Penny University

I’ve been to Penny University several times, but somehow haven’t gotten around to blogging about it until now. On this visit, I started with the tropical juice of pineapple, lychee and mint, which came out with a little cherry blossom flower on top (adorable!). The juice was the perfect size for breakfast and had plenty of flavour balance between the three ingredients. I opted for the breakfast special – za’atar spiced eggs with capsicum spread on Turkish bread and minted yoghurt. My friend ordered the black forest ricotta hotcakes, and was told they would take 10 mins to cook. With great service, both our meals were brought out, hot, at the same time = awesome. These guys are pros. I was a bit disappointed to only have one egg, but excited to see that there was a whole land of salady things that I hadn’t expected – kale, fried chickpeas and baked eggplant. Oh yum. The egg was perfectly runny and whilst I couldn’t really taste the za’atar (it’s amazing at Local Press), the capsicum spread was divine, and was perfectly complemented by the salad flavours and textures – tender eggplant, slightly crisped chickpeas. Oh, and the Turkish bread was easy to cut. Fabulous experience all round!

Penny University, 15 Kennedy Street, Kingston ACT, no website

Self Preservation

I met a friend from high school at Self Preservation for a quick breakfast – it was a lovely little spot to catch up. We sat inside at a low table with little stools, and I ordered the bacon and eggs and a Primavera green juice, which came out in a lovely little jar. The juice had kale, broccoli, silverbeet, cucumber, apple, lime and basil – it was smooth and light, without any one flavour dominating and was a good serving size, although it started to separate if left for too long. The food was beautifully presented and I couldn’t believe how thick the bacon was! It had a scrumptious honey mustard glaze and was very sweet – such a great combination! Unfortunately the eggs were only just runny, but the hollandaise was really rich and delicious. Whilst the meal was a bit salty overall, I particularly liked the super-juicy roasted tomatoes – the skins were blistered so you didn’t lose the juice when picking them up with a fork. The staff were very friendly – apparently I reminded the waitress of her best friend in Ireland! – and the cafe itself was a perfect setting for a long natter. (Note: sadly, this particular bacon and eggs doesn’t seem to be on the menu anymore).

Self Preservation, 70 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC                              http://www.selfpreservation.com.au/

Pod Food

Pod Food is one of those lovely places I keep meaning to spend more time at – I couldn’t believe that this was my first visit this year! A friend and I just scraped in for breakfast (last orders at 10:30), excited to try the truffle-enhanced menu. I started out with a pot of earl grey tea and picked the scrambled eggs with beetroot, gruyere and olive sourdough to eat. Plus truffles. The food took a bit of time to come out, but when it did, the waitress explained that the truffle had been cooked through the scrambled eggs to enhance the earthy flavour. The eggs were light and fluffy, and the rather generous flecks of truffle certainly lifted the entire meal. I loved the minced beetroot’s tartness against the rich egg, and the olive sourdough added a nice hit of salt. I am a huge fan of mushrooms at breakfast, and this one was particularly delicious. We weren’t rushed out as we chatted after finishing our meals, which is always appreciated. Oh, and if you can, ask the waiter about centaurs. I promise, it will make for great conversation to pair with the great food.

Pod Food, 12 Beltana Road, Pialligo ACT                     http://www.podfood.com.au/

Elemental

This was my second visit to Elemental in Braddon, and I was even more impressed on this visit than last time, not least because… the bone broth was available! Yay! I think they must use chicken bones, as the flavour was far lighter and less rich than I was expecting – in fact, it tasted much like my first (and only) homemade attempt at making ramen from scratch. Whilst it wasn’t quite what I was expecting/hoping for, it was still hearty and warming on a chilly day. I picked the quesadillas for something a bit different – they were delicious! There were two of them served with a fried eggs, fresh guacamole and harissa. The flavour inside the quesadillas was more what I would expect from a curry – the ‘spicy chicken’ lived up to its name, and I didn’t end up using much harissa as it was spicy enough for me. The flavour was fantastic though – the chicken combined with a lime leaf jam and coconut cheese was heavenly, and the fried egg oozed perfectly over the top. I was particularly taken with the guacamole (cubed not mushed) and was really impressed with the friendly service. Elemental is going from strength to strength.

Elemental, Ori building, 30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT elementalcafe.wix.com/elementalcafe

The Merchant

Meeting my friend on the Kingston Foreshore for lunch, but having skipped breakfast, I was very excited to discover that The Merchant offers breakfast until 3pm. I started out with a soy hot chocolate, which was large but tasted like soy with a hint of chocolate – I wouldn’t order it again. After much deliberation (the pizetteas sounded so tempting!) I used my friend’s excellent food philosophy of ordering what you feel like (scrambled eggs), rather than what you think you should have (pizza). So the ‘bacon & egg pocket’ it was – I ordered it with a side of avocado. The pocket itself was a huge ciabatta (my favourite), packed to the brim with bacon, scrambled eggs and a small amount of tomato relish. The quantities were perfectly balanced – any more relish and it would have been too sweet, a little less and it could have been dry. The eggs were beautifully fluffy and exactly how I like them (on the soft side), and the bacon was nicely (not overly) done. I was disappointed in the tiny amount of avocado – $5 for that measly portion? Never again – but overall the meal was incredibly filling and tasty. So, like last time, the verdict is tasty, but still room for improvement.

The Merchant, 3/2 Trevillian Quay, Kingston ACT         http://www.themerchant.com.au

Pearl Cafe

Pearl Cafe was recommended as a good breakfast spot by a friend – sadly on my weekday visit the lovely interior was booked out for a function, but the staff happily set me up on an al fresco table outside. The menu has some delicious-sounding options, but I only wanted something light given the humidity. I started with a glass of fresh orange juice and ordered the eggs and soldiers with caviar. Yes, you read that right. Pearl Cafe’s menu has some serious class, and this stylish twist on a classic was the proof in the pudding (or the eggs, as the case may be). The toast was a gorgeous rye with that amost sweet nutiness that really dark bread has. Each finger was dense and filling, and both eggs were perfectly soft-boiled with runny yolks. But the highlight was the pop of saltiness with a hint of the ocean from the caviar – I know it sounds like an odd combination, but every bite with it was divine. The only shame was that there wasn’t more to mix in for the bottom half of each egg. A highly recommended local favourite with friendly staff and style to boot.

Pearl Cafe, 28 Logan Road, Woolloongabba, QLD

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