Ruby Cafe

Being the beginning of a new year I decided to try a new cafe to kick things off for 2012. Ruby Cafe located on Given Tce in Paddington opened in early December 2011 and was the breakfast destination of choice for the morning. Arriving at the cafe around 8.30am it was still relatively empty but within 30 minutes nearly every table was occupied.

Breakfast menu

Drink Menu

On arrival we were seated and supplied with water and menus. Looking over the menu I liked the look of several options but quickly focused in on two particular choices; the bircher muesli and the omelet. My two breakfast companions both liked the look of the bircher so I decided to go with the omelet for a bit of variety. Our hungriest diner decided to order two breakfasts; the bircher muesli and the coiled fennel sausage and the third diner also opted for variety and went with the classic of poached eggs on toast. Drinks wise, Ruby offers an interesting range of juice/frappes, smoothies and coffees. I decided to go with my usual skinny cappuccino whereas the other breakfasters decided to try the berry smoothie.

Skinny cappuccino

Berry smoothie

The drinks were only a short wait and the coffee blend used was one of my favourites, Vitorria. It was well made and quite sweet. The smoothie was good, not memorable, not bad just good. In my opinion the food was a little slow to arrive. I know I said the cafe was quite busy but a lot of the diners appeared to be having their morning coffee rather then breakfast, I put this down to the cafe being new. The breakfast arrived after about a 20-ish minute wait.

Pumpkin, feta & rocket omelet

Poached eggs on sourdough

The omelet was pumpkin, rocket and feta with ciabata and was really tasty. The serving size was quite small in comparison to the price ($16) and to other cafe omelets I have had which leads me to believe it was made with 2 eggs rather then 3. Nonetheless it was cooked perfectly and the ciabatta was perfectly toasted. The poached eggs on peasant sourdough ($9) was a very small meal. However, the eggs were poached perfectly, the sourdough was nicely toasted and the accompanying tomato and pepper chutney was flavourful. The coiled fennel and chili sausage served with tomato, fried egg and watercress ($15) was highly enjoyed by my breakfast companion. He also really liked the flavour the tomato and pepper chutney brought to the meal. The strawberry bircher muesli with pecan & hazelnut crumble with honey was an impressive looking meal and probably the best value breakfast at $8. However, its looks were slightly deceiving as if it hadn't have been for the pecan & hazelnut crumble and honey it would have been quite bland.

Strawberry bircher

Coiled fennel & chili sausage

All in all Ruby Cafe was a good way to kick off the new year of cafe exploration. It had some good points such as the interesting menu and flavour combinations on offer, attentiveness of the floor staff and the coffee and some not so good points such as meal size and speed of service. In saying that I'm sure speed of service will improve with time. As for meal size I understand that Ruby Cafe probably has high rent costs for its prime location but I would rather pay slightly more and receive a portion size comparable to the neighbouring cafes (Pandemonium, Anouk, Eurovida). In saying that I would still return to Ruby Cafe as there are a few more options I wouldn't mind trying.

Hana Rosa

Due to the stressful, time poor period known as University exams and numerous repeat visits to 'Comfort at my Table' it has been a while since my last blog! After a highly enjoyable Christmas and boxing day I decided enough days had passed to make a visit into the city bearable. Being the ghost town period for independent cafes there was little option for lunch that didn't involve a food court. Therefore we decided to stop off in Paddington on the way home for a bite to eat.

Hana Rosa is located on Latrobe Tce  where Sol Breads used to be, just down from Lure on Latrobe. The cafe has a nice breakfast and lunch menu but unfortunately it still being the Christmas period the kitchen was closed and the only lunch options were those in the deli cabinet. Luckily there was a turkey, cranberry and cheese baguette and a ham, tomato, Swiss cheese and basil bread roll remaining that we purchased and had toasted. We also ordered skinny cappuccinos and were supplied with a bottle of cold tap water to share.

Water

Cappuccino

The cappuccino was Di Bella and well made and appeared at the same time as the sandwiches. Mum and I decided we would go halves on the sandwiches so we could sample both. The ham, cheese, tomato and basil bread roll was tasty and the toasted bread roll was really delicious. The turkey, cranberry and cheese was good but a little dry mainly due to minimal amounts of cranberry. Nonetheless lunch was quick and tasty, especially with the toasted Sol bread.

Ham, cheese, tomato Roll

Turkey, cranberry, cheese Baguette

All in all Hana Rosa is a nice cafe and I look forward to returning one day when the kitchen is open!

