Brickfields, Chippendale

A contradictory cookie: Rosemary, oat, apricot and white chocolate - BOOM! The combination of savory herb with sweet apricot and white chocolate, worked wonders. Chewy, crumbly, sweet and salty. 

Daily cookie: $4

Brickfields
206 Cleveland Street
Chippendale, NSW
Breakfast + Lunch: 7 Days

Jed's Food Store, North Bondi

Zapatista Eggs, $16.50

I'm a morning person and I love a vibrant café scene, but honestly, I don't like spending money on breakfast. I'm always more pleased with what I can make at home. Jed's however, debunk my breakfast-bitterness with an eccentric brunch menu that I'd happily part with pennies for. Breakfast eggs get exciting with themes of the Yucatan, Jamaica and Japan. Case in point: the 'Zapatista Eggs': Chiapas style egg scramble with corn tortilla, pickled cactus, white corn, coriander, avo, crumbled cheese and green salsa. Colourful, creative, wholesome meals where exotic spices and garnishes bring the flavour, rather than buttery sauces and bacon fat. My kinda breakfast place.


Jed's Food Store
96 Glenayr Avenue
North Bondi

Breakfast + Lunch - 7 days

Chinta, 6018

The creators of the Balinese sanctuary that is Chinta, have shaped a perfect tangle of gift shop and cafe. Sitting in the beautiful courtyard surrounded by potted bamboo, stone carved Buddhas, hanging lanterns and trickling water, whilst sipping chai from delicate teacups, has got to be good for your soul.

The kitchen delivers on creamy coffee and excellent café cabinet fare. We had the beef quesadilla served with a delish lime and mint yoghurt dressing, as well as the roast veggie stack, $14. Layered baked carrot, pumpkin, zucchini, sweet potato and what I think was vine leaf, made the perfect healthy lunch. The chai tea brewed with soy- was the best I’d drank since Leaf Tea Merchants closed down, too. 

Top: beef quesadilla, Bottom: Roast veg stack $14

So tastefully decorated, the island home wares and tropical merchandise, seep effortlessly into the ambience. So much so, that it’s hard to pick what’s for sale and what is a permanent fixture. At loss of a less clichéd metaphor - Chinta is quite accurately, an oasis among the Scarborough Beach Rd drought.

Food: 4/5 (Healthy, light and flavourful lunches with side salads worth eating)

Drink: Chai Tea and juice -  4/5 (Best chai in a while! Not too sweet, tastes natural. Order with soy)
Ambience: 5/5 (Merchandise that actually adds to the atmosphere without being overbearing. That courtyard!)
Service: 4/5 (Efficient and gracious)

Value: 4/5 (Standard suburban cafe prices)

Canvas, 6160

Canvas is housed inside the beautiful and historic Fremantle Art Centre. Its a truly tranquil spot to bring a group of friends, some BYO bubbles and have a long table birthday brunch...with a Middle Eastern bent.

 The stars of the menu are the Shak-shukas. You probably know the traditional form - eggs poached in a rich tomato sauce with aromatic spices and fresh herbs, served in a small skillet. Well Canvas have taken this traditional berbers breakfast and made it their signature, offering versions that include fancy things like barrumundi, prawns and pork chipolatas...even lamb brains.

Sea shak-shuka with whiting

I tried the "Sea" version with my pick of whiting. The plentiful dish came with buttered spinach and herbs, labneh, harissa and a side of Moorish (extremely satisfying) bread, olives and herbed butter. The serving was enough for two, but too delicious to be shared :D.

Soup of the day - bean, ham hock

It's still a bit of a Freo kept secret but its in an easy running for one of the best brunches in Perth in my books. 

Ups: inspired breakfast menu, generous serves, house made bread and luxurious herbed butter, peaceful setting

Downs: Coffee was just ok, courtyard cold in Winter. 

Subsequent visit worthy? Yep

The Walk Cafe, 6008

Worthwhile dining options in Subi are few and far between in my opinion. There are a couple of 8s and 9's and certainly a fair share of 4's and 3's, but most of the eateries sit in the 5 and 6 pile. I rarely seek out a restaurant in Subiaco for a night out or weekend brunch. If I eat in Subi, it’s almost always because I’m simply in the area.  When my family and I dropped in for a weekend lunch a little while ago, I'd discovered The Walk Cafe had gone from good to bloody great.

 





















Rokeby Rd has been blessed with some exciting new food destinations over recent months - the Frenchy masters behind The Loose Box and Choux brought Bistro Des Artistes and Llama bar recently classed up its fit out and added a new restaurant menu. I also discovered the hidden, rustic European wine bar, Juanita’s too. The Walk Café is another jewel to add to the list.

