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All Day Breakfast @ Ever After Bookshop Cafe, Cairns City *CLOSED DOWN*
Loving the new All Day Breakfast at Ever After Bookshop Cafe! MS and I went there today for brekkie to check it out. Their new menu includes four alternatives of my breakfast favourite, Eggs Benedict (Traditional, Asparagus and Avocado, Devilled Mushroom, Smoked Salmon), Panini’s, Burger’s and even their very own spin on the ‘Big Breakfast’. After a few disappointing ‘Big Breakfast’s’ in and around Cairns (*cough* Candy *cough*) I can safely say that Ever After’s Big Breakfast is exactly as it’s advertised… BIG!!! Described on the menu as Eggs any way (poached, fried or scrambled), with Crispy Bacon, Skinless Sausages, Mexican Beans, Herbed Potatoes, Devilled Mushrooms, Grilled Tomato, English Spinach and Hollandaise & BBQ Sauce. Anything that automatically comes with BBQ sauce on the side gets my vote and at AU$19.90 it’s a bloody decent sized feed. One that MS struggled to finish (even with me stealing Herbed Potatoes off the side of his plate). I had the Asparagus and Avocado Egg’s Benedict (AU$16.90) and it was top notch. Smoked Salmon Egg’s Benedict for my next visit me thinks! Get on down to Ever After Bookstore Cafe for a mean breakfast! I only wish they were open on weekends (hint, hint)…
Big Breakfast
Ever After Bookshop Cafe
Shop 10, 85 Lake St Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4031 5955
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 7am – 2.30pm
Mudslide Cafe, Cairns *CLOSED DOWN*
Last week MS and I found ourselves having breakfast at the Mudslide Cafe on Aplin St. Walking past this tiny cafe only a few weeks ago I spotted the Toasted Burrito on their menu board out the front and I figured that breakfast type foods inside a toasted burrito has to be a winning combination so I made a mental note to come back for breakfast in the near future. At 11 am on Saturday MS and I were the only people at the Mudslide Cafe which I must admit was kind of nice. I’m still not sure why we were the only people dining there but I’m assuming it must be because no one really knows about it considering I only just noticed it. We glanced over the menus (I already knew what I wanted) and true to form MS decided on the Mega Mud consisting of Bacon, Eggs (fried, poached or scrambled), Roasted Tomato, Sausage, Mushroom and Toast all for AU$10.90 while I went for the… wait for it… Toasted Burrito filled with egg, tasty cheese, baked beans, bacon, tomato and baby spinach for AU$10.50. We ordered two cappuccinos on top of our meals and took a seat at a table on the footpath outside to read The Weekend Post, wait for our breakfasts and watch the drizzly morning go by.
Being the sole people at the Mudslide Cafe that morning meant it didn’t take long for our meals to arrive however they didn’t come that quick that it made you suspicious, if you know what I mean. MS was super happy with his Mega Mud breakfast which amongst other things came with a decent sized serving of bacon, two perfectly poached eggs, juicy mushrooms and nice thick pieces of buttered toast. (I’m an unbuttered toast kinda gal but hey I wasn’t eating it).
Mega Mud – Bacon, Eggs, Roasted Tomato, Sausage, Mushroom and Toast (AU$10.90)
My Toasted Burrito was just as good and big enough that I couldn’t finish it in the end. The tortilla was crispy and not soggy from the yummy fillings encased inside. The bacon was not dripping with fat and grease and I loved the fact that my burrito had baked beans in it. I love baked beans! Ssshh. Ok so my burrito was good enough that I went back for another one yesterday and at AU$10.50 why not?!
Toasted Burrito – Egg, Tasty Cheese, Baked Beans, Bacon, Tomato, Baby Spinach and Toasted in a Flour Tortilla (AU$10.50)
MS and I really enjoyed our meals at the colourful Mudslide Cafe and like I said above, I enjoyed it so much that I took a friend back a few days later. The coffee is good and the super friendly owner came out to say hello and make sure we enjoyed our meals both times I was there. The breakfast menu is a little basic with no Eggs Benedict, Sweet Potato Hashbrowns or Black Pudding in sight but sometimes basic food is a good thing. I must admit I do get a little bit sick of eating all the fancy breakfast food and the fancy pricetags that follow. It’s nice to spend less than AU$30 on good food for two people when eating out and being able to get a table on the footpath without fighting hoards of hungry people is definitely a bonus.
