ALCHEMY COFFEE

A few weeks ago, Stephen and I met up with friends in Markham for an afternoon of board games. Before diving into hours of dice rolling and strategic meeple moves, we met up to grab brunch at Alchemy Coffee. The popular Unionville spot usually has a line out the door and I’ve heard great reviews about both their drinks and food menu. I was eager to try their version of my favourite brunch dishes, Fried Chicken and Waffles.

Atmosphere: Alchemy Coffee was a small shop located in a strip mall on Highway 7. Free parking was available but spots were limited. The restaurant was cozy with a rustic decor and felt more like a coffee shop than restaurant. Some diners lingered over mugs of coffee with a book while others just grabbed coffee to go. Bar seats lined the windows and one wall while the the rest of the dining room had square tables, which could be rearranged to fit any party size.

Service: Although there were tables, the coffee shop was self serve when it came to finding a seat. Our party of 5 ended up waiting for about 30 minutes with a few people in front of us. Luckily a table of 4 left as we were next in line and we were able to grab an extra chair. We placed our orders at the counter and once they were ready, each plate was brought to our table. Milk and sugar for coffees were set up at a self-service counter along the wall.

Food: Between the two of us, Stephen and I split the Fried Chicken and Waffles and Eggs Benny with Peameal Bacon. First the good, I really liked the eggs benny. The poached eggs had the perfect runny yolk and the hollandaise sauce was glossy and flavourful. A touch more sauce would’ve been nice. I also liked how crispy the house fries were and the seasoning on them.

As for the Chicken and Waffles, I felt like the thought behind the dish was great but the execution wasn’t. The plate came with three drumsticks, great I like dark meat, but they were small. A drumstick and thigh would’ve been much more appetizing. The batter on the chicken was also mildly seasoned and not all that crispy. Not bad, but not on par with other spots in the city. The waffles were fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, a good bite but I would have liked them to be a touch sweeter. A dallop of the spicy syrup served alongside was needed to add some dimension.

In addition to food, I had a flat white and Stephen opted for an americano. My drink was creamy and smooth. While some of the dishes were disappointing, Alchemy Coffee’s espresso drinks were very well made.