The Rag Land, Redfern

Owner of The Rag Land Dave is a humble, gentle Malaysian guy who graduated with an engineering degree from Sydney University. He poured coffees alongside his studies, and before he knew it, a casual side job transformed into a passion.

Now he’s intent on introducing Redfern to good-quality coffee. At his cafe he’s got The Golden Cobra flowing through his La Marzocco machine. The perfect combination of strong and subtle, Dave has opted for Human Cannonball – a blend of Brazil, Guatemala and Costa Rica beans.

While Dave’s real focus is on coffee at The Rag Land, the food is also something special. The morning feed and midday fuel menu (I’m liking the consonance here) is mounted on recycled cardboard. Dave’s dishes reflect the kind of food he likes to eat with a bit of a twist to it. I love that he gets a bit creative, too.

Take the French Toast special. He’s used our Brioche Hot Dog Bun, sliced lengthways. Served with ricotta, mixed berry compote, caramelised bananas and a good squeeze of golden syrup, this is decadently delicious.

The pork belly & egg roll is a beautiful signature dish that gives our Plaza roll an amazing Asian flavour. You’ll even be given a giant chilli bottle that adds an extra zing to the dish.

Dave also places a baked egg dish in front of me, which comes in a beautiful orange bowl. The tomatoey white bean ragout is lovely, and I end up mopping up all that yummy sauce with our toasted Quinoa & Soya Sourdough. All other sandwich options on the menu are served on our Sourdough, Quinoa & Soya Loaf or New York Rye!

The cafe is all about showcasing second-hand and recycled materials; and if anything tickles your fancy you can find out about buying any of the displayed furnishings and artworks! This land of rags is conveniently located on Raglan Street, on the quieter end of Redfern.

When not pulling espresso shots for Redfernites, Dave is drinking piccolo lattes at other great cafes in and around Sydney. Follow Dave on Twitter here!