Mudslide Cafe
Shop 5A Aplin St, Cairns City QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4041 6592
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 7am – 3pm, Sat 7am – 12pm
Coco’s Sunday Brunch, The Sebel Cairns
Last Sunday I attended a friend’s birthday brunch at Coco’s Restaurant at The Sebel in the city. I have long said that this particular buffet, though expensive, is the best in town. Alas this is no longer the case. I have observed the price rise of the buffet over the years from $40 odd dollars including alcohol to their current pricing ($58 per person without the drinks or $70 with the drinks). The buffet includes seafood (crab, prawns, bugs and oysters) as well as hot and cold dishes and the delectable dessert bar. The drinks package includes selected cocktails (margaritas, mango and strawberry daquiris), sparkling wine and soft drinks, although the alcohol content of the cocktails is questionable but with the amount of food that one normally eats at a buffet alcohol intoxication isn’t really a factor.
MS and I arrived at The Sebel, which is a beautiful hotel I might add. There was live music playing and while we waited in line to pay for our buffet we were offered a glass of champagne (whoops I mean sparkling wine). We both chose the $58 non-drinking package which didn’t seem to matter because the staff continued to top up my glass of sparkling wine long after I placed it down in front of me at the table. This was much to my detriment later on in the afternoon as I wasn’t feeling too great following my 4 or 5 glasses of sparkling. I certainly wasn’t complaining about the free refills at the time. MS and I sat down at the table, did the introductions and then waited the obligatory 56 seconds or so before we raced to the buffet. I went straight to the seafood while MS, well… who knows I wasn’t paying any attention because I was consumed with the pile of bugs and oysters in front of me. First things first, I know my seafood. Lets just say my parents have owned a seafood business since I was just a twinkle in their eye so I do know what I am talking about and if I don’t I just ask my dad. After dreaming about oysters since having the most amazing oysters of my life on Christmas Day (they were NZ oysters) I was finally going to get my fill of them again. Initially I was most disappointed with the size of the oysters. They were small. Tiny. Minute. Nothing compared to the delicious oysters that I had been fantasising about or had recently consumed. Size isn’t everything though. I piled a few oysters on my plate, grabbed two bug halfs, a handful of prawns (with tongs might I add) and took my seat at the table. I am all for oysters being small as long as they taste good but these didn’t. They didn’t taste nice. I don’t want to go on and on about the oysters but good, fresh seafood is so important! I asked one of the waiters where the oysters were from and he informed me they were from Tasmania. I’ll wrap up my oyster rant with this… It’s no wonder so many people don’t eat oysters because I wouldn’t either if I had only ever tried oysters that tasted like these ones. Now I’m going to move onto the bugs. The bugs were overcooked and tough. Not sweet and juicy like bugs should be. I wasn’t the only one that noticed the distasteful bugs. On a lighter note there were two types of prawns available at the buffet – tigers and endeavours – and these were delicious but for someone who had intended on dining on almost nothing but bugs and oysters at the buffet I was reduced to look elsewhere on the buffet for a feed after my disappointing seafood encounter.
Prawns, Bug and Oysters
Further down at the hot buffet station there was the usual breakfast fare… English Muffin Eggs Benedict (the eggs were runny mind you – HALLELUJAH), Bacon, Chipolatas, Frittata and Raspberry and White Chocolate Pancakes. Other dishes at the hot buffet station included Roast Lamb, Salmon, Chicken Laksa, Pork (with crackling), Steamed Vegetables and Soup. The Roast Lamb was amazing but then again isn’t all Roast Lamb amazing? I think I actually went back for thirds of the lamb. The pork was dry but then again, most pork is dry. That is really all I helped myself to at the Hot Buffet section and spent the rest of my time in the salad section eating things like the Mushroom, Goats Cheese and Red Onion Tart and the White Anchovies that someone had left just for me near the ‘make your own’ Caesar Salad’ section. I’m pretty sure the website calls this the ‘Sushi and Salad Bar’ but there was no Sushi there on this particular day much to my dismay.
