Oh, Sydney. From the dozens of pristine beaches that line the city’s shores, to the perfect running paths that trace the outlines of the harbor, to the quirky-hip neighborhoods, to the bluest blue sky and the glistening white sails of the Opera House—this city sparkles.

Yet for all of this natural beauty, some of my favorite memories of my years in Sydney are the hours and hours spent in conversation with friends or reading by myself in the city’s cafes, over creative food and perfect coffee.

One cafe that stands out in my memory–both for the food and the many hours I spent there–is the now-defunct Cowbell 808 in Surry Hills. Located just around the corner from my old house, Cowbell was my home away from home. It was filled with vintage furniture and decorated with funky murals. The food was excellent: everything from the bacon to the flatbreads was made on-site. The coffee was strong and never, ever burnt. And the people who worked there were delightful: taking pity on a friend and I, who were always grading students’ papers, they would let us sit for hours on one or two coffees.


Though the entire menu was solid, I most often ordered the chai rice porridge, a warm, spicy, sweet porridge that would keep me going through a stack of student exams or a challenging set of chapter edits.

When I moved back to America, I missed Cowbell 808—and their chai rice porridge. On a whim, I messaged their Facebook page to see if they would share the recipe, and lo, a couple weeks later, they messaged me back with a rough description of how the porridge is made.

With some fiddling (and lots of taste-testing), I’ve adapted their instructions into a proper recipe. This is the perfect thing for a cool fall or winter morning. For my Sydneysiders: I hope this brings back memories of happy hours at a great cafe. And for my American readers: welcome to the club! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

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Six-ish months ago: Vegetable-laden tart
One year ago: Fig and mascarpone tart with pistachio crust

More food + travel: Provence and Lyon

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Chai rice porridge

Adapted from instructions from the owner of the (sadly, now-defunct) Cowbell 808
Serves 2 generously

Ingredients

4 chai teabags
1 3/4 cup (425mL) water
Scant 1 cup (240g) white rice
3 1/3 cups (800mL) milk
1/4 cup (55g) sugar, or more, to taste
pomegranate molasses (see notes)
1 pear or apple

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F (204C). Core the apple or pear and slice into 1/2″ thick wedges. Wrap in tinfoil, place on a baking pan, and bake in oven until softened, but not falling apart. This will take different amounts of time depending on the density of fruit you choose, so start checking for doneness at about 10 minutes. When finished, remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the teabags and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the mixture has boiled down to about 1/2 cup (about 120mL). Set aside. (Don’t throw out the teabags.)

Place the rice in a medium pot with the milk. Add the reduced chai tea and teabags. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly so the milk doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pot, then reduce heat and simmer. Remove the teabags when the mixture looks about halfway cooked. Continue to simmer until the rice is very tender and has absorbed nearly all the milk.

Stir in the sugar, taste, and then add more sugar if you want it sweeter.

Spoon into bowls, drizzle with pomegranate molasses, top with roasted apple or pear slices, and serve.

Notes

Pomegranate molasses: This is a sweet-tart pomegranate syrup, commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. It works wonderfully with this recipe, adding a tart contrast to the sweet, smooth rice porridge–so I would recommend you not skip it! It can be purchased at any Middle Eastern grocery store, and it can often be found in the Middle Eastern section of larger grocery stores. Wondering where else you’ll use this? It’s a great addition to dressings for fall salads, and also is wonderful as part of a marinade for pork or lamb.

Leftovers: If it’s just you, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge for a couple of days. Just add a bit of additional milk when you reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, to help you regain the loose porridge texture.