Maple & Clove

Sometimes you just want a light breakfast, and when I met my friend at Maple & Clove I was a bit disappointed to realise it was one of those days. The menu looked amazing and whilst I would have loved to try a cooked breakfast, the Spelt Fig and Walnut toast was calling my name. I ordered a pot of sencha meicha loose leaf tea to start, which came out in a petite teapot with a removable infuser. The tea had just the right note of green overtones and was comforting and warm. My toast came out with butter and chia strawberry compote, which I have to admit was a wonderful substitute for jam. Presented in a cute little jar, the compote was lovely and spreadable and wasn’t overly sweet. Whilst it didn’t look like much, there was plenty there. The toast itself was perfectly toasted, still easily cut and with a light texture. The crunch of the walnut was perfection and the meal was exactly what I felt like. My friend had poached eggs with mushrooms and found it very filling – I’ll be back at Maple & Clove when I have more of an appetite.

Maple & Clove, 7 Burbery Close, Barton ACT                                                                mapleandclove.com.au/

Barry

This was my second attempt to have breakfast at Barry, and I’m glad I finally made it. Barry has a lovely corner spot with lots of windows, giving it a light and airy feel. We didn’t have to line up, but not long after we were seated the queue began outside. To start, I ordered the Blended Drink #1, which is a dairy free smoothie with banana, dates, cinnamon, almond milk and cacao nibs. The latter gave a fantastic crunch to the drink (chewing required) which was surprisingly thick for something dairy-free. The banana flavour wasn’t as strong as I was expecting but was still present – all the flavours worked together perfectly. I chose breakfast from the specials menu – poached eggs with mashed peas, shaved ricotta and lime on toast. The dish came out looking like spring on a plate; it was lovely and light, and the eggs were the runniest I’ve ever had. The toast was a bit crispy for my taste, but the bread was delicious, with sesame seeds crusting the outside. The lime was a stroke of genius with the citrus bringing the whole dish to life. The queues are there for a reason – well worth a visit.

Barry, 85 High Street, Northcote VIC                           http://www.barrycoffeeandfood.com

The Mess Hall

Wandering along Bourke Street in search of brunch, the buzz of people outside The Mess Hall caught my eye. It’s a welcoming space, stretching back to the kitchen and decorated with climbing plants on a wire mesh, soaking up the natural light pouring in from upstairs. The menu is fairly short, so I started with an orange juice, served in a generous sized glass, and ordered the green scrambled eggs. It came out quite quickly, and I was intruiged by the flavour combinations. Not your average scrambled eggs, this version had finely-sliced asparagus, pesto and truffle oil mixed in. Yep, truffle oil. Yum-o. The overall effect was fantastic – the pesto had a subtle flavour but the asparagus was crisp and juicy, and the truffle oil flavour lifted everything to a new level of deliciousness. The bread was a bit too toasted for my taste, but on balance this was made up for by the fluffy eggs. The staff happily left me to my book while they set up for lunch, and I appreciated not being rushed. I’ll be back to try their pasta and sit in the cozy upstairs room!

The Mess Hall, 51 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC           http://www.themesshallmelbourne.com

Sweet Bones

I was quite excited to have breakfast at Sweet Bones and see what a plate without the staples of bacon and eggs was like. We went on a weekday morning and both ordered the big breakfast – this was my second visit after trying their cupcakes and I wasn’t sure what to expect from their savoury vegan fare. I needn’t have worried. My breakfast arrived with a deceptively simple mix of hummus, tomato, avocado, lightly toasted sourdough with a side of tofu scramble.  On first bite, it was clear that this was one of the best breakfast’s I’ve had in Canberra. The hummus was beautifully flavoured with a spice I couldn’t quite pick, but it elevated a standard dip into something incredible. The sourdough had great flavour and nothing beats fresh avocado. I completely loved the tofu scramble, full of mushrooms, onions, carrot, capsicum, and topped with crispy spiced pepita and sunflower seeds, which provided great textural contrast and had me wishing there was more. Not only was every mouthful delicious, it was also really filling and I couldn’t quite polish it all off, as much as I wanted to. Seriously good, healthy food.

Sweet Bones Bakery Cafe, 8/18 Lonsdale Street Braddon, ACT       http://sweetbonescompany.com/

Cool Mac

I met a friend at Cool Mac for an early weekday breakfast during my training week in Kirribilli, and we were both very impressed with what they had to offer. We sat outside on the sidewalk, which is something I really liked about this place – that, and it was one of the only places at the local shops open at 7am. I started with a Botanica cold pressed juice (bottled in the cutest jar), which was both healthy and refreshing. The owner was very friendly and patient while we chatted away before ordering – eventually I chose the eggs benedict and added a side of avocado (why not?). I consider eggs benedict a good test of a place, and Cool Mac passed with flying colours. The eggs were beautifully poached, there was plenty of rich but not-too-rich hollandaise, the bacon was plentiful and crispy, and whilst the toast was a bit crispy for me, it didn’t spoil the overall deliciousness. The avocado I added was a full half, and went really well with the dish – I’ll definitely keep this in mind for future orders. Cool Mac is a fun, friendly and tasty breakfast venue.

Cool Mac Cafe, 2/34 Burton Street, Kirribilli NSW, no website

Wafflemeister

I came across this photo from my holiday a few years back and couldn’t resist sharing (#flashback). Waffles are a legitimate breakfast food. Really! They’re even more so when you’re on holidays. I met friends of mine also holidaying in London to check out the Natural History Museum, but before a day of museum exploration, a sturdy breakfast was in order. That’s where Wafflemeister came in. Near the South Kensington tube station, this outlet of the waffle-producing chain was just too tempting to resist. I chose a ‘waffle au chocolate’, and picked milk chocolate for the drizzle on top (dark and white also available). You can add fruit to your waffles and I opted for fresh raspberries. This turned out to be an excellent choice – the waffle was fresh, crisp and light, and the milk chocolate was rich and smooth, with just the right amount to stop the waffle from being dry. But the absolute highlight was the raspberries – they were juicy, tart and intensly flavoured. I can honestly say I’ve never had such delicious berries before in my life! The serving was quite large and I couldn’t quite finish it, but I did finish all the raspberries! They also made me feel a bit less guilty for having a sweet treat for breakfast.

Wafflemeister, 26 Cromwell Place, South Kensington London, UK http://www.wafflemeister.com/

Hammer & Tong

Whilst visiting Melbourne I mentioned that I was keen to visit Hammer & Tong – luckily my friends were keen too, so off we went to try their adventurous menu. There is definitely an industrial/Soviet-style feel about the cafe, with plenty of unpolished metal and bare walls, which is also reflected in their communist flag-inspired logo. The menu draws mostly on Asian cuisines, with the unusual option of ‘breakfast ramen’ offered – I was so tempted but it was just too early. Instead, I picked the spanner crab egg crepe served with cucumber ketchup and charocal brioche, and the mango, passionfruit and pineapple juice. The juice menu said fresh but when the juice came out it had none of the hallmarks of a fresh juice (there was no froth and it had a watery texture), but was nonetheless delicious – the passionfruit’s tart flavour was a great wake-up aid! The crepe was heavenly – light and fluffy with plenty of crab inside, each mouthful was delightful with the cucumber ketchup, which tasted more like a cucumber pickle in liquid form. It matched perfectly with the charcoal brioche which was also quite light. The flavours and textures worked together so well – next time maybe I’ll be brave and try the ramen!

Hammer & Tong, 412a Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC       http://www.hammerandtong.com.au