Almondbury Breakfast Bar - Mount Lawley

Where? I hear you ask.

Over the last few weeks I have been, to coin a Scottish phrase, "scunnered" by the shoddy service so famous in Perth "Wait Awhile"'s restaurants and bars. Last weekend, I was so sick of it that I couldn't face waiting an extended period of time for a mediocre breakfast or, what seems to be a new trend in cafes, assembling my own breakfast from the individual ingredients thrown aimlessly onto the plate. SO, I threw down the gauntlet to house mate, team mate and Brummie DJ Angry Dan, to make me a breakfast that would satisfy my hunger and make me think twice about paying over the odds for bad service and rubbish food ever again.

Sitting on my couch watching Sesame Street in my underwear, I first ordered my drinks, an OJ and a long black. "Get it yourself" was the reply, so up I popped and made myself a cup of black instant coffee. Nescafe Gold Blend to be precise. There was no crema, it was very bitter and the cup hadn't been rinsed properly so it had a distict taste of soap. There was no OJ available so I had a water.


The food, as you can see, was a disgrace. For a start, green plates??? C'mon Dan, have a bit of pride in your work. The toast was Helga's multigrain, buttered unevenly with flora. The poached eggs [yes I did say "poached"] looked liked fried eggs with one coming hard and the other dangerously undercooked and bordering on lethal.

An altogether unpleasant experience although it came quickly, was already assembled and the service was what I would expect from a miserable git. The aforementioned plate was a faux pas and the cuttlery came with a hardened mee goreng noodle encrusted on the side of it.

Won't be doing that again so the search continues for the best breakfast in Perth.

Universal Bar & Cafe - William Street

Last month, The Universal Bar opened their doors at 7am for the first time to introduce their new breakfast cafe. Having previously been tipped off by the manager about the upcoming breakfast bar, I was keen to get down to try it out and see if they have a similar "grab a granny" theme in the morning that is common most weekends. I asked along my good friend, Perth Scenester and altogether bloody thoroughly nice chap, Marc, for what we hoped would be, a decent breakfast and a chance to catch up.

If you're not familiar with The Universal Bar, they go for the American Diner look with booth tables, American Beer and soda signs on the wall and a relaxed atmosphere that has given way in recent years, to the upmarket, wine bar theme so common in Perth these days. On arrival, first impressions were that word hadn't got around that they were open for breakfast, other than scooping up the early risers that were passing by on their way to the city or new offices in Northbridge. However, that did allow the bar staff (who just happened to be the 2 managers) to give us their full attention and the service from start to finish was first class. Attentive and particular to the point of asking how I would like my long black. What do I say to that? "Long and black" was the swift reply.

Bonissimo coffee beans are imported from Peru and Mexico and roasted locally in Perth. It was a decent cup of coffee, a nice crema and a smooth texture sitting in an nice cup with an interesting design. Nothing special but drinkable and just around the corner from my office so I would expect to drink more from time to time. Marc had a Long Mach topped up and agreed that it was nice. Not the best he'd tasted but definately not the worst.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating". Good service, decent coffee, how does the food measure up? Well... it doesn't. I ordered Eggs Benedict and it wasn't great. Italian bread with wilted spinach (no ham or bacon), a poor attempt at hollonndaise sauce that was so thin you could see through it and some garnish dropped on the top with no love. It didn't taste great but the eggs were soft at least and the bread was decent. The most disturbing part, and I am going to say this quickly in the hope that it doesn't ruin their reputation, wasthecockroachclimbingoverthetableasweate. There, I said it. I dropped the 'C-Bomb'. I've fulfilled my civic duty and reported the truth in my review. I don't enjoy bagging restaurants and try not to go too far in getting stuck into them (although keep an eye out for my 399 Bar review). However, if I am to do an honest review of bars and restaurants, then these things must be mentioned. I told the manager who was very apologetic and I guess we all know there's not much you can do about it, but it did ruin an otherwise decent experience.

As a new cafe, there are always going to be some teething problems. Situated in an older, used bar that is not renowned for it's cleanliness, you have to expect "situations". So moving forward, as some constructive feedback, I would offer: Keep up the great service. Coffee is decent. Good atmosphere you're creating. Get the cleaners in and work on your hollondaise sauce. Oh, and slap a piece of ham onto the eggs benny, spinach doesn't cut it.


