Truly Scrumptious

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Pablo, New Farm, QLD

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Pablo is a nice trendy little cafe in Brunswick Street, New Farm just by the junction of Merthyr Road. There is a selection of tables inside and out, and the vibe is quirky – it’s a little cramped in places, but that’s all part of the charm. Every dish is cooked fresh to order and the place was packed so we were advised by the waitress that we may have a wait on our hands. She was right, we waited around 20 minutes, but it was okay because our expectations had been met and we could see the quality of plates emerging from the kitchen.
Persuaded by the board outside which said ‘Number one hot cakes in Brisbane’, I chose the ricotta hot cakes with lemon curd ice cream, berry compote, cacao nibs, and coconut crumb.

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The plate was a work of art, garnished with flowers, and the hot cakes did not disappoint. They were light and fluffy and not overly sweet with enough natural sweetness coming from the fruits. the ice cream was smooth, tangy and creamy – a lovely complement to the dish.

My partner chose the breakfast chilli.

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The chilli was made from slow cooked beef cheek, speck bacon, red beans and chorizo – it was rich, tasty and nicely spiced. The corn bread had a smear of honey which added a hint of sweetness, the egg was superbly oozy, and the guacamole and salsa a nice smooth contrast to the substance of the chilli.
We also chose some drinks – I had freshly squeezed orange juice and my companion had a large flat white which was nicely smooth and well rounded, the only criticism was that the coffee could have been a bit hotter in temperature.

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Pablo is a real neighbourhood gem, and somewhere that I will come back to. It’s easy to see why the locals love this cafe – it has a menu that makes you want to taste every option and the food definitely delivers. Well worth the wait for delicious, fresh, inspired dishes.

Visit Date – August 2016

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Rogue Bistro, Newstead, Brisbane, QLD

When we lived in Brisbane, Rogue was our go-to brunch venue. Located on Austin Street in Newstead, it has an indoor and outdoor area, and some very exciting brunch options. Rogue also serve dinner which is romantic and equally inventive.

Of the brunch options, Savoury Mince is a particular favourite. Servde with quality bread and two poached eggs hidden in the tasty mince, it is simple but amazing.

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Omelettes are also good with caramelised onion and aioli, the omelette filled with pork belly.

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Scrambled egg, mushrooms and toast with feta:

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Popcorn chicken and waffles with fried egg:

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It’s good to see that Rogue still goes from strength to strength. Great quality food, pleasant service, excellent coffee, what more could you want.

Last Visit – September 2016.

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Tuck Shop Cafe

I finally tried the Tuck Shop Cafe for brunch last week. I have heard a lot about this place and decided to see what the buzz was about.
When we got there, we had to wait in line for a table, but the waitresses were lovely and found us somewhere to sit within 15 minutes.
The menu has something for everybody, including breakfast dishes, pancakes, nasi goreng, cheese kransky, meatballs, and salmon. Every dish was described beautifully and I wanted to try them all. There is also a chalkboard with daily specials, and I chose a date, banana, honey and cinnamon smoothie from the specials board.

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My partner had coffee – which was Toby’s estate. This was nice coffee, but not the best in Perth.

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For my meal I chose the chorizo with paprika potatoes, peppers, spanish onions and crispy pork belly with fried egg. This was absolutely delicious – and very filling.

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My partner chose the beans with ham hock, parmesan toast and fried egg. There were some home made onion rings on top. This dish was extremely tasty.

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The cafe also has a nice range of cakes. We chose a brownie and a strawberry lamington for afternoon tea at home. They were very nice.
I will definitely return to the Tuck Shop Cafe – I am keen to try the other offerings on the menu. Based on the brunch that I had last week, I can see what the hype is about. The Tuck Shop is one of Perth’s best cafes.

Last Visit Date – January 2017

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Matthew Thomas, Sandgate, QLD

Matthew Thomas is a lovely little art cafe on the coast road overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Sandgate.

