Last Saturday MS and I took a wander through the city in search of somewhere to go for a late breakfast. Scratching our heads and tossing around ideas neither of us could come to an agreement on just where we wanted to go until MS suggested Rehab. Of course! I had been there for coffee a few times but had been meaning to try their menu since it came online a few months ago so off we went to Rehab. For a Saturday afternoon, Rehab was as I had expected… busy. Upon entering Rehab we were greeted by the two friendly owners whose names slip my mind at the present but it was nice to be welcomed by such smiling faces. We ordered off the menu on the wall and upon ordering were told that it would be about a 40 minute wait for food. Neither of us were too concerned as long as we had a cappuccino and The Weekend Post we weren’t in a hurry to go anywhere. It was nice to be told of the wait so we had the option to go somewhere else but we stayed at Rehab.

The tables were full of diners and there was only the bench outside that was free until one nice man who was dining by himself gave up his table for so MS and I could sit together and stare into each others eyes (I’m kidding!) But seriously, it was a nice thing to do. Seems strangers with manners do still exist in 2012. In the end after we managed to coax the friendly solo guy away from his outside table we decided to sit inside at one of the larger tables. 1) Because it was a little bit too cold outside and 2) Because I felt that the tables outside were a little bit too intimate. Other diners were literally centimetres from our table and it felt like we just wouldn’t be able to have a conversation without people hearing the entire thing and us hearing theirs.

The decor at Rehab is super funky with grandma’s brown velvet couch in the corner, weird-ass chalk drawings on the walls of bald men and chemical structures (shit, it’s been a while since I did second year Chem), red glowing chandeliers and even a bit of astro turf out the front. Like another popular cafe in Cairns *cough* Caffiend *cough* it’s very Melbournesque except with Caffiend it’s more alley way setting that makes it rather than the decor. I did find Rehab a little bit dark inside but as a bonus at least MS couldn’t see how dry my skin was from being out at sea for the last few weeks. No I am not an old sea hag, it’s the airconditioning I swear! We weren’t waiting long for our cappuccino’s to arrive and when they did we were super amazed by the super amazing coffee art on top that can only be described as pure genius. I get excited when the barista does the whole palm frond/leaf thing on the top of my foam but wow… this was a face. A very delicately drawn face. MS and I admired both of our cappuccino’s wondering how on earth the barista managed to do it but in the end we figured we would just ask him when we payed for our meals. Now the only problem with the coffee art is that our coffees were actually cold. Maybe because they weren’t particular hot in the first place or maybe because the coffee art took just that little bit too long. The coffee, however, was a damn fine cup of coffee I just would have preferred it to be hot rather than luke warm.

Coffee art in my cappuccino

The 40 minutes that we were told to wait for our food flew by pretty quickly while MS and I fought over who got to read which section of the newspaper first and why one turned the page while the other was still reading it. Ah, young(ish) love. Just to be a little different with our breakfast choices, MS went for the Eggs Benedict with Bacon for AU$15 while I went for the 3 Eggs Scrambled with Gypsy Ham and Roasted Tomato (AU$12) with a side of Avocado (AU$3). Both were good sized servings with big thick pieces of toast. MS’ bacon was nice and crispy with the poached eggs delicately perched on top. Slight problem was that the poached eggs were just a little overcooked, something neither of us are a fan of (they need to be runny). The hollandaise sauce had just the right amount of tang to it and wasn’t overpowering, nor was it slathered on. It was exactly as it should be.

Eggs Benedict with Bacon (AU$15)

Having swayed from my usual choice of Eggs Benedict I was more than happy with my 3 Scrambed Eggs with Gypsy Ham and Roasted Tomato and for only AU$12 that seemed like a pretty good deal to me. The side of avocado (an entire half an avo) was the perfect accompanying extra to my breakfast and although I think the scrambled eggs could have been a little fluffier (yes, ok, I am super fussy about eggs goddamnit!) they would have been perfect for MS who “doesn’t like fluffy eggs” and prefers to “cook the sh*t out of them” (pardon my French but it’s getting late). I actually had no idea what Gypsy Ham was although I figured if it had anything to do with Gypsies then it must be stolen. Upon Googling it about 1 minute ago it appears that Gypsy Ham is pretty much just smoked leg ham which got that name from its dark colour and tender texture. Yawn. Ok, it tasted like ham but good ham at that.

3 Eggs Scrambled with Gypsy Ham and Roast Tomato (AU$12) plus a side of Avocado (AU$3)

Despite a couple of egg gripes our all day breakfast experience at Rehab was tantalisingly tasty. The young, vibrant owners are nothing but friendly and accommodating and they even showed us how the Barista does the awesome coffee art that MS and I ummed and ahhed over. I’m not going to tell you how it’s done, you are just going to have to go in and see it for yourself. The fitout and decor is funky and fresh, something that so many Cairns restaurants and cafes are lacking, and the atmosphere is cosy. Seems Rehab is not just somewhere that my low-life alcoholic ex-boyfriend needs to go (whoops that’s a different kind of rehab) but it’s also the name of a cool little coffee shop/cafe on Lake St that I’ll be checking into again very soon.

Rehab

46 Lake St, Cairns QLD 4870

Ph: 0439 831 824

Opening Hours : Mon – Fri 7am – 6pm, Sat – Sun 8am – 3pm

Website: www.rehabcafe.com.au