cool mac (Kirribilli Sydney)

We are fans of green tea beverages and my wife especially likes a good matcha latte. So we were delighted to find out about Cool Mac which is a short walk from home.

For breakfast, I ordered the special eggs benedict with a miso based sauce. The sauce has the right level of savory which lifts the dish beyond normal benedict. The crispy bacon goes perfectly with the soft poached eggs.

We will come back for lunch and try their sandwiches/burgers.

Details:
Cool Mac  
2/34 Burton Street
Kirribilli NSW 2061
https://www.facebook.com/coolmaccafe/

Monte Alto (Crows Nest)

There seems to be an unlimited number of cafes in the lower north shore area. Monte Alto is a recent addition at Crows Nest, which also runs its own roasting house.

There is an additional menu of specialist coffee choices. I had the V60 filtered coffee from Sumatra - really light and fragrant without the bitter note.

Breakfast menu is on the lower end of the price scale in the area. The dishes are beautifully presented (note the flower in my Benedict). The portion maybe smaller than others but certainly enough.

Details:
Monte Alto Roasters
3/300 Pacific Highway
Crows Nest
http://www.montealtoroasters.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/montealtoroasters/

Anvil Coffee Co (Artarmon Sydney)

On a day off to take the baby for her health check, wife and I checked in to the nearby Anvil Coffee Co for brunch. It is a place recently listed as one of the top 50 cafes to visit in Sydney.

Coffee was nicely brewed and the food was really good. The rueben sandwich was generous and 'Arabian' style egg was an innovative idea. The setting was industrial and no-frills - probably the reason to attract many tradies customers.

Details:
Anvil Coffee Co.
1/17 Dickson Avenue
Artarmon
http://www.anvilcc.com.au/

Salvage Specialty Coffee (Artarmon Sydney)

Living in the lower north shore, we seldom hear brilliant reviews at local cafes (versus the much hyped places at Surry Hills). So we were excited to find out Salvage Specialty Coffee at Artarmon making the Top 20 list in Sydney.

There was a line for Sunday brunch and the wait was around 20 minutes. We were staring at the blackboard deciding what to get from the menu. The Croque Madame was fantastic with the sauce making a big difference. And the filtered coffee was nice and light – exactly what the locals should be waking up for every morning.

Details:
5 Wilkes Avenue
Artarmon
http://salvagecoffee.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SalvageCoffee 

Tapestry Dining (Auckland New Zealand)

During my numerous stays at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland, I dined at Tapestry Dining at the lobby level often.

Trying the bluff oysters while in season is a must, the wonder crunch of the flesh was extremely enjoyable. I also liked the angus steak main course accompanied by the wagyu sausage roll.

For breakfast, they offered a NZ special white bait fritter in room service – a must try over the usual omelette and scrambled.

Details:
Tapestry Dining at Pullman Auckland
Corner Princes Street and Waterloo Quadrant
Auckland
New Zealand
http://www.pullmanauckland.co.nz/online/tapestry_dining.csn

The Good Loaf (Bendigo Victoria)

Second day at Bendigo on business trip and I had breakfast at The Good Loaf, situated behind the client’s office. There was a wonderful smell of freshly baked bread as soon as I stepped into the café. The toast was excellent and I love how coarse peanut butter was available. The granola bowl was filling and the whole plums were much preferred over the usual fruit compote.

Details:
The Good Loaf
404 Hargreaves Street
Bendigo Victoria
http://www.thegoodloaf.com.au

Johnny’s Po-Boys (New Orleans)

On our first morning in New Orleans, we went around the corner from our hotel at French Quarter to visit Johnny’s to sample the Po-Boy sandwich – a local specialty.

Breakfast was extremely good value (from an Australian point of view) where for just over 5 dollars there was a stack of 3 hot cakes which are as big as a dinner plate. I had an alligator sausage Po-Boy which had a very generous amount of meat inside a foot long baguette-like roll.

We didn’t eat again until dinner time.

Details:
Johnny’s Po-Boys
511 Saint Louis Street
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA
http://johnnyspoboys.com

Momofuku Má Pêche (New York)

We arrived at Momofuku’s Má Pêche restaurant on a very wet New York morning for breakfast. Situated inside a Midtown hotel, it is very close to the shops on 5th Avenue.

The breakfast menu is consistent with the Asian theme and has a twist from the Momofuku’s classic. I had the egg bun with pork belly which was delicious especially with the crunchy fried potato bits. The rice cakes with fried egg and sausage was really rich and filling, great for a cold New York morning.

Details:
Momofuku Má Pêche
Located in Chambers Hotel
15 west 56th Street
Between 5th + 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10019

Three Blue Ducks (Bronte Sydney)

For a lazy Sunday along the beach we headed to Three Blue Ducks for brunch. Despite arriving early, there was a small queue outside already. The quality of brunch was excellent, justifying the popularity. My black sausage complemented well with the cucumber yogurt. Both the scrambled and poached eggs were perfect. And if you are hungry, add some bacon (you won’t regret it).

Details:
Three Blue Ducks Bronte
141-143 Macpherson Street
Bronte NSW 2024
http://www.threeblueducks.com

Kadensho (Arashiyama Kyoto Japan)

When we travelled to the famous Arashiyama Onsen region near Kyoto, we stayed at the Kadensho ryokan. Little did we know that we were in for a feast.

Our included dinner featured a wide range of Japanese dishes, including all the traditional dishes from the Kyoto region. In addition, there was all-you-can-eat tempura that was made to order. Enough said.

If dinner was not enough, there were late night ramen noodles and dessert available. In addition, the breakfast buffet offered a wide range of Japanese and Western foods – including a chocolate fountain.

Details:
Kadensho
嵐山温泉 花伝抄
京都府京都市西京区嵐山西一川町5-4
Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
http://www.hotespa.net/hotels/kadensho/

Pony Lounge & Dining (Neutral Bay)

We visited Pony at Neutral Bay for breakfast, our second visit to the group after our dinner at Pony The Rocks earlier this year.

The food was flawless and innovative. We definitely found the dishes to be a step up from the typical big breakfast served at many cafes in the north shore. The Spanish omelette was perfectly seasoned and well balanced by the rocket leaves, while the toasted brioche worked perfectly with the poached berries and custard curd. Service felt slightly rushed considered the need of a slow Sunday breakfast.

Details:
Pony Lounge & Dining Neutral Bay
Shop 2, 19-25 Grosvenor St 
Neutral Bay
NSW 2089
http://www.ponydining.com.au/pony_neutral_bay.htm

St. John Hotel (London)

I have decided to visit Fergus Henderson’s newly opened St John Hotel near Leicester Square in London, hope to experience the “Nose To Tail” eating approach at breakfast.

The recommended Devilled Kidneys on Toast did not disappoint. The kidneys were appropriately soft with the devilled sauce, absorbed into the sour dough toast, cutting through the fattiness of the kidneys. Do go for the St John breakfast tea to start your day.

I left breakfast just in time for the discount theatre ticket booth to open. Will make sure to book for a pre-theatre meal next time!

Details:
St. John Hotel
1 Leicester St
London
WC2H 7BL
http://www.stjohnhotellondon.com