Scores on the doors:

Service 7/10
Atmosphere 5/10
Coffee 6/10
Food 4/10
Price 5/10

Final Score 27/50

Would I go again?

Dropped in for a coffee yesterday but can't see me eating there again.

Website: www.universalbar.com.au

Il Circolo - North Perth

Il Circolo translates to "The Culture" in Italian. It's an apt name to represent the Italian leg of Angove Street's multicultural 3 leg breakfast tricast. Whilst Milkd is the trendy, modern cafe to go to and The Pantry Door offers you the old school French Patisserie option, Il Circolo is a straight forward Italian Trattoria which offers another angle on North Perth's diverse coffee strip. Today, on my way to soccer, myself and North Perth's ginger version of Cristiano Ronaldo - Rusty Reid stopped in at Il Circolo for a full breakfast and a drink before our game.

Of the 3 breakfast bars on this street, Il Circolo is the least frequented by breakfasteers at the weekend. If you walk down Angove Street, you will see crowds of people around Milkd and The Pantry Door but you are always guaranteed a seat in Il Circolo. It gives the impression of a humble cafe, happy to stand in the shadow of the other bars and avoid any hype. We decided to sit outside so I ran in to grab a couple of menus. No menus available but everything is scribbled on the chalk boards at the counter. The menu is different to most places. As with everywhere, they have their signature dish that seems to be popular with most customers. Here it is the Asparagi alla fiorentina which roughly translates to toast, poached eggs, asparagus, and grated Parmesan. Feeling a tad rough, I didn't think I could stomach parmesan so early in the morning so I ordered the bacon & eggs del circolo (translating to....eh, bacon and eggs of culture????) Rusty Ronaldo ordered the same but with scrambled eggs and we both got a juice and a coffee. The prices were decent; $12.50 for the Asparagi alla fiorentina or the bacon & eggs del circolo. Rule of thumb, anything under $15 is decent, $15-$18 is typical Perth prices and anything over $18 for eggs benny or any variation is daylight robbery.

Look at this Long black. Spectacular isn't it! They use Moka J-Enna beans, an Italian company dating back to 1878. As you can see from the picture, they serve it in a big cup, filled to the top, with a beautiful thick crema to break you in. I'll not mince my words. This is the best coffee I've had in Perth. Not too bitter, delicious flavour, strong and robust. Rusty had a flat white and the barista made a pigs ear of the decorative leaf in the milk so it looked like somebody had dipped their thumb into it but other than that, no complaints.

When the food arrived, first impressions were that they go for "No Frills" presentation. 2 slices of Italian bread, 2 poached eggs sitting side by side on the plate and a few rashers of bacon next to it all. Other than hard poached eggs (which these slightly were), my other pet hate is having to re-assemble the contents of your plate to be able to eat it. Look at this plate>>>>>>>>
Who eats eggs on toast like this? You cut into the egg and the yolk runs all over your plate. You cut into it on top of your toast, the bread absorbs the yolk and you eat delicious yolk soaked toast with egg white and bacon with it. That's Eggs on Toast 101. To be fair, the toast was beautiful. An Italian loaf sliced not too thick and buttered before being toasted to give it that golden brown hue. The eggs were soft - ISH! They could've been done better but weren't completely hard. The bacon was nice, like Danish bacon you would get in Scotland (and thats the desired effect). Rusty's scrambled eggs were nice. He hoovered them quick enough so i didn't get much time to look. I guess that's a good sign?

Let's face it, this place is always going to play third fiddle to the other 2 big players on this street. However, if you want a quiet breakfast with no hustle and bustle and a quality coffee, this is your place. It's a shame they have these competitors in close proximity as they have a good product and would thrive in other areas of Perth. Marketing could be better as well, Il Circolo doesn't exactly roll off the tongue and in fact, I always referred to it as "That Italian place next to Milkd". They don't have a website either and really could do with getting themselves "out there" a little more.

Scores on the doors:

Service 6/10
Atmosphere 5/10
Coffee 9/10
Food 5/10
Price 6/10

Final Score 31/50

Would I go again?

