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/

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

Anvil Coffee Co

Oh my – Anvil has such a stunning location that I had to take a minute to soak it in before finding a table overlooking the water. Tucked into the side of Kirribilli Wharf, this little gem serves breakfast and lunch as well as takeaway coffee. I took my time with the menu, but eventually decided on the Something Savoury – chorizo, smashed peas, broadbeans and leek with salad on sourdough. Sadly they’d run out of chorizo, but I was offered smoked salmon as an alternative (yes please). I was a bit disappointed that they don’t offer fresh juices, and I didn’t enjoy the bottled ‘green power’ juice I ordered. My meal came out on a beautiful plate with all of the components piled up neatly and topped with a slice of lemon. I would have preferred a wedge to drizzle, but I managed to get some of the flavour from it. The toast was extra crispy and tough to cut, but the smashed greens were very filling and the overall flavour was lovely. There was plenty of salmon and I couldn’t finish the salad. A couple of tweaks needed, but overall a nice breakfast with lovely views.

Anvil Coffee Co, Kirribilli Wharf, Hobrook Avenue, Kirribilli NSW                           http://www.anvilcc.com.au/

Lucky Duck

When you have a big night out, a solid breakfast can be unappealing. You can also miss your alarm and rock up late. Despite both of these things happening, I had a fabulous experience at the Lucky Duck cafe and bar. Our group sat in the outside courtyard, which is beautifully set up with succulents on each wooden table and a beautiful geometric mural on the wall. The menu has a good mix of traditional and creative dishes, and I opted for the ‘Duck Bate’: bacon, avocado, tomato and egg on an open sourdough sandwich served with lemon, basil and drizzled with garlic olive oil. Mmm. I also ordered a ‘green juice’, which was advertised with a cheeky sign about Australia’s climate change policy. The juice was perfection – apple, pear, mint, cucumber, kiwi fruit and spinach balanced to refresh (and cure hangovers). The meal itself was equally perfect – the fried egg was still runny, the tomato was brought to life by the garlic oil, the avocado was generous and enlivened by the lemon. I also had a peek at all of the ducks hidden throughout the cafe – perched on shelves, in pot plants and painted on the walls. Such a fun place!

Lucky Duck cafe and bar, 15 Gladstone Road Highgate Hill, QLD   http://luckyduckcafebar.com.au/

Chatterbox

I have a friend who is a dedicated Chatterbox convert – it’s her favourite brunch place and she always recommends it to people. When I had to pick somewhere to take my Dad for brunch then, this was one of the first places that came to mind. Walking in, the staff were welcoming and showed us to a table quickly, while we took in the indoor plant wall and yellow decor. I ordered us fresh juices to start – you can put as many different fruits as you like in your juice, so I went for orange, apple, banana and strawberry. When it came out, it was in a large takeaway cup, so no problems if you can’t finish it over your meal. Dad had a long black and commented on how good the coffee was. For brunch, I picked the truffled eggs – poached eggs served on a potato rosti with peccorino, rocket and truffle oil. The eggs were perfectly poached and the rosti was crisp and filling. The truffle oil added an earthy flavour to the meal, which I couldn’t quite finish. I can see why my friend recommends it, and now I do too.

Chatterbox Espresso Bar, 40 Cameron Ave, Belconnen ACT                     http://www.chatterbox-catering.com.au/