Rifo's Cafe

Rifo's Cafe
189 Guildford Rd

Maylands

(08) 9271 1811

1. Comfort & surroundings

Alexander: Located right on the corner of Guildford Road and Eighth Avenue, you don't get a scenic vista with your breakfast at Rifo's, but you do get to see a lot of cars go by! If you asked me for one word to describe the theme, it would be "orange". And you'd be right in thinking that the decor is pretty much as unflattering as my description sounds. Not that it was awful, it was just... not very cool. This is definitely not a place for hipsters, but there is something comforting about that fact. 2.5 from me.

Lola: They pack a lot of tables into this space without turning the venue into an obstacle course, and surprisingly, the sound and fumes from busy street don't seem to be an issue. We sat on the Guildford Road side but were protected by a plastic blind, so our breakfast did not come with a side of smog. The tables are roomy enough for two and the seats are fairly comfortable, plus I felt far enough away from other patrons to be able to share our latest gossip with each other quite freely. A 3 from this side.

2. Service

Alexander: There are plenty of staff about at Rifo's so you won't have to wait too long for service. Encouragingly, water was provided and plentiful. This isn't the place where you