332 Manhattan

I’ve never been to New York (it’s next on my list), but somehow I don’t imagine it to be anything like the lovely cosy space at 332 Manhattan. We went for breakfast on a weekday and were delighted by the warm wooden furniture, the shelves piled with cookbooks and local produce, and the yummy-sounding breakfast menu. I started out with a fresh-squeezed orange juice (enjoyed to the sounds of my friend bragging about the role reversal of her being on time and our other friend arriving later), which was served in a good sized glass bottle and wasn’t overly sweet. I picked the prosciutto and fried eggs dish, which was the first to come out – we hardly waited any time at all and whilst our meals didn’t come at the same time, they were obviously fresh from the kitchen. My fried eggs had beautifully runny centres, the proscuitto was fresh (not fried) and there was plenty of it: tick, tick! There were also roasted tomatoes and garlic and rosemary potatoes, two of my favourite things on a big breakfast plate. Everything was tasty without being heavy on the stomach – I can’t yet compare to a real Manhattan experience, but for Canberra this is a very good feed.

332 Manhattan, 240 Bunda Street, Civic ACT, no website

Reuben Hills

Surry Hills is definitely Sydney’s Braddon (read: hipster central) and as such has more cafes than you can poke a stick at. Chosen for their unique menu, I met a friend at Reuben Hills to try a South American-themed brunch. It turned out that my friend had already visited once before, and recommended the ‘NOT Reuben’ – their take on the reuben sandwich, which is a favourite of mine. Meal decided. We also both ordered the cold pressed juice – beetroot, carrot, celery, ginger, lemon and apple – which came out quickly in a large glass with a wedge of orange, and felt very healthy to drink. The NOT Reuben arrived in a plastic tray (diner-style) and was huge! I only managed to finish half of it, but it was a scrumptious half. The brisket was crusty and thick but melted in your mouth, and the pickled slaw was packed in, fresh and crispy. Without a doubt the horseradish mayonnaise brought the whole thing to life and the rye was gently toasted = perfect. They also kindly gave me a takeaway container for the other half. A thoroughly lovely place to enjoy a lazy weekend morning.

Reuben Hills, 61 Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW    http://www.reubenhills.com.au/

Sokyo

A friend had recommended Sokyo for top tier Japanese in Sydney; unusually, they offer breakfast, so I booked in to try it out. Located at the Star, Sokyo has quite a large space decorated in an elegant minimalist style, with an impressive breakfast buffet designed primarily for hotel guests. Diners have the option of the full buffet or an a la carte dish with tea/coffee and a juice from the buffet. We opted for the latter – I ordered the ‘choushoku’ traditional Japanese breakfast, but was disappointed to hear that it had sold out. I had been excited about having fish for breakfast. Not excited by curry udon as the other authentic Japanese alternative, my second choice was the eggs benedict, served with miso hollandaise and edamame. The plate was beautifully presented, and the brioche bun was buttery soft to cut, making the dish quite light. The eggs were perfectly poached but arrived cold, and I couldn’t taste the miso in the hollandaise. The highlight was the steaky bacon, which was sweet and crispy, in contrast to the texture of the edamame. Sadly the juice from the buffet wasn’t fresh, but the genmaicha (tea) was excellent. Overall a mixed bag – get in early for the good stuff.

Sokyo, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW                           http://www.star.com.au/sydney-restaurants/signature-fine-dining/pages/sokyo.aspx

Mocan & Green Grout

Being a crazy plant lady, Mocan & Green Grout is a happy place for me. I love the hanging baskets and veggie garden out the front, and the wooden interior with the giant share table in the middle. There’s just something cozy about it. On this visit, I was meeting friends for breakfast and had trouble picking what to eat – so many delicious-sounding options! I ended up chosing the ‘smashed eggs’, which came with mushroom, goat’s curd and black garlic. It was hard to imagine what that would look like, but when it came out I was very glad I’d picked it. The presentation was immaculate, with the part-scrambled, part-poached eggs I’d enjoyed so much at Wharf One making the majority of the meal, served with slices of radish, toast and lettuce leaves, as well as a dust that I couldn’t quite pick (it was a bit peppery). The black garlic was like a paste and lifted the flavour of the eggs, although the mushrooms were so tasty they didn’t need much to shine. The toast was a bit too crispy for me, but the sourdough was tasty and overall it was quite an excellent meal. I’ll be back for more soon.