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We arrived for brunch on a Sunday and it was fairly busy. The menu was full of nice choices and it was difficult to decide, but I opted for a mt classic which is eggs, bacon, tomato and sourdough while my companion chose the grande breakfast. Other options on the menu included pancakes, waffles, muesli, salmon, and eggs benedict. I had an almond and nutella shake which was delicious, and the coffee was also very good.

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Every element of the MT classic was done well. The bacon and eggs were full of flavour, the sourdough nicely made and not too crunchy like some sourdoughs can be.

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The grande was equally flavoursome with delicious corn and vegetable fritters, succulent mushrooms, eggs and bacon.

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This is a nice location and everything is served well and nicely presented.
Matthew Thomas was a Brisbane brunch favourite for me.

Later photos from Matthew Thomas (yes we went back regularly):

Salmon with corn fritters:
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Bean dream with cheese toast:
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Last Visit – August 2016

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Typika Artisan Roasters, Claremont

Typika is nestled in the Claremont shopping complex just off Stirling Highway. There is plenty of parking but it can get busy and Typika is definitely a hit with the locals.
The cafe is airy, buzzing, with coffee roasting machinery on view. Unsurprisingly, the coffee is excellent. They roast the beans in house which makes for optimum freshness as old beans can give coffee an overly bitter taste. They also refuse to take bookings, so sometimes there is a bit of a wait, but when we visited for Saturday brunch we were seated straight away.
The wait staff are helpful and friendly, and happy to point out the specials of the day. I chose an iced mint tea with apple sorbet float which was quirky, refreshing and delicious.

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The menu has something for everybody with a selection of breakfast and brunch
favourites that are all very tempting.
I fancied something sweeter so chose the poached pear, strawberry, nut and buttermilk pancakes. They were nicely balanced, not overly sweet and felt quite nourishing to eat.

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My companion chose the Eggs Benedict with bacon – a brunch staple – and he reported that everything was nicely flavoured and that the ingredients were good quality.

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Other items on the menu included: Angry Bird, which sounded quite tasty – fried chicken with guacamole, corn and a waffle; Char siu pork belly buns; Pulled pork quesadillas; Caramelised pork ribs; Vietnamese pork and prawn meatballs.
My only criticism of Typika is that for the prices, the portions are a bit on the small side. Almost $20 for an eggs benny consisting of one slice of bread, two small eggs and two slices of bacon is a bit expensive. I observed another diner who had ordered two breakfasts – maybe he already knew about the portion sizes. All in all, it was very tasty, and I will be tempted to go back, but I will also bear in mind that it’s not the place to go if you are ravenously hungry. The ingredients are top quality, and the staff are great.

Last Visit – December 2016

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Reuben Hills, Surry Hills, Sydney NSW

I love Sunday brekkie/brunch, and keen to find a good place in Sydney for a Sunday brunch I came across reviews for Reuben Hills. About a 15 minute walk from our hotel to Surry Hills, we found this quirky little place with quite a queue outside. We only had to wait 15-20 minutes for our table.
The waiter was really helpful. I wanted a non dairy based milkshake and he veered me towards the lychee, lime and coconut flavour because it was based on coconut sorbet. I loved the shake. The coffee was also very good quality.
For my brunch I chose soft baked eggs with jamon, spinach, ranchero and rye bread. This was a lovely if little spicy brunch, and it was nice to have the bread to mop up the little bowl of ranchero and egg.

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My companion chose achiote pork n beans with soft fried egg, tortilla chips and chimmichurri. This was mildly spicy, full flavoured, and the textures worked well.

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Yes – Reuben Hills was a great choice for brunch. If I lived in Sydney I could
work my way through their menu.
A quirky cafe with fun wait staff, not your average menu, and great coffee. Yes it works.

