The Pour Kids

If breakfast is supposed to wake a person up and inspire some day-seizing, why are breakfast menus so soporific, listing the same old fried and poached staples? Snore! That's not an issue at The Pour Kids. The kitchen approaches the first meal of the day with a bistro mentality, using real cooking and attention to detail to create breakfasts that have the gravitas of a proper lunch or dinner. That seriousness is somewhat undercut by joky dish titles - there's a chicken baguette called ''Bck-bck-begerk'' - but the fnar-fnar names don't diminish the excellent food.

Take the sardines on toast (they're called ''Back off, Flipper!''). Plump, fresh fish fillets are pan-fried and perfectly seasoned. They're rested on shaved celery and fennel, and a spiced paste of haricot beans and sopressa salami. The balance of flavours and textures is exemplary. The ''Google this'' is a technically impressive feat, with deep-fried, crumbed poached eggs crowning a deep bowl of curly endive, hot, chopped chorizo and creamy Yarra Valley feta. The ''Duck for cover'' is sophistication on a plate: plump pork and fennel sausage is served with buttery chard, excellent potato gnocchi tossed in burnt butter, and full-flavoured fried duck egg. In this context, the brioche French toast with berry compote was somewhat pedestrian. (I notice the new menu features a chocolate brioche toasty, which sounds much better.)

Coffee is crafted with happy obsession, as it should be. Service is efficient and staff look happy to be there. The decor is jaunty but the room is light and uncluttered and there's plenty of space for pram-parking (and a children's menu). Even the toilet is pleasant.

Lunches are mostly classy sandwiches, though there are plated bistro-style specials. I twisted my own arm and ate the ''Identity crisis'', a French baguette filled with Italian Taleggio cheese and Swiss brown mushrooms. (Truth is, I bought it for someone else, had a bite then snaffled the lot.)

The sweets cabinet is a dangerous place. I am alarmed to admit I can personally vouch for the flourless chocolate cake, the lemon tart with perfect creamy curd and crisp chocolate-lined pastry casing, and the baked vanilla cheesecake. But it was all in an excellent cause. Each time I've breakfasted at The Pour Kids I've left in fine fettle, ready to not only seize the day but give it a good spanking, too.

THE POUR KIDS
★★★★
1e Winter Street, Malvern, 9077 3847
Unlicensed MC V eftpos
Daily 7am-4pm
Breakfast: $7.50-$16.50; lunch: $11-$20; sweet: $3.50-$5.50.