When it comes to bitter cultural rivalries, you've got Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, Sherlock and Moriarty, and the Hass and Shepherd avocados. We wouldn't dream of picking sides here, but we have got some good news for the (obviously correct) Hass camp: Cuckoo Callay cafés in Surry Hills and Newtown are set to be home to a two-month-long festival called 'Kiss My Hass 2020'.
The event will feature an entire menu dedicated to the Hass avocado, which will be available at both Cuckoo locations from Friday, April 16 until Friday, June 11 (Newtown's menu will be a slightly reduced version of the main menu at Surry Hills). There's a classic avo on toast with olives, mozzarella and sundried tomatoes, toastadas piled on with smashed avo, and a zesty salmon and citrus-tossed ceviche.
The menu features drop-in items from restaurants like Nour, whose executive chef Paul Farag has created a Middle Eastern-inspired, nest-style dish of saj bread made to be torn off and scooped into eggs scrambled with spicy sujuk and chermoula. Lilymu's Brendan Fong has also contributed with his own spin onto avo on toast, subbing out bread for tostadas, and serving his dish with nahm Jim, salmon and a medley of Thai herbs. For those unafraid to embrace the avocado in its unadorned form, there's even an avocado burger 'bun' – literally just two halves of an avocado – stacked with a potato and pea croquette, pickles and slaw.
The desserts are also worth a punt: try a lemon and coconut French toast with avo mascarpone and meringue; a white chocolate mousse by Textbook Patisserie's John Ralley, infused with matcha; or an avocado gelato by Redfern's Ciccone and Sons, with a salted brioche crumb.
Get your avo fix at Cuckoo Callay Newtown or Cuckoo Callay Surry Hills from April 16 until June 11.