Move over bacon and eggs, non-traditional breakfasts are on the rise
To many of us, the words bacon and eggs conjure thoughts of breakfast like perhaps no other. But while we’ll never want to give up the classics, we’ve been lucky to watch Sydney cafes get ever more inventive with what they offer us for breakfast - even if that breakfast is being taken at 2pm. (All hail the all-day menu.)
From menus offering a substantial, elegant plates influenced by fine dining to those tapping into the craze for ‘paleo-style’ eating, here are five favourites from the 2014 Sydney Morning Herald Good Cafe Guide to inspire you to break out of your breakfast rut.
Circa Specialty Coffee and Tea, Parramatta
The menu does include bacon and eggs - albeit the top-shelf Schulz bacon from the Barossa - but gets creative with poached eggs with crumbed eggplant, burnt chili and sage or marscapone labna and poached rhubarb French toast.
Try the breakfast rice and quinoa with coconut milk, poached pear, seeds and nuts - much more exciting than porridge.
Devon Cafe, Surry Hills
Devon won this year’s Best Food Cafe award for its fun, fine dining-influenced style. The menu changes seasonally and has produced a number of star dishes (including that winter black truffle toastie).
Try the Breakfast with the Sakumas: miso-grilled salmon, a crunchy eel croquette, 63-degree egg and Kewpie mayo.
Fleetwood Macchiato, Erskineville
First-timers might arrive with their interest piqued by the punny name, but they’ll stay for the seasonal, surprising menu, from home-made ricotta and fresh figs with radicchio and pickled onion to spiced black beans with labne.
Try the plate of eggplant with fennel, almonds, celery, pickled onion, basil, olives and capers, topped with poached eggs.
Ruby’s Diner, Waverley
A menu that caters to those on a paleo/gluten-free/clean-eating diet and those who need a morning sugar hit to get them through the day is always going to please a crowd. There’s five-grain porridge, but brioche French toast and cronuts, too.
Try the raw breakfast salad of kale, avocado, feta, ‘activated’ hazelnuts and a poached egg. Then have fries at lunch.
Showbox Coffee Brewers, Manly
There’s nothing even remotely close to bacon and eggs on the menu at this Manly newcomer. There’s a focus on fresh, vibrant flavours, with inspiration pulled from Hawaii to Vietnam.
Try the ‘poke poke’, a bowl of wild rice mixed with fresh soy beans, carrot, chilli and coriander, with a generous pile of salmon sashimi, pickled ginger and a soft egg.
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Cafe Guide 2014 will be available for $5 with The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday June 21 from participating newsagents, while stocks last. It will also be available in selected bookshops and online at smhshop.com.au for $9.99.