Pandemonium Cafe

On Saturday I caught up with a friend over breakfast. My friend suggested we dine at Pandemonium in Paddington and I agreed as I hadn't been to this cafe in over a year. Pandemonium is a 70s style cafe with furniture that reminds me of my grandparents house. They serve all day breakfast, lunch, coffee and sweat treats.

Menu

After a hard morning of exercise we were both more then ready for a satisfying breakfast. Firstly I placed an order for my usual skinny cappuccino but my breakfast companion opted for water as she was feeling quite parched from her morning exercise. Looking over the menu I definitely was in the mood for cold breakfast so without much hesitation I decided on the Natural Muesli topped with natural yoghurt, cinnamon & mixed berries. My friend informed me she was currently having a love affair with feta so was immediately drawn to the spinach & feta omelette with thick cut toast. The menu stated the omelette was made with 3 eggs but not wanting a Rambo sized meal she asked for a 2 egg omelette which the kitchen was more then happy to oblige.

Skinny cap

My skinny cappuccino arrived after a short wait and the froth and chocolate was to die for, the best I have had. It was the perfect pre-crusor to my well made coffee and was a great start to the breakfast. After a short wait both our meals arrived. Unfortunately Pandemonium committed one of my pet hates with the muesli. On the menu it stated the muesli was served with yoghurt but upon arrival it had a dollop of yoghurt and a side of milk. For me, milk and muesli with a dollop of yoghurt doesn't appeal. I asked the waitress if instead of the milk I could have more yoghurt and she kindly obliged, returning with a further serving of yoghurt. The side of yoghurt still wasn't as much as I would expect for a good yoghurt to muesli ratio, leaving my breakfast a bit dry. Also, the serve of mixed berries was fairly minuscule which was disappointing. However, the natural muesli blend was delicious and featured plenty of nuts, rolled oats and dried fruits. It was a different story with the spinach and feta omelette. It was perfectly cooked and the thick cut toast was nicely toasted, this breakfast was a real winner.

Spinach & feta omelette

Natural muesli

Pandemonium is a funky cafe that serves great food. Even though it may not sound like I enjoyed my experience, I have eaten here many times before and never once been disappointed. When it comes to muesli I can be quite picky about how it's served and everyone has there own preference! In my opinion Pandemonium serve Brisbane's best coffee thickshakes and I also rate the omelette's and thin pancakes. I will definitely be back for both of those in the near future.

Denim Co.

A friend from Canberra was visiting Brisbane last week so we decided to catch up over a mid-week lunch at Southbank. Last time I had lunch at Southbank it was at Poppy's which was underwhelming. Walking along Little Stanley St. I noticed Denim Co. so we decided to give this cafe a try.

Deli Cabinet

Denim Co. is half clothing shop and half cafe that serves coffee, breakfast and lunch. After looking over the menu the Aioli Chicken Turkish bread immediately caught my eye. My friend also liked the look of the Turkish breads and opted for Roasted Vegetable, Pesto & Herbed Goats Cheese on Turkish. A round of skinny cappuccino and skinny latte was also on the agenda. Orders are placed at the counter then table service applies .All of Denim Co.'s daily food was pre-made and on display in the cabinet. All the sandwiches, quiches, muffins, bircher muesli, wraps and croissants looked super fresh and appetizing.

Menu

Latte

The coffee came out quickly and was LavAzza blend. It was a nice strong brew, no complaints from me. A few minutes later the Turkish breads arrived which we had asked to be toasted. They were a generous size and were delicious. The bread was toasted to perfection and the aioli chicken was amazing. The aioli had a strong garlic flavour but I really liked it especially in contrast to the vine ripened tomato, melted swiss cheese and crispness of the Turkish bread. The Roast Vegetable Turkish met with similar praise and even though the sandwiches had been quite big we both finished them off.

Aioli Chicken

Roast Vegie

Denim Co. is a nice little cafe serving simple breakfast and deli style lunches. I really enjoyed the food and coffee offered here and wouldn't hesitate to order the Aoili Chicken Turkish again.

Spoon Deli Cafe

A Saturday family lunch took us to the streets of Paddington in search of a filling meal. Due to the morning thunderstorm my brothers plane arrived around lunch time, 4hours later than scheduled. It was safe to say he was starving as he had slept through the breakfast snack on the flight. We initially had decided upon Sassafras as they do all day breakfast and lunch but we weren't the only ones in the mood for their menu as they were extremely busy. In search of a quicker feed then Sassafra's would have been able to offer we crossed the road to Spoon Deli Cafe located on the top level of Paddington central.