Mocan & Green Grout, 1/19 Marcus Clarke Street, New Acton, ACT http://mocanandgreengrout.com/

SAD:Cafe

Sure, the name is odd, but when put in context next to sister store DAS boutique, calling your cafe ‘SAD’ makes some kid of sense. Luckily, this place is anything but sad, located on the revitalised Ebenezer Place that is becoming a bit of a foodie haunt. My friend and I snagged an outdoor table, but I did spend some time admiring the simple decor inside when ordering – pleasant mint-coloured walls, presumably upcycled wooden furniture and cute art in matching frames. I ordered the poached eggs with sweet potato and caper hash, and the iced tea from the specials board. Both came out promptly – the iced tea was served in a jar with a straw and was lovely and refreshing, made from lemon, cinamon, ginger and honey. The eggs were perfectly poached and oozed all over the three lightly toasted buns (heaven). Whilst not what I expected from a hash, the fried sweet potato triangles were lovely, and the avocado hollandaise was a delicious luxury. Surprisingly, the spring onion and capers really brought the dish to life, and there were plenty to include in each mouthful. I definitely left this place perfectly happy.

Sad:Cafe, 10 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide, SA                    http://www.sadcafe.com.au/

Exchange

I’ve been following Exchange’s instagram account for a while and was sucked in by the incredible photos of dounts that they keep posting. Sadly when we went they didn’t have any donuts, but the brunch menu beckoned. Exchange has a light and airy location off Rundle Street, which is enhanced by its simple decor. Cyclist-friendly, we found a table amongst the lycra-clad patrons and read through the short menu. I started with a local orange juice made in Lobethal (a bit disappointing that they don’t offer fresh juice, but good to support local) and ordered the Gloria plus bacon. I was impressed by the presentation when it arrived, everything beautifully stacked and dusted in dukkah and basil. The avocado was spread generously on both pieces of the toasted Turkish bread, which was crisp to perfection and topped with rashers of honey-glazed bacon. Mmm. I struggled to finish my dish, as did Mum, who had the fig and hazelnut french toast – also beautifully presented with fresh strawberries and orange segments; I suffered some serious order envy. If you’re in the city stop in at Exchange and have some donuts and/or french toast for me!

Exchange Specialty Coffee, Shops 1&2 12-18 Vardon Avenue, Adelaide SA       http://www.exchangecoffee.com.au

Akiba

I raved about Akiba on my lunch excursion, but it seems word hasn’t got out yet that they’re open for breakfast. The menu was very limited – only three food items – but that made the choice an easy one. I picked the ‘aki-bun’, a breakfast bao with bacon, egg and pickled fennel. The waiter explained that they’d just set up their juicer to make fresh juice, so I ordered a juice with all of their fruit (you can choose your combination) – orange, apple, pineapple and grapefruit. The food arrived first, and my first impresison was that it was a small meal, which is fine for $6. The yolk of the fried egg was beautifully runny, and there were three strips of lean bacon inside the springy bao. I found the spicy rice seasoning a bit overpowering and quite strong for breakfast, but it did complement the pickled fennel well. Our juices arrived towards the end of the meal (we weren’t charged for them due to the long wait) – I couldn’t taste any pineapple, but the other flavours were clear and fresh. I think having the juice with the meal would have tempered the spiciness, so I’ll be back to try the other two items as they settle into the breakfast service.

Akiba, 40 Bunda Street, Canberra ACT                                     http://www.akiba.com.au/