I'll go back for the coffee, probably a fleeting visit as I head to soccer but as for food and atmosphere, I'll probably choose one of the other 2 first.

Website: Urbanspoons Reviews

Cantina 663 - Mount Lawley

I know, I know, second Mount Lawley breakfast review in a row. My car is out of commission right now so I'm only going to places within walking distance of my apartment. Today I woke up at 07:30 eager to get out my house for some fresh air and a strong coffee. There are 4 or 5 cafes I had to walk past to get to Cantina663 but another breakfast blog I read - Poached have this as their top rating place to eat in Perth so I've been keen to give it a try for a while now.

Walking into the place (with a stinking hangover), I felt like I'd walked into a wall of noise. The cafe was chock a block with customers and because it's a rather confined space, the chatter can seem over bearing. There weren't any seats when we first got there but we grabbed a table by the window as 2 people were leaving. The menu (above) is a little different. Not the usual favourites on it but variations offering different choices of eggs and other classics. The prices were fair. Not at all over priced and you would have to say anything under $15 for eggs on toast is a decent price.

My long black came fairly quickly. The thick crema is a sign of a good coffee well poured and you can usually tell by that and the aroma if it is going to be any good or not. Both the visual and the smell passed with flying colours and the taste didn't disappoint. I should've taken down the name of the coffee and will do so in the future but I have to say, I didn't recognise the taste so i presume it is a different coffee to that of the usual suspects.

As I had walked in, I had seen somebody eating scrambled eggs on toast and it looked awesome! The eggs have herbs cooked through them and it was a good sized portion on top of some nice italian bread, soimilar to bruschetta bread. I ordered bacon with it and forgot to ask for it crispy. However, when it came the bacon was cooked perfectly. Crispy bacon should be the default way to cook it, I don't believe anyone enjoys eating undercooked bacon so you shouldn't really have to ask for it crispy in the first place. Well played Cantina. Well played. The eggs were beautiful. I heard a tip once from Gordon Ramsey, he said that scrambled eggs should be cooked so that they are left a tad runny when served. If you cook eggs until they are hardened, that's an omelette! These were left a bit runny, had herbs through them and were seasoned perfectly. A tasty breakfast that completely hit the spot.

I think the atmosphere this place is going for is that of a thriving inner city cafe. It is always busy when I walk past and the reason people return is because the food is good and the service is friendly and quick. The actual area is very small but with seats outside on the street and into the arcade, they look like they have expanded through necessity. The coffe was delicious and different and the food was cooked to perfection. I can't find many things to criticise but I do not like the salt shakers they use. Empty the salt into a nice wooden shaker but don't just use the container it comes in. It looks cheap and tacky. Overall it is a great place to eat. There ae many cafes in this area and this must be one of the best.

Scores on the doors:

Service 6/10
Atmosphere 4/10
Coffee 7.5/10
Food 7/10
Price 7/10

Final Score 31.5/50

Would we go again?

I will definately go back there. There are other places around there that I will be trying out but if it came to it, I would definately go back.

Website: www.cantina663.com

Lawley's Bakery - Mount Lawley

Today I walked up to Lawley's Bakery on Beaufort Street with a pounding headache and a craving for a strong coffee and something greasy to line my stomach. Probably not the best form to be in when going to Lawleys; a boutique bakery that specialises in quality baked goods, cakes, pastries and of course, breakfast. Their "niche" is the quality of their baking, the beautiful presentation of the pastries and also the fact that they roast and sell their own coffee beans on the premises. Having been before, I know they do a quality eggs benny and I always make a point of picking up a couple of pastries while I'm there.

In arriving there, I was met with a familiar sight. A queue right out the door, spilling onto Beaufort Street with no sign of it getting any smaller. Luckily, most patrons frequent the bakery for a takeaway pastry and a flat white so despite having to queue to place my order, there is always a table available round the back for the sit in customers. Because of the hustle and bustle at the front of the shop, I do find the cafe a tad frantic and the seating area is a bit of a tight squeeze so the overall the atmosphere isn't ideal but does the food make up for that and promote a return visit?.......