 Spoon also do all day breakfast and lunch and both menu's were located at the counter. We all quickly looked over the options. The breakfast and lunch menu's were quite basic but one breakfast item stood out to me; the pumpkin and zucchini fritters with poached eggs and tomato relish, sold. My mum also decided to order from the breakfast menu choosing the bacon and egg Turkish bread sandwhich and my brother went with the big breakfast. My dad was the only one who ordered a lunch item getting the steak sandwhich. For drinks we went with 3 skinny cappuccinos and a fresh pineapple juice. Spoon also had a small selection of filo's, quiches, wraps and Turkish breads in their deli cabinet. I thought the Turkish breads and wraps looked quite fresh and filling but they only had turkey, salmon, salami and vegetarian options. 

Skinny cap



Pineapple juice

 After ordering at the counter we wandered to Spoon's outdoor section and had our choice of nearly any table, quite the contrast to Sassafra's. Our drinks appeared a few minutes later and I found it quite strange that Spoon didn't keep sugar on the table for the coffee's, instead the waitress asked on arrival of the drinks if we would like sugar and then after placing the coffee's in front of us went back to get them. I'm not sure if this was standard practice for Spoon or whether she had just forgotten to place them on the saucer's initially. The coffee was Di Bella blend and was surprisingly really good, the perfect balance of bitter and sweetness and the pineapple juice was nice and fresh.  





Big Breakfast



Pumpkin & zucchini fritters





Our food appeared after a very short wait and all four meals were impressively large servings. The pumpkin and zucchini fritters were well cooked but tasted a little bit bland and under seasoned. Luckily the tomato relish was unreal and really jazzed up the fritters. Both mine and the big breakfast's poached eggs were done perfectly. The big breakfast was an absolute feast of bacon, sausages, tomato, mushrooms, eggs, potato rosti and sourdough. My brother ate most of the meal, I'm not sure whether this was due to the fact he was starving or it was really good, either way an empty plate is the best compliment. The steak sandwhich was an enormous meal featuring rib eye fillet, bacon, aioli, onion and salad on toasted Turkish bread with half a plate of chips. The chips were fairly run of the mill but my Dad really enjoyed the meal nonetheless. The bacon and egg Turkish bread was a basic item done well. Crispy bacon, fried eggs with salad on a perfectly toasted Turkish bread was a winner and once again an empty plate followed.

Bacon & egg turkish

Steak Sandwhich

Even though Saturday lunch at Spoon Deli Cafe was not what we had intended, it turned out to be quite nice. The service was quick and attentive, the coffee was good and the meals were nice. Spoon may be considered a bit too franchise-esque for trendy Paddington but it does a good job of holding its own.

Flute Food & Wine

I haven't had breakfast at Rosalie since before the January floods, so my family and I took the opportunity of a spontaneous weekend visit from my Sydney based brother to try out Flute Food & Wine's popular breakfast offerings. The Rosalie precinct is home to many of my favourite places to eat such as Mint's Vietnamese, Halim's Indian and Sing's Asian Kitchen but when it comes to breakfast the two major players are definitely Salt and Flute. Arriving at Rosalie just before 9am on a Sunday, Salt was already quite busy so we headed around the corner to find Flute a lightly quieter and decided we would eat here.



Menu



Menu



Upon being seated we were immediately asked if we would like drinks and placed an order for three skinny cappuccinos, two in a cup and one in a mug and an orange juice. The orange juice's arrival was near instantaneous and a single cappuccino in a cup followed suit but the remaining two coffees lingered a bit. They arrived at the table in more then adequate time after placing the drinks order but the staggered nature of deliver of the drinks was a little strange. The mug of cappuccino was an amazing serve, it was very large and resembled a small bowl rather then a mug! The coffee was Segafredo and was really really good, one of the better cups of coffee I have had in a while.

Orange Juice

Skinny cap (cup)

The menu at Flute changes with season and was completely new since my last visit. There were several options that appealed to me, the toasted oat muesli with yogurt and fresh fruit, the avocado and haloumi plate and the chocolate crepes. In the end I really liked the sound of the herbed potato & mozzarella cake with honeyed bacon, poached eggs and avocado. My mum decided she was after a traditional hot breakfast of honey roasted bacon and scrambled eggs with tomato jam and Turkish pide. My dad really liked the look of the beef bacon and cheese breakfast pie with poached eggs and my brother wanting to get something different to everyone ordered the savoury mince on sourdough toast with poached eggs.