Roquette, pumpkin, goats cheese salad with grilled chicken

Since under new ownership, this thoroughfare cafe has really raised the bar in the delicious department. The Walk Cafe are now serving up superb chef-prepared, bistro style lunches in its casually stylish café space. It's the difference between toasted counter paninis; and fresh packed sandwiches assembled from scratch when you order.  It’s the breed of café/restaurant that runs in short supply here in Perth. The Walk kitchen is plating up classy salads, WA seafood, amazing risottos, hand rolled pastas; all twine with the seasons best produce.

Mint and pea risotto

I ordered the salad piled high with roquette, roast pumpkin, soft goats cheese and a tender grilled chicken filet for good measure. Abundantly lean. The risotto of the day was a classic combo of pea, mint and goats cheese - unpredictably amazing. The pasta dishes - parpadelle with slow cooked meat and fresh herbs; and a fettuccine with pumpkin, ricotta and chilli - were each hard to flaw.

Parpadelle with slow cooked lamb

You can also get a nice brunch, superb Fiori coffee and snappy table service.  We all enjoyed our meals so much that we agreed we needed to venture out to Subi for round two at The Walk soon!

Homemade fettuccine, pumpkin, ricotta, chilli

Food: 4.5/5 (quality ingredients, cooked perfectly, a dish for every taste)
Ambiance: 4/5 (buzzing, casual, alfresco available)
Service: 3/5 (forgetful at times but still appreciate the table service)
Coffee: 4/5 (silky smooth and robust)
Value: 3/5 (top quality and decent portions)

Ootong & Lincoln, 6162

Ootong & Lincoln is what I’d call your quintessential ‘Freo’ haunt. Flooded with natural light and decorated with an eclectic mix of old-world bits and bobs, Ootong & Lincoln has a warm and quirky character devoid of pretention.

Once a colonial teahouse, the airy space invites drawn out catch-ups between locals and relaxed afternoons spent flicking through a good book. 

Assembled above the front windows is a whimsical and wide collection of vintage children bicycles. Uneven hanging lamps with exposed electrical cord and a set of worn white roller skates deck the white walls. 

On the question of the edibles, its all seasonal and fresh, with the vegetarian types well catered for (it's Fremantle after all). I’m yet to try the breakfast menu but I can vouch for lunch. On last visit, we tried the lentil pattie with a trio of the salads of the day. The pattie was full of flavour; I couldn’t get enough of the crunchy mix-seed crust. A 
chicken burger, baguettes, prawn pasta and a curry of the day also feature. 

Veggie pattie, tomate & quinoa salad,  raita

Pesto risoni salad, potato salad, Waldorf salad

yum !



Perched high on the counter is Ootong’s own array of homespun cakes, beckoning you with the promise of deliciousness. The nut and fruit-heavy Carrot cake is awesome and the Chocolate-Beetroot is what I must try next time!



homemade jams for sale

Lumberjack Cake (coconut, apple, date)

Acoustic guitar in background

The first time I wandered into Ootong Lincoln, it was a lazy Sunday afternoon and there was an acoustic duo playing. Now I know you might be rolling your eyes right about now, but it was not contrived at all and the hippie music fit seamlessly with the setting. Because of the sprawled out seating, the music was soothing and not overbearing to the enjoyment of our food, nor the conversation.

 

Food: 4/5

Coffee: 3/5

Service: 3/5

Ambience: 4/5

Secret Garden, 6000

'Royale' with a (generous) side of spinach

After reading recently of the benefits of Salmon and it being labeled as a Winter "Happy" food,  I felt the need to start my day with a smoked salmon breakfast whilst in the city one morning.   With this mission in mind I headed for Secret Garden cafe which hides behind Tiger Tiger off Murray St.   I made my way past the indie kids tapping away on their Mac books at Tiger and picked up the menu at the counter before committing to the 'Royale' (poached eggs on toast with Salmon and house-made Hollandaise) with a side of spinach (daily greens, tick).   The staff were really friendly, educating me of the various sandwich and wrap fillings in their counter cabinet, and my picky request for a half serve of eggs and toast, and hollandaise on the side, was met with a chirpy "of course".

Soy Cap

Interior

As the name suggests, this place is peaceful, quietly tucked away from the bustle of Murray St. with a backdrop of non-overbearing art pieces that fit in effortlessly with the surrounding decor.

The meal arrived just as I was coming to the last few gulps of my soy cap (pet-peeve - forced simultaneous eating and coffee drinking ) and was great - egg yolk suitably gooey (#2 pet-peeve - over-poached eggs), toast was tasty, salmon pretty pink delicious and hollandaise sauce that hit the perfect balance of creamy buttery and lemon tangy. The coffee was good too :). 

Art piece leading to outside area

Food: 4/5

Coffee: 3.5/5

Service: 4/5 

Ambiance: 3/5

Price: $$

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