slice of cake so that I could have some change. The man at the counter said he was more than happy to give me change without buying anything which I thought was nice (having worked in retail myself, I personally hate people asking for change) but I was in the mood for cake anyway.





Anyway that was a nice impression of the place and I do realize the staff/owners probably have changed over n times but still.


When Kat and I got there, it was busy, busy, busy. We chose a seat and decided on what we wanted before going up to the counter in turns to order. I went first and then realized I'd forgotten to snap photos so when she went up, I asked her to snap some for me.

This is the first one she took:

Excellent guest-photographer skills

I ordered a salmon, capers and cream cheese panini.

Toasted panini with smoked salmon, cream cheese, onion, capers & cheese

It's a winning combination so no surprises that it tasted amazing.

Side shot

The panini was toasted perfectly and the lettuce inside which was nice and fresh.

Iced coffee

My iced coffee was a classic milk bar variety with ice-cream and a heap of whipped cream. Delicious!

Milky

Toasted bagel with grilled chicken breast, cos lettuce, tomato, cheese & aioli

Kat ordered a 'chicken burger' (she had cravings for one) which turned out to be a toasted bagel. We were fascinated by the hole.

Saucy chicken close-up

And the fact that the burger is HUGE. It was really saucy and again, lovely fresh salad.

Banana milkshake with rainbow nails

She also had a banana milkshake. I was in the mood for one but I asked the girl behind the counter and she said they use syrup rather than real banana so I opted out. Kat said it was enough to hit the spot though.

I actually really liked Cafe XS. Don't you think most cafes (especially chain cafes) just seem indistinguishable from one another? Cafe XS stood out by being slightly cheaper than most whilst not coping out in quality or service at all. They were extremely busy but the staff were friendly, food came out quickly and tasted good.