Savoury mince w eggs

Potato & mozzarella cake w bacon

The food came out after approximately 10-15minutes which I consider light speed for a Sunday breakfast. The portions of all four meals were very generous and all plated to look extremely appealing. Fresh cracked pepper was offered and mum and I obliged. My breakfast was really delicious. Cutting into the eggs, the glossy yolk oozed out, signs of a perfectly poached egg. Looking across to the breakfast pie and savoury mince I noticed both sets of eggs were also perfectly done. My herbed potato and mozzarella cakes were well done, crispy on the outside and dense yet soft on the inside. The herb flavouring was quite strong and the mozzarella subtle but I could only manage to eat one of the two cakes. The bacon was nice and crispy and the avocado featured some sort of sweet sauce which I really enjoyed.  The breakfast pie was a massive hit, no better compliment then an empty plate. The savoury mince completely filled my brother and he couldn't quite finish it. I had a small taste of the mince and was surprised by how sweet it was, similar to the sweetness found in BBQ sauce. The scrambled eggs and bacon was also a massive serve that was thoroughly enjoyed. I love the toasted Turkish pide that was served with this breakfast and managed to sneak a piece for myself.

Bacon & scrambled eggs

Breakfast pie

 

Rosalie is a fantastic precinct and Sunday breakfast at Flute was a highly enjoyable experience. The food, venue and coffee are all fantastic and the service attentive. I will no doubt be back sooner rather then later and look forward to trying the muesli, fruit toast and chocolate crepes.

 

Campos

I haven't been to Campos in about a year, so when a friend of mine who lives at Kangaroo Point invited me to Saturday breakfast at this Wandoo St. cafe I was quite excited. Campos are renowned for their coffee, edgy food and trendy decor and are a popular weekday and weekend hang out for cafe connoisseurs, evident by the constant stream of both dine in and takeaway customers. On this particularly windy Saturday morning the three of us were able to nab the last indoor table.

Menu

Latte

Once seated we were able to immediately place our drinks order before looking over the weekend menu. I ordered my favourite skinny cappuccino where as my friend went with a skinny caramel latte. No coffee for our third breakfaster as she doesn't like the taste - shame on her! Reading over the menu I was tempted by most of the options. Being around 10.30am I wasn't sure whether to order a breakfast option or to go with a more lunchy type meal. I have had the Campo's version of the big breakfast (the fry up), the muesli and the fruit toast before and loved all of them. One of my breakfast companions raved about the Cinnamon & Sugar potato doughnuts and we all liked the look of the chicken ciabatta and the chocolate ricotta pancakes. In the end my friend decided she felt more like lunch so went with the Chicken Ciabatta with avocado, bacon, tomato accompanied with chips & aoli. Recently, I have started to really enjoy porridge so I decided to branch out from my trusted muesli and fruit toast and go with the Vanilla & Custard Porridge with caramelized strawberries but I did get a small side of Greek yogurt to go with my porridge. Our third diner, who was visiting from Sydney,  had heard both of us rave about Campo's muesli so straight away her mind was made up she would be ordering the Toasted Macadamia muesli with rose water berries and Greek yogurt.



Skinny Cap



Porridge



 After a short wait our coffees arrived and were well and truly up to the high Campos standard. About 15 minutes later our food arrived. All three dishes were presented spectacularly, which made them even more inviting. The porridge was delicious, easily the best porridge I have eaten. The caramelized strawberries were soft and sweet and the porridge had nice flavours of vanilla with hints of cinnamon. The side of Greek yogurt I swirlled around the top as I enjoy the contrast of warm savoury porridge with cool, sweet yogurt. The porridge was such a massive serving I probably ate around half before being to full to continue! The chicken ciabatta met with a similar fate. It was a massive serving of fresh ciabatta bread, chicken, avocado and bacon and could only be half consumed before my friend reached bursting point! The muesli was probably the smallest breakfast and was just able to be finished by our remaining breakfast guest. She loved the rose water berries and yogurt and was full for most of the day from the meal!



Chicken Ciabatta



Muesli





Campos is a great cafe whether you are in the mood for a takeaway coffee or a long weekend breakfast. The menu has its trusted staples such as the fry up, muesli, fruit toast and eggs Benedict but also is ever changing and mixes things up based on produce and chef's creativity. They also offer delicious sweets such as honeycomb cheesecake, chocolate and beetroot mud cake, chocolate afghan biscuits and rocky road. We all really enjoyed our late Saturday breakfast and I definitely am not going to let another year go by before visiting again!