A section of the Sushi and Salad Bar
Because it was a friends birthday there was birthday cake so I only had a tiny taste of the desserts that were on offer. The dessert display looks amazing and the pastry chef at Coco’s Restaurant really does know how to make some enticing desserts. Unfortunately I only managed to try the Coconut Pannacotta since the guilt of eating Chocolate Ganache birthday cake as well as Cheesecake, Frangipane Tart and other yummy desserts had caught up with me, along with the 3 or 4 plates of food I had already eaten and the disapproving looks from MS.
Dessert Bar
The last time I had Sunday brunch at The Sebel was almost a year ago and I found it to be a little disappointing then. When I say disappointing I mean everything other than the seafood was delicious however the seafood just isn’t up to the standard that it used to be so I hardly ate any this time around. But lets be honest here it’s really not worth paying a minimum of $58 if you are not going to eat the seafood. The service is fantastic and you never have an empty glass or a dirty plate in front of you and I guess the service is part of what you are paying with the hefty price tag. It seems to me that the standard of food at Coco’s Restaurant has taken a bit of a turn for the worse since Mirvac Hotels took over from the Cairns International Hotel and it then became The Sebel. It is important to note that they are serving Australian Seafood and not the imported crap but I’m still not feeling it. So in my opinion the Sunday Brunch buffet at Coco’s Restaurant is no longer the Best Seafood Buffet in Cairns and for now the title is up for grabs. Any takers?
Coco’s Restaurant
17 Abbott St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4050 2101
Opening Hours: Every Sunday 11.30am – 2.30pm
Breakfast @ Caffiend, Cairns
I have been a little bit slack with my posts lately. My sister texted me a few days ago to so eloquently inform me that my last post was on the 8th of January! Shock! Horror! Who would have thought?! But seriously a girl has to work and I just haven’t been able to get a quiet minute with my laptop. That’s not to say that I haven’t been eating out though. On our latest quest to find a new breakfast spot following recent disappointing meals at two close-by but unnamed establishments MS and I rolled on into local haunt Caffiend. Tucked down the arcade and facing onto the graffiti filled alley way Caffiend is cool, relaxed and very Melbourne-esque. On a wet and drizzly Saturday afternoon Caffiend was only about half full but I’m pretty sure we arrived not long after the rush of the market-going diners. No complaints here.
We perused both the breakfast and lunch menu since it was 12.30pm but neither of us had had breakfast as yet so we opted for the breakfast options. Again, being a big, hungry man MS opted for the closest thing to a Big Breakfast on the menu – The Morning Glory which consisted of Two Poached Eggs, Streaky Bacon, Slow Roast Pumpkin, Oven-Dried Tomato, Crunchy Chat Potatoes, Rocket Salad for AU$17.90. Having only recently discovered omelettes (up until about 4 months ago I thought that omelettes were horrible, nasty things full of onion and capsicum – oh how wrong I was) I chose the Basil and Goats Cheese Omelette with Roma Tomato and Sourdough Toast for AU$13.90, along with a side of Chilli Jam for an extra AU$3. In the meantime our coffees arrived (it was goooooood coffee) and our attentive waitress bought us a jug of water and some glasses. Our breakfasts took just a little bit longer than desired to arrive but in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t too long. In the meantime we drank our coffees, admired the graffiti art and read the ‘Letters to the Editor’ in The Weekend Post.
On arrival of our meals we inspected the two poached eggs on MS’ plate. More often than not I am disappointed with overcooked poached eggs. As I have said in previous posts poached eggs should have runny yoke, not hard boiled yolk (that’s my opinion anyway). The eggs were perfectly poached… HALLELUJAH! The Roast Pumpkin and Crunchy Chat Potatoes provided something different to the meal and gave it a bit more pizazz rather than the usual Big Breakfast staples like Baked Beans and a greasy Chipolata.
Morning Glory – 2 Poached Eggs, Streaky Bacon, Slow Roast Pumpkin, Oven-Dried Tomato, Crunchy Chat Potatoes, Rocket Salad (AU$17.90)
The Omelette was always going to be a winner with me, mostly because it had lots of yummy goats cheese on it (my new favourite cheese) but also because it was cooked to perfection and the Chilli Jam was the perfect accompaniment. According to the menu the Chilli Jam is made in house and although you only get a small dish of it that is all you need because it certainly has a bit of bite to it. Much more than the Chilli Jam I knock up at home anyway. The omelette was light and fluffy and a generous size despite how the picture may appear below.
