Smashed avo, eggs benny, and granola bowls are the bread and butter of Aussie café menus, but this hotspot in the heart of Braddon, just a few kilometres north of Australia’s Federal Parliament, is switching up the game with Japanese- and Korean-inspired sandos.
Owner Lachlan Exton and Head Chef Cho Hoon elected to pursue sandos as the venue’s calling card after an insightful trip to Asia. Venue Manager Denil Maharjan says Canberra has been the perfect city for On Lonsdale to create a unique brand around its food.
“They’re sandwiches, but they’re made on this big, fluffy milk bread and are chock full of Asian fillings like chicken or pork cutlets. It’s a really different approach compared to other cafés in the area,” says Denil.
“The boss and the head chef really enjoyed the food they had in Japan and South Korea, and they thought it would be cool to have something like it in Canberra.
It’s a city where people like to try new things, there’s a large Asian demographic, and a lot of multicultural people, so it’s the perfect spot for it.”
Denil says the different type of food offering at On Lonsdale keeps customers coming back for more.
“It’s a bit of a surprise for people when they walk into the café for the first time, because they’re used to more typical food offerings,” he says.
“Once they try our sandos though, they love them. Everyone’s first reaction tends to be that it’s something a bit different and interesting, but it’s really good. People are always convinced to come along and try.”
Alongside its expansive menu of sandos, On Lonsdale serves a range of Ona Coffee beans with Riverina Fresh milk, and uses a Sanremo Café Racer machine.
“The Café Racer is easy to use and has different programs, which are simple for baristas to set up their dialling and recipes. It’s consistent and easy to manoeuvre around,” says Denil.
“We use Ona Coffee, not just here but in our other venues as well. We’ve been using them for the past couple of years because I think they produce some of the best coffees – not just from the area but in Australia. It’s a no-brainer for us to go with Ona.
“I really want to thank Ona’s Founder Sasa Sestic, because he works really closely with us and it’s been helpful to be able to grow together.”
Denil says On Lonsdale uses Riverina Fresh Full Cream Milk to bring the best qualities out of Ona’s beans.
“I’ve been a barista for the past five years and tried a few different milks with different suppliers, but I found Riverina to be really good when it mixes with coffee,” he says.
“It’s incredibly creamy and has a great, distinctive taste when compared with other milk brands, and it complements the coffee well.
“I think it would be the go-to choice for most baristas.”
On Lonsdale
23 Lonsdale Street,
Braddon, Australian Capital Territory, 2612
Open daily 7am to 3pm
This article appears in the August 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