As I mentioned, they roast their own coffee beans on the premises and sell them behind the counter to take home. When my long black arrived, I didn't like the look of it. Weak in colour with no crema whatsoever, just a few dubious looking bubbles that made it loook like somebody had been blowing bubbles in it with a straw (I should point out that i didn't have a camera today so the pictures are from the web and not my own). To be fair, it tasted better than I thought it would. It wasn't as weak as it looked and the flavour, although distant, was nice. The only explanation for no crema and weak coffee is either the quality of the coffee itself or the way it is poured. Considering the coffee comes from a self pouring machine that is set to pour slowly with the correct volume of coffee, I can only assume that they topped it up with hot water to fill the large cup. They did however, redeem themselves with the cute little complimentary macaroon that comes with the coffee. Made in house as well, you can see what I'm talking about in the picture.

I should probably make clear that the breakfasts here aren't their main selling point. It's the delicious rustic breads and the amazing pastries and cakes they sell that gives them their point of difference. However, the eggs benedict are good and stand up to most competition in Perth. In fact, they are one of the best around and I would only put them behind Zamia Cafe's as the best in Perth. Their eggs Benny are actually very similar to Zamia's version. They use their own toasted bread, with wafer thin ham then 2 poached eggs and hollondaise sauce drizzled on top. Like other restaurants, they stack the 2 slices of bread on top of each other which makes it a bit awkward and usually leaves me to reassemble everything myself. The ham was straight out a packet from IGA, probably "Wafer Thin Honey Roast Ham" but it was nice nonetheless. The eggs were on the small side but were poached well and nice and runny. The hollondaise sauce was home made and made to perfection although I could've done with a bit more on them. I don't want it swimming in sauce but I'd appreciate a generous helping so i don't have to go fishing with my dry bread at the end.

Overall, everything was satisfactory. The egss benny are one of the best I've had although buying in larger free range eggs would be advised. The sauce is delicious as was the bread. The coffee was disappointing, especially considering they roast it themselves but I suspect it was the young girl adding hot water that weakened it. The service is good condsidering they are always run off their feet. The food came prompt with a smile from the waiter and the ladies behind the counter are always good for a chat and some advice on what to buy. The price, as always, is on the expensive side but if you see the presentation of the pastries and cakes, you would expect it to be expensive. An enjoyable experience which is walking distance from my apartment. I also picked up 8 bagels before I left so will be getting stuck into them through the week.

Scores on the doors:

Service 7/10
Atmosphere 6/10
Coffee 5/10
Food 8/10
Price 6/10

Final Score 32/50

Would I go again?

Will definately be back. Local and reliable. Will go for breakfast again at some point but will definately be picking up more bagels and pastries soon!

Website: www.lawleys.com.au

Urbanspoon Rocks!!!

I've recently attached my blog to the Urbanspoon website (Click on the Urbanspoon badge above). This means each review I do will now be linked from the restaurant's corresponding page on the Urbanspoon website. E.g. A search for Greenhouse, Perth in the Urbanspoon search engine will give you all blogs and reviews for the Greenhouse (my review is at the top of the listed blogs at the moment). You can link to the urbanspoon reviews from my blog by clicking on the spoon like this one here > commonly found at the bottom of each of my reviews.

The more reviews I do and the more hits on my page I get, the higher I will climb in the Perth Blog Leaderboard (my current ranking is displayed down the right hand side of this page). My goal is to be in the top 10 by the end of the year and that will only happen with your help. Keep reading the reviews, forward them to your friends, keep up with the top breakfast spots in Perth and I will try to mix it up and offer something a bit different. In the words of Kevin Costner....

"Build it and they will come!"

Zamia Cafe - Kings Park

This weekend I wanted to head up to Kings Park to Zamia Cafe. Zamia is a smallish cafe tucked away at the Synergy Parkland that caters for breakfasts, lunches or just stopping in for a drink and a cake. I wanted to go here for a few reasons. Firstly, I love Kings Park and in particular the Synergy Parkland, the view from the cafe is picturesque and very relaxing. Secondly, I'd been before and had a good experience there so wanted to see if it was a one off or the real deal. And finally, I haven't seen it reviewed anywhere, at least not by the breakfast blogs I read, so thought I'd get in there first to spread the word.