Basil and Goats Cheese Omelette, Roma Tomato and Sourdough Toast (AU$13.90) with a side of Chilli Jam (AU$3)
Caffiend is a funky little out of the way cafe that is definitely worth dropping into even if it’s just for a coffee to enjoy with the secondhand book you just purchased in the arcade. The staff are friendly, the coffee is made with love, the food is delish, the goats cheese is plentiful and there is a huge graffiti art of a girl with no top on right outside in the alleyway. What more could you want with your breakfast? A word of warning though: Be careful of the slippery floors if it’s been raining.
Caffiend
5/78 Grafton St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 5522
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 7.30am-2pm, All day breakfast, Lunch 12pm-2pm
Vivo Bar and Grill, Palm Cove
Just a quick one – If you are looking for somewhere nice to go for breakfast out towards the Northern Beaches then go and check out Vivo Bar and Grill. MS and I went there a couple of weeks ago for a mid morning breakfast. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the beach actually looked nice (sometimes that’s a bit of a rarity for poor old Cairns) and we had a fantastic view from our little table for two out the front of Vivo. Our waitress, a bubbly woman whose name I cannot remember for the life of me, gave us fantastic service that never faultered, even when we decided we didn’t like where we had sat ourselves and moved to the other side of the restaurant. The breakfast menu looked super yummy but MS and I both went for the low carb omelette option in preparation of the Christmas onslaught. I ordered a Smoked Salmon Omelette while MS ordered the Chorizo Omelette, both around the AU$18 mark. We enjoyed our cappuccino’s and the view while we waited for our omelettes, which arrived together in ample time.
Genovese Coffee
My omelette was packed full of Smoked Salmon and Dill. They certainly weren’t stingy on the amount of smoked salmon they used as some cafes and restaurants can be. It was all topped off with some fresh Rocket and Tallegio Cheese on the top. YUM!
Smoked Salmon Omelette
MS really enjoyed his omelette, even if the Chorizo was a little spicy for him. Again his omelette had plenty of Chorizo and juicy Sundried Tomatoes topped with fresh Rocket and Parmesan Cheese.
Our omelettes were packed full of flavour and a perfect breakfast portion for us to start our day (at 11am). Vivo has the whole package with delicious food, fantastic service and a great relaxed atmosphere in an upmarket suburb. Next time I head out to Palm Cove I’ll be having dinner at Vivo Bar and Grill.
Vivo Bar and Grill
William’s Esplanade Palm Cove
Ph: (07) 4059 0944
Opening Hours: 7 days from 7am for breakfast, lunch, tapas and dinner
Website: www.vivo.com.au
Candy Cafe Bar, Grafton St
Last week MS and I were looking for somewhere else to go for breakfast (somewhere other than our usual options anyway) so we decided on new cafe Candy in Grafton St. Candy is a new venture by owners of The Raw Prawn on the Esplanade, a restaurant that I have been to many times for an enjoyable and scrumptious lunch. This new little cafe/bar is located a couple of doors down from the ever busy Lilypad Cafe with a couple of sets of chairs and tables out the front, a big open window looking onto the coffee machine and heaps of chairs and tables inside. Situated where the old Italian restaurant Il Sorrento was (if my memory serves me correctly), Candy has been newly fitted out with green artificial topiary walls on the shop front and green artificial planter pots around the tables on the footpath as well as inside, just for something different. The fitout, although unfinished, seems to have a bit of vintage theme to it and you certainly can’t miss the place when you walk past.
