Kaldibaah

"Where do you get your bread?" a customer asks. "Brasserie? Brickfields?"

"From a bakery. Just a commercial bakery."

It's an exchange that perfectly sums up Kaldibaah​, a new cafe perched on one of Stanmore's busiest roundabouts. This is no place for fancy bread, bearded baristas and hand-made tiles that contribute to the cost of your $6 latte. It exists to provide good coffee, roasted in house, and simple food, and makes for a perfect place to watch the world go by.

This is an irresistible combination, given my curtain-twitcher sensibilities, so on a rainy Sunday morning, Husband No.1 and I are perched on the bench looking out through the large, street-facing windows.

We have ordered from the "morning or whenever" menu – granola, bacon and free-range egg roll, and avocado and tomato breakfast bruschetta.

We are, admittedly, rather narrow in our tastes. H1 won't touch anything with fish, tomato or avocado, which means the morning platter (boiled eggs, ocean trout, avocado, goat's cheese and tomato) is out, while I can't bring myself to order the breakfast salad (seasonal greens with a poached egg, cherry tomatoes and lime-infused olive oil) because of my fear of surprise kale.

It's a fairly savoury menu – no pancakes, mainly eggs, toast and greenery – but the small selection of pastries, slices and Monster Cookies at the front is enough to tempt sweet tooths.

Everything is made in the world's smallest kitchen. Technically, I think it's called a bench. It's wedged between the small entry, where the coffee is made and bread and jams are sold, and the larger dining area at the back.

While we wait, I engage in my favourite game of neighbourhood watch.

"See that woman there," I say. "She's the one who lives up the road and keeps dumping sofas on the footpath. And that man there. Wasn't he in that ad, you know, that insurance one?"

H1 shakes his head. He's heard it all before.

But if it wasn't for my keen eyes, we wouldn't even be here. When newspaper went up in the windows of a long-abandoned florist's a couple of months ago, I breathlessly reported the news. Painting! Building! Something was happening. Could this be on par with the Great Bakery Incident of 2012 (we moved just before it opened) or the Great Cafe Disappointment of 2013 (portion sizes too small)?

The coffees arrive first. The chai latte is thick and delicious, with proper milk, not water masquerading as the white stuff. For H1, the coffee, as ever, doesn't disappoint. He has been a regular takeaway customer since Kaldibaah opened in June.

The food arrives all at once, leaving us to ponder the age-old question: what goes first, the granola or the egg?

H1 digs into the bacon and egg roll. It's hefty and delicious with a sweet tomato chutney, held together by a lovely thick white roll. My bruschetta on soy and linseed bread is overflowing with quartered cherry tomatoes, finely chopped avocado and basil. The dressing – lime-infused olive oil – is a little tart for my tastes and almost overwhelms the basil. Still, it's delicious, with the small pot of crumbled goat's cheese that arrives on the side.

The granola, too, makes us happy: it's crunchy and nutty, slathered in yoghurt and honey. One of the strawberries in the fruit compote has seen better days, but it all tastes good.

Plates polished, we're happy with the outcome. The woman behind me starts talking about juggling dentist and psychology appointments, so, of course, I want to stay and hear how that conversation ends.

H1 is already up and out the door. "I'm sure she'll be here next time."

THE LOW-DOWN
THE PICKS Granola with biodynamic natural yoghurt, honey and fresh fruit
THE COFFEE Roasted in house, lovely rich flavour
THE LOOK Light industrial with a huge roaster in the corner
THE SERVICE Friendly and chatty