When I arrived, the place was busy but there were tables available. I grabbed a seat and had a look at the menu. The menu again, has all the favourites with their own quirks to them and the prices were as you would expect for Perth. Each week I'm not sure how to critique the prices to be honest. I'm loathed to describe $17 as "Good" for eggs Benedict but in Perth, that is a reasonable price I suppose. Benedict, florentine, Big Breakfast (Called the Zamia Challenge), pancakes and muesli were all there and I liked the sound of the smoked salmon brioche with poached eggs grilled asparagus & hollandaise sauce on toasted brioche but in the end, I ordered the Eggs Benedict. The Eggs Benny were described as poached eggs, english spinach & grilled leg ham with hollandaise sauce on toasted italian loaf. The vegie breakfast had mushrooms, roma tomatoes, avocado, steamed spinach, poached egg & sweet corn fritter on toasted italian loaf.

I ordered my usual Long Black and we also got a pot of English Breakfast tea. You can't really go wrong with a pot of tea although it was a bit weak; one tea bag for 2-3 cups. My coffee was excellent. A thick creamy crema followed by a dark smooth taste from the coffee underneath. The service was very good; I decided to move tables before my drinks came and as I walked to the next table, the waiter ran over and wiped it for us before we sat down. You order at the counter and wait for your beeper to beep when it is ready. I didn't wait long and when it did beep, the waitress was looking for me to stand up so she could bring my food over.

In my previous review, I stipulated what I looked for in the perfect Eggs Benny and one of the points I made was that it had to be on a toasted English muffin. Today it came on 2 slices of toasted Italian loaf stacked on top of each other. A bit much when stacked but I re-arranged my plate so they were side by side with an egg on each and it was very nice bread. The eggs themselves were very well cooked, a creamy yolk which ran when I cut into it and I like a bit of spinach with the ham and eggs. I should also comment on how well the spinach was blanched. You sometimes get your breakfast sitting in a pool of water that has ran from the spinach but it was done well today with no water and very flavoursome spinach. The hollondaise sauce was also very nice. I've found that the brighter yellow it is, the more yolky and vinegary it tastes. As you can see from the picture, it was a nice pale cream colour and was absolutely delicious.

The vegie breakfast didn't go down to well but I think that was more a case of plate envy than finding anything wrong with it. I was curious about the sweet corn fritter and it was very nice. It was like a hash brown with a sweet taste from the corn. I love mushrooms and avocado so there were no complaints about the breakfast and it was cooked very well.

I'm going to let you into a secret. I really wanted to come back here and review it because it was so good the last time. That's right, I knew it was awesome and was desperate to justify my opinion with a proper review. I have to say, I wasn't let down. This is the best Eggs Benny I've had in Perth and that's twice now so I don't think it's down to luck. The service is prompt and friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed. The location and scenery is excellent and allows you to get out of the city and away from everything for a couple of hours. Points to improve on? I don't think anybody enjoys cutting through 2 slices of thick Italian bread. Get them side by side and spread the ham, spinach and eggs over both of them. The prices are competitive for Perth but Milkd have proven that you can slash your prices and keep the quality. $17 is NOT good for Eggs Benny (even if they are delicious), I'd be looking at $10 MAX and that still offers a generous profit margin.

Scores on the doors:

Service 8/10
Atmosphere 7/10
Coffee 7/10
Food 9/10
Price 5/10

Final Score 37/50 (Pipping Milkd to top spot by 1 point!)

Would I go again?

Oh yes! I noticed you can reserve tables so I'll be booking a table for the breakfast club, probably when summer arrives.

Website: www.zamiacafe.com.au

Raffles Hotel - Applecross

This week was the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Perth Breakfast Club. I had initially invited 14 people along to meet up and help me critique the Raffles Hotel's breakfast, so having 8 of us there was a fair turn out. Once there, we discussed and settled on the idea of meeting up once a month to have breakfast together and give opinions on cafes and restaurants across Perth.

On a cold and wet Saturday morning, the weather was perfect for staying in bed rather than making the short trip over the water to Applecross. I have to admit regretting choosing the Raffles where the hotel can look spectacular on a hot sunny day but not so much on a wet dreary May morning. However, once I arrived I was led to our large table situated next to the log fire and the atmosphere was that of a warm comfortable breakfast room.