MS and I perused the menu, which seemed to be both a breakfast and lunch menu in one. There was a total of 14 items on the menu, 6 of which could be considered breakfast items and there is even a selection for the kiddies such as a Ham and Cheese Sandwich, Lamb Sticks with Cucumber, Chicken Skewers and Grilled Fish with Salad (don’t know how many kids eat cucumber and salad but hey) all for AU$9. I was tossing up between The B & E Stack – Bacon and Egg Stack, Tomato Relish, Aioli and Toasted Turkish for AU$11 or The Madam – Mushroom Tart, Roast Garlic, Thyme, Spinach, Poached Egg, Pesto Goats Curd for AU$16 and after some umming and ahhing I ordered The Madam. MS went with the closest thing to a big breakfast that he could find on the menu so aptly named The Usual – Bacon, Poached Eggs, Garlic Mushrooms, Rosemary Tomato, Black Pudding and Truffle Oil for AU$15 but being the big sook that he is decided to forgo the Black Pudding in exchange for some extra bacon as confirmed by the waiter. I was happy to steal the Black Pudding off his plate and eat it myself but he wanted extra bacon. We ordered two cappuccinos and waited for our breakfast. Our cappuccinos took a little while to arrive and when they did the Barista apologised and explained that he was still getting used to the coffee machine. We appreciated the apology but our coffees were cold. One thing I did notice about the coffees was the ornate collector stirring spoons that came out on the saucer. Very cute and a nice little added touch to go with the vintage theme of the restaurant.
Our meals arrived not long after. MS thought his breakfast was very disappointing and I tend to agree with him. I’m not sure if they gave him extra bacon or just took the black pudding off because if that is the chefs idea of extra bacon well he is going to have some tough opposition from the bacon lovers out there. The bacon that MS did have was nice thick cut bacon but he would have liked just a couple more rashers for the price.
The Usual – Bacon, Poached Eggs, Garlic Mushrooms, Rosemary Tomato, Black Pudding, Truffle Oil (AU$16)
My meal was small but nice. I guess I had different expectations when I read ‘Tart’ on the menu. I was expecting some sort of pastry tart but instead it was a tart made only out of mushrooms (I know that is also considered a tart in some culinary circles). The mushrooms that made up the ‘tart’ however were big and juicy and the pesto goat’s curd matched perfectly with them. But, one of the things that I do judge a restaurant or cafe on is their ability to poach an egg properly. Poached eggs should be runny. When you pierce a poached egg with your knife the yolk should ooze out of it onto the plate. Unfortunately the eggs that we were both served were more like hard boiled eggs and there was certainly no oozing yolk in sight.
The Madam – Mushroom Tart, Roast Garlic, Thyme, Spinach, Poached Egg, Pesto Goats Curd (AU$16)
All in all the meals were good but the servings were very small and we were both pretty disppointed by this. In stark contrast, the Lilypad Cafe next door serves ridiculously large breakfasts and although I wouldn’t expect the same from Candy they may need to up the ante a little if they are going to try and steal some of their customers. I know that the owners are still waiting on their liquor license to be approved and are also planning on opening up for dinner in the near future. The fitout of the restaurant hadn’t been completed yet and I did noticed that the place looked very unfinished. Just a suggestion but maybe they should have waited until the Barista’s were trained up properly and the fitout had been finished before opening their doors. I will come back to try the enticing lunch menu in a couple of months when they have smoothed out a few creases. Having said all that heres hoping that considering the success of The Raw Prawn, Candy will come into its own soon enough.
Candy Cafe Bar
70 Grafton St, Cairns QLD
Ph: (07) 4031 8816
Breakfast @ Mama Coco, Westcourt
I have been a little slack lately with keeping my blog up to date and writing regular entries. I admit I have had a couple of weeks off. Not a couple of weeks off eating out, just the writing about it part. This whole dining out thing is a tough gig. Who am I kidding I love it! Moving along, its not very often that MS and I get our act together early enough to get to breakfast before 11am. Now before you judge me and think that I’m a bum and all I do is eat out and sleep in. That’s not the case at all. Let’s just say our jobs though entirely different are very accommodating of this lifestyle (no I’m not doing anything illegal). Now I’m getting off track…
Last Thursday we managed to get our act together and decide on a place for breakfast before 11am. In my last Mama Coco post I said that I wanted to try their breakfast and although I have tried it once before time got away from me and I didn’t end up writing a post about it. This time however I am putting pen to paper, so to speak and what a great breakfast it was. A few months ago I introduced MS to the world of Mama Coco (a cafe I discovered through a friend earlier this year) and he seems pretty taken with it too. In fact I have noticed that Mama Coco has quite a large local gathering. The first time I ate at Mama Coco I found myself wondering how a little cafe out of the main thoroughfare (by that I mean the city) can survive in what is tough times for Cairns but 6 months down the track I can see that this place is doing a roaring trade because of the quality food and good old fashioned service provided by Davey and his team.
