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Brisbane breakfasts move beyond bacon and eggs

Anne-Louise Brown
Anne-Louise Brown

Avocado and hummus on rye with poached eggs, honey-candied bacon and dukkah at The Jetty Oxford, Bulimba.
Avocado and hummus on rye with poached eggs, honey-candied bacon and dukkah at The Jetty Oxford, Bulimba.Harrison Saragossi

They call it the meal of kings, the breaking of the fast.

Some like it sweet, others like it savoury, but one thing is certain – breakfast has come a long way since bacon and eggs.

Brisbane is a breakfast city and a big fan of brunch, with cafe menus across the city embracing adventurous and unconventional brekkie concepts, taking the affair from so-so to spectacular.

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During Brisbane Times Good Food Month, presented by Citi, The Breakfast Club will be taking things up a notch, with some of the city's finest casual cafes serving up some of the best breakfasts in the city.

Justine Whelan is arguably Brisbane's breakfast queen. She's been serving up brekkies for 17 years and was the brains behind West End institutions Tongue and Groove Cafe, and The Gunshop.

Now pushing the breakfast boundaries at her Paddington eatery Anouk, Whelan believes there will always be a place for bacon and eggs, but tastes are becoming more diverse.

Coconut crumpets at Chow House.
Coconut crumpets at Chow House.Harrison Saragossi

“In Queensland people love going out for breakfast and the secret behind every successful breakfast venue is simple – use quality seasonal ingredients cooked to order, every order.

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“At Anouk we change the menu a minimum of four times a year so we are always using fresh seasonal produce.”

The Chow House in Fortitude Valley carries through its modern Asian fusion food to its breakfast offerings with a Thai chicken omelette, nasi goreng, and a black bean, tomato and eschalot fricassee on avocado with poached eggs on offer.

Owner Maria Adronis said the Chow House philosophy is based on freshness and creativity, from which the delectable house-made crumpets with lemon curd was also born.

“When it comes to breakfast people are becoming a lot more adventurous and that's expressed in our menu,” she said.

“The crumpet is just one of our specialty brekkie creations.

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“In-house we also make our own coconut yoghurt, which our regulars just love.”

For those who have trouble picking between a sweet and savoury breakfast, Fortitude Valley's Au Cirque has all bases covered.

Owners Christophe and Giselle Massieu have devised a breakfast board, featuring a specialty omelette and a layered granola with passionfruit curd, poached watermelon and Greek yoghurt.

Giselle Massieu said that in the five years they have operated Au Cirque, she and her husband had witnessed a “major change” in the breakfast habits of patrons.

“Where once the demand was for bacon and eggs with sides of ketchup, we now see diners looking for new ingredients, something they may not have tried before.

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“More and more people are appreciative of delicate flavour combinations over the big bursts of flavour.”

During Good Food Month The Jetty Oxford at Bulimba will be serving bacon and eggs with a sweet twist.

“Our signature breakfast plate of avocado and hummus toast with poached eggs, honey-candied bacon and dukkah is not quite your traditional bacon and eggs,” said manager Tracey Rayner.

“It's a dish incorporating traditional elements with a modern, fresh twist. That's the focus of our food.”

The Breakfast Club will run for the duration of Brisbane Times Good Food Month, with participating venues serving up $20 deals that include a meal and a tea or coffee.

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THE BREAKFAST CLUB

Where: The Jetty Oxford, Bulimba
What: Avocado and hummus on toasted rye with poached eggs, honey-candied bacon and dukkah.

Where: RAW Kitchen and Espresso, Sanctuary Cove
What: Avocado and ricotta on sourdough; Lamb mint sausages; Goat's cheese salad and frittata.

Where: Alfred and Constance, Fortitude Valley
What: Lemon pikelets, fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce, demerara sugar and yoghurt.

Where: Anouk Cafe, Paddington
What: French toast with roasted rhubarb, tapioca pearls and nuts; One-pan hash with chorizo; and chilli creamed mushrooms.

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Where: Au Cirque, Fortitude Valley
What: Breakfast board, featuring a "scaled down" take on our specialty omelettes, plus a layered granola with passionfruit curd, poached watermelon and Greek yoghurt.

Where: Chow House, Fortitude Valley
What: Thai chicken omelette; House-made coconut crumpet with lemon curd.

Where: Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane
What: A modern twist on traditional "international" buffet options, with an egg and omelette station, crisp bacon and home-style sausages, and an emphasis on fresh Queensland fruit and produce.

Where: Indulge, Bundaberg
What: Breakfast board of local macadamia and Good Seeds granola, bruschetta and lemon macaron.

Where: Plan B, Brisbane CBD
What: Two eggs cooked any style, sourdough toast, bacon, chipolatas, tomato and mushroom.

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Where: Pourboy Espresso, Brisbane CBD
What: Creamed sweetcorn with chilli, poached eggs, Persian feta and pinenuts on toasted organic sourdough.

Where: Shucked Coffee House, Newstead
What: Sweet potato hash, poached egg, bacon and relish; Brioche French toast, Nutella sauce, chantilly cream and strawberries.

Where: The Balfour Kitchen, New Farm
What: Crab and chilli omelette and grilled haloumi; Pork belly, eggs benedict and baked pancakes.

Where: Plan B, CBD
What: Eggs cooked any style, sourdough toast, bacon, chipolatas, tomato and mushroom.

Good Food Month runs until July 31. See brisbane.goodfoodmonth.com for the full program. Good Food Month is a Fairfax Media Event.

Anne-Louise BrownAnne-Louise Brown is a columnist.

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