Being the first one there, I ordered a coffee. A long black for myself as usual, with an OJ to accompany it. The service was prompt and my coffee came just as 4 others arrived. The general consesus from the flat white drinkers was that the coffee was ok but they had definitely tasted better. Being the only long black drinker, I can safely say I have tasted better and not many worse. It was dark in colour with a weak crema but very very bitter and tasted like dishwater. We followed them up with tea and pineapple juice, both of which drew no complaints.

The menu itself was very basic but had all the favourites on it which everybody seemed happy to order. Big breakfast, eggs benedict, salmon with scrambled egg and pancakes with pecans and maple syrup(?) were ordered and the pancakes in particular got rave reviews. The prices were on the steep side but no more than I expected for Raffles. Most places I go now make me appreciate the prices in Scotland and also, I have to admit, Milkd.

As this is a "hunt for the perfect Eggs Benedict in Perth", I should probably stipulate what I look for in a good eggs benedict. They must be sitting on 2 halves of a toasted English Muffin. I prefer ham on top of the muffin but a nice piece of crispy bacon is acceptable. On top of the ham must be a good sized, SOFT egg, well poached with a creamy yolk that runs when you cut into it. The hollondaise sauce on the top must be a generous serving and must be creamy but not gloopy or lumpy. It should be a delicious combination of butter and egg yolks with a tangy twist of lemon and a touch of spice. Side portions of grilled tomato or spinach are welcome but not essential.

When the waitress brings out 2 sorry looking eggs sitting on a slice of toast, you know "The Hunt" is not going to end here. Add to that having one hardy and one soft(ish)y, this was not a good attempt. The bacon was well cooked and the sauce was nice. They were surprisingly tasty and we all finished our plates so it was not a complete fail but for me, a hard egg is a schoolboy error and a slice of toast in the place of English muffins is downright lazy.

Overall, the service and the atmosphere created was very good. The fire and the warm surroundings was a nice touch on a cold day. The coffee was disgusting but my pineapple juice was freshly squeezed and delicious. Everybody enjoyed their food and there were very little complaints but the eggs benedict were a big let down and for me, if they can't get that right, they have a lot to do to make up for it.

Scores on the doors:

Service 7/10
Atmosphere 7/10
Coffee 3/10
Food 5/10
Price 5/10

Final Score 27/50

Would I go again?

Probably not. Plenty other places to go that are cheaper and will give you soft eggs on a muffin. (Sorry to harp on about it, but a slice of toast? Come on!)

Website: www.rafflesperth.com

Milkd - North Perth

On Saturday morning I took a drive up to North Perth to see what else was there after my successful trip to The Pantry Door (To be returned to soon with a review in the pipeline) last week. Angove Street is the new up and coming coffee strip in Perth and I personally love the whole suburb as it has an old fashioned community feel to the place that you don't get elsewhere. Milkd has 2 premises, the flagship store in North Perth and also another identical shop in Maylands. They are very similar and the standard of service/food/drinks are exactly the same.

I have to admit, once I'd parked the car and was walking up Angove Street, I was reluctant to go to Milkd as it was stowed out the door with customers and I had also hoped for a repeat visit to The Pantry Door. It looked like there was people literally falling out the place, spilling onto the pavement outside and jostling to get back in. However, as I hovered outside, I saw a little table become available so I quickly nipped in and grabbed it so that was it. Decision made.

Despite the hustle and bustle of customers, it has a surprisingly relaxed feel to it. With a real up tempo drum and base CD on and a vibrant and bright colour scheme, you wouldn't think it would be too relaxing but it works. After a quick look at the diverse menu, I noticed how reasonable the prices were. Cheaper than most places I've been to and by the looks of the plates around me, not skimping on portions or quality. Most things on the menu sounded very fresh and different and I plumped for the tomato, feta and avocado on sourdough. I also added ham to it and the wait staff had absolutely no problem adding it to the order. As soon as I mentioned ordering food, he quickly told me that all food would be taking 20 minutes. No problem when you're pre-warned and expect a bit of a longer wait.

My drink came quickly. I ordered a long black to kick start me and I'd finished it well before the food arrived so I grabbed an OJ to have with my food (I always think it would be polite to offer free re-fills if your food takes longer than it takes to drink your first drink!).