The breakfast menu is reasonably priced and has a nice range of things to choose from. The avocado on toast with coriander, lime and chilli almost had me but since I’m sticking to a low carb type arrangement (well sort of) I decided to go for the Omelette of the Day which was Ricotta Cheese, Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus for AU$13. YUM! MS went for the closest thing to a big breakfast that he could get and chose the Dexy Special: poached eggs with all the sides (roast pumpkin, mushroom, bacon, slow roasted tomato and pesto) for AU$15. When our food came out I think MS had food envy when he looked at my omelette. Not to say that his didn’t look awesome but my omelette looked better and tasted delicious. The tomatoes were sweet, the asparagus was crisp and the ricotta cheese was plentiful. I would go as far to say that this omelette was in fact the best one I have ever had (although I have probably eaten fewer than 10 omelettes in my lifetime) .
Omelette of the Day – Ricotta Cheese, Asparagus and Roasted Tomatoes (AU$13)
MS was very happy with his brekky. It had plenty of bacon (he LOVES bacon), the poached eggs were perfectly poached and not overcooked, the mushrooms were big and juicy and the roasted pumpkin gave it that little bit extra bang. He did however steal a taste of my omelette but I got some pumpkin and mushroom too so it was only fair.
Dexy Special: poached eggs with all the sides (AU$15)
I continue to go to Mama Coco because the food is good and I mean consistently good. That is hard to find in Cairns, it really is. It does get quite busy at lunchtime and you may have to wait a little bit longer for your food but that’s a given. Mama Coco is a great little place where you feel like everyone knows your name (sounds super soppy I know but its true). Janelle makes great coffee and always serves you with a smile. Davey is a fantastic cook, always smiling and damn does he work hard! I will endeavour to drag my butt out of bed and get to Mama Coco before 11am more often!
Mama Coco:
Shop 4, 196 Mulgrave Road Westcourt QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 40521227
Website: www.mamacoco.com.au
Breakfast @ Frame Espresso, Cairns
My new haunt for a late breakfast and a divine cup of coffee is new cafe Frame Espresso located on the Upward St side of Frame Oz Images. This uber cool cafe has only been open for a couple of weeks so it still remains a little bit of a secret and although I would love for it to stay that way I understand that for a cafe to stay open I can’t just have it all to myself.
My man friend MS and I rocked into Frame Espresso on Tuesday morning for a light breakfast and a cup of coffee after a bit of morning exercise (and I do mean exercise). On arrival we met Eddie, the owner of Frame Oz Images who was most friendly as he introduced himself, Gary and Justin the Barista while happily chatting about his new business venture that is Frame Espresso. The cafe is accessible through the front door of Frame Oz Images or around the side on Upward St. Outside there is a deck area with tables and chairs complete with an awning for shade from the afternoon sun. Inside diners will find beautifully finished large wooden benches and round tables with a myriad of magazines for the homemaker at heart along with a few fresh copies of The Cairns Post to enjoy with your morning coffee. The art, wall decor and furniture on show at Frame Oz Images is most certainly incorporated into the design and layout of Frame Espresso enabling the diner to admire the art while they are enjoying their coffee.
I ordered a Cappuccino and Poached Eggs on Toast with Rocket, plus extras of Tomato Chutney and fresh slices of Avocado, which cost me less than AU$15. I was advised that the bread on that particular day was freshly baked (not by them) Pane Di Casa, however the type of bread available does change regularly. The rocket was fresh, the eggs perfectly poached and the Tomato Chutney and fresh Avocado ideal extras.
Poached Eggs on Toast with Rocket, a Side of Avocado and Tomato Chutney (AU$14.60)
MS ordered the Scrambled Eggs on Toast with Leg Ham Off the Bone, Rocket and a side of Pesto as well as a Cappuccino again for less than AU$15. He gave it two thumbs up and ate the lot along with additional large cup of coffee.
Scrambled Eggs on Toast with Rocket and a Side of Pesto (AU$9.50)
Now the breakfasts aren’t enormous, like one particularly popular breakfast establishment in town that will remain unnamed but it was the perfect size for MS and I and like I said the coffee made by both Gary and Justin was divine! (Extra thumbs up for the Cappuccino art!)