Visit Date – April 2014

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Bread In Common, Fremantle

I have been wanting to try Bread In Common for ages, and a Sunday morning seemed like the perfect opportunity, so we popped down there for brunch. It’s a large airy restaurant, possibly a converted warehouse, on Pakenham Street. The kitchen is open and run in a very calm manner. The tables are long benches, and there’s a hubbub of activity with customers chatting, coffee being made, fruits being juiced, and the takeaway counter selling bread, pies, pastries and cakes.

We started with a coffee while we perused the menu and were presented with a Brazilian single origin from West Perth’s Mano a Mano. Very nice rich coffee.

The menu is jam packed full of yummy options and everything sounds appetising. I was
very tempted by the sweet options of plum compote and yoghurt, fruit salad with coconut yoghurt, french fruit toast with peaches and cream cheese, and waffles with banana, cream cheese and maple. Savoury options were equally good with veggie options of mushrooms and parmesan, corn and jalapeno and I eventually narrowed it down to choice between pork meatballs with fried eggs and hot sauce, and beef brisket benedict. The benedict won, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Wonderfully chunky but fall-apart brisket with a hunk of fresh bread, poached eggs,
hollandaise and sauerkraut – every mouthful was a joy.
Looking around, Bread In Common makes its own pickles and conserves as well as the
bread that it is famous for.

We left with very full bellies, and an additional half loaf of fruit bread. It’s one of those
places that you have to keep going back to so that you can try everything.

Visit Date – April 2018

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Blue Duck, Cottesloe

The Blue Duck on Marine Parade is a restaurant with one of the best views in Cottesloe. With Rottnest lingering in the distance and the beautiful blue green waters of Cottesloe Beach, it’s a fairly iconic location.

We stopped by for brunch on Easter Monday and felt fortunate to get a table. We started with coffee which was delicious, a nice caramel flavour made with freshly roasted beans.

For my brekkie I chose the breakfast board – a triple combo of orange juice, muesli with berry compote and yoghurt, and ham benedict on a rosti. The benedict was lovely, great hollandaise with a nice acidity to it, a really tasty rosti, and a good fresh egg dribbling over the quality slices of ham. Yum. The muesli was nice and had a slightly floral aromatic flavour to it, topped with berries, a slice of poached pear and some thick yoghurt. My only issue was that the chunk of pear was too big to slice with the little spoon, so I had no choice but to pick it up with my fingers. The orange juice was fresh and tasty.

My partner chose the surfer’s brekkie. Bacon, sausage, tomato, hash brown and eggs with some sourdough. He said it was nice but the eggs were just lukewarm, and got cold very quickly. All the elements were good quality.

I like the Blue Duck, it’s a great location and the food is always tasty. Definitely one of the good restaurants in Cottesloe.

Visit Date – April 2018

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Blacksmith, Highgate

Blacksmith, on Beaufort Street is deceptively large. It looks like a single shop front but spreads back quite a way and is family friendly with a children’s play area out back.
We stopped by for Sunday brunch and were impressed by the menu options. Coffee is supplied by Locale, and the blend was quite good but not as smooth as other beans I have tried.

Menu offerings include a breakfast board, smashed avo, brioche hotdog, lamb benny and eggs on fire.
My partner chose the tuscan beans – beans, Italian sausage, basil, poached eggs and sourdough. He really enjoyed it – a large portion of food with good rich flavours and nice bread.

I chose the brisket benedict – beef brisket hash, poached eggs, sourdough and tarragon hollandaise. This was problematic. If the hollandaise had been served on the side, I wouldn’t have had it – it was sour, overly vinegary, and really not very nice, but unfortunately the whole dish was covered in it. The brisket hash patties were crumbed and deep fried but unfortunately they had taken on the flavour of whatever was last cooked in the oil, and they had an odd taint to them as well as being underseasoned. The bread was very nice, but I really didn’t eat much of the eggs because of the all-pervasive hollandaise. It was a shame because this could have been an excellent dish.

On the whole, two very different plates, and we probably won’t go back – there are better brunch venues nearby.

Visit Date – July 2019

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