The food did take longer than the aforementioned 20 minutes but only just and once it arrived, I soon realised it was worth the wait. A generous helping and the tomato and feta was such a nice change to the heavier poached eggs and hollondaise sauce I usually go for. The coffee was nice and the OJ, although expensive ($5.90!) was freshly squeezed.

Overall, this is one of the best breakfasts I've had in Perth. Great menu with different ideas and a twist to the norm. I do like my staples such as eggs benny and florentine and I always feel a bit cheated when they're not there as an option, but if Eggs Benedict had been on the menu, I wouldn't have discovered this excellent, fresher variation.

Scores on the doors:

Service 6/10
Atmosphere 7/10
Coffee 7/10
Food 8/10
Price 8/10

Final Score 36/50

Would I go again?

I'll be back! Great food and great service!

Website: www.milkd.com.au

Greenhouse - Perth

Greenhouse is Perth's latest "sustainable" restaurant/bar - it features roof-top gardens, recycling of water, worm farms for kitchen waste, recycled furniture, etc. Originally done in Melbourne by designer Joost Bakker, this one is a permanent feature at the new Enex100 on St Georges Terrace in the heart of Perth's CBD. It is instantly recognisable by its 4000 terracotta pots fastened to the outside walls. Or depending on what time of year you go, the outer walls covered in strawberry plants, that gives the look shown above, shamelessly stolen from another Breakfast blog.

I had Friday off work so we decided to try this place out on what must've been the coldest day of the year so far. I suspect my opinion of the place would've been slightly different had it been in the middle of summer but on a cold, windy Perth day, the cold metal decor, hard seats and big take away window wasn't what I was looking for. I do realise that these types of days in Perth are few and far between so I'm sure it's fine for 3/4 of the year.

If the decor was a little too "futuristic modern", the way they serve the food and drinks is very very cool. Looking at other tables, the yoghurt was served in a jam jar and the muesli was served in a big silver steel scoop. The bottles of alcohol behind the bar are not sitting on a shelf, but hanging from string from the ceiling. Good to look at and makes for a very interesting experience.

Onto the food. I wanted my favourite eggs on toast variation of avocado on toast with a poached egg on top. Having heard so much about the way they poach their eggs here and also having a curious fascination for the mushy peas with eggs I'd read about on the Breakfast In Perth blog. I looked through the menu but chickened out of the peas and eggs and went for my usual. Ordered with a long black, I didn't have long to wait. The service was excellent, waited on by a South American guy who couldn't have been more helpful.

I enjoy various ways to drink my coffee but I am a strong believer that you can only really make a judgement about a new coffee from drinking a long black or a flat white. My long black was good. A dark crema with a strong deep flavour. Not to everybodys taste but just the way i like it.

Now, on a Friday morning with not too many people in the cafe, eggs on toast shouldn't be so difficult. Should it? To be fair, it didn't seem to take too long for them to bring it out but when they did, the toast, the avocado and the amazingly well poached eggs were stone cold. Not luke warm or on the way down. Stone cold. Whether they had been left on the counter and had been chilled by the strong breeze flying in the big take away window, I don't know. But it was a massive disappointment, especially after examining and marvelling over the eggs and the presentation of them. I'd still love to know how to poach an egg like that and if I ever do go back, I will have a word with the chef to see if he'll spill his secret.

All in all, it was a strange experience which was somewhat disappointing after the hype I'd heard about the place. I'd like to give it another go in summer to see if the cold feel to the place is more suited to a hot summers day. It certainly didn't do itself any favours on this blustery Autumn day. The coffee was good, service good and the presentation of the food was second to none. The prices were reasonable (for Perth) but still think most places are disgustingly overpriced here. Unfortunately, the lingering memory and the first thing I will think of when I hear the name of this establishment, will be chewing on stone cold eggs and cold, soggy toast.

Scores on the doors:

Service 7/10
Atmosphere 4/10
Coffee 6/10
Food 2/10
Price 5/10

Final Score 24/50

Would I go again?

Strangely, I feel obliged to give them a second chance. Possibly a bad day at the office? Will be back in summer, get your act together for then Greenhouse!

Website: www.greenhouseperth.com