My Cappuccino (AU$4.50)
Frame Espresso also does pastries and tasty salads for lunch with a selection of cakes and slices on display in their food cabinet (I’m definitely coming back for a piece of the Baklava I spotted in there). I was most impressed not only with the food and coffee at Frame Espresso but also the funky layout, very reasonable prices and friendly service we received. Plus anywhere that has a fresh copy of the newspaper for my perusal gets another thumbs up from me! Sssshhhhh.
Frame Espresso
105 McLeod St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4031 1776
Open: Mon – Sat 7am – 3pm
Best Eggs Benedict in Cairns, Botanical Garden’s Restaurant and Cafe
It’s a big call but I have consistently said that the Botanical Garden’s Restaurant and Cafe have the Best Eggs Benedict in Cairns! The eggs are perfectly poached (not too runny, not too hard), the bread is fresh, there is just the right amount of hollandaise sauce with just the right hint of lime and the Salmon Eggs Benedict has capers are sprinkled over the top. What is a salmon eggs benedict without capers huh? YUM! But seriously, it is seriously good Eggs Benedict right in the heart of the Botanical Garden’s.
Tasmanian Smoked Salmon Benedict with Baby Capers (AU$17.90)
A bonus for the coffee lovers is the so-called ‘Fish bowl’ of coffee that is also available here at the Botanical Garden’s Restaurant and Cafe. MS and I actually thought the waitress was kidding when she said fish bowl but on being bought our cappucino’s we realised that she was indeed telling the truth. The fish bowl is a bowl, not a cup as there are no handles, of pure unadulterated coffee for only $6 and finishing it is no mean feat!
Cappucino in a ‘fish bowl’ AU$6
Botanical Garden’s Restaurant and Cafe
Collins Ave, Edge Hill
Ph: 4053 7087
Open: Daily 7am – 4.30pm
Website: www.cafebotanic.com.au
Spoons, Cairns
Here’s a quick one for you… If you are looking for a cute and exceptionally yummy place to go for breakfast one day and don’t want to be hassled by finding a park right in the city then Spoons is the place to go. Spoons is a teeny cafe on Aplin St that does breakfast, lunch and catering. I’d heard about the place from a few people and my favourite neighbour DR had also heard that it was worth trying so we skipped our usual haunt and went to Spoons.
First thing about Spoons and probably the reason I hadn’t tried it sooner is the outside area, its not the best atmosphere, I must admit, but this is really due to its location (i.e. there’s no waterfront or esplanade outlook). Inside the shop however, the decor is fresh and bright with shiny wooden floors and a friendly waitress behind the counter waiting to take your order. We ordered two cappuccino’s, DR ordered the Marscarpone Pancakes with Forest Berries Compote and Vanilla Marscarpone (AU$12.50). DR said that it was in fact delicious and it certainly looked enticing from my side of the table.
Marscapone Pancakes with Forest Berries Compote and Vanilla Marscapone (AU$12.50)
Since I had just been to the gym I ordered the Low Carb Breakfast with Poached Eggs on Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Grilled Mushrooms, Wilted Baby Spinach, Aged Balsamic Reduction and a drizzle of Hollandaise Sauce (AU$13.50). Perfect low carb breakfast for those who don’t want to eat bread but still feel like they have consumed something. My breakfast was super yummy and for once I didn’t have food envy.
Low Carb Breakfast with Poached Eggs on Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Grilled Mushrooms, Wilted Baby Spinach, Aged Balsamic Reduction and a drizzle of Hollandaise Sauce (AU$13.50)
As we payed I glanced over the counter to see a woman in the kitchen putting the final touches on a huge sandwich platter, part of their catering service I am assuming. It looked so delicious that I made a mental note to come to Spoons if I ever need some catering done in the future. Spoons is a great little place for coffee and a yummy breakfast without all the hustle and bustle of the inner city cafe’s. Now I just have to try their lunch and catering menu!
Spoons
4/46 Aplin St, Cairns
Ph: (07) 4031 1110
Website: www.spoonscatering.com.au
Opening Hours: Tues – Fri 7am-2.30pm, Sat 8am-11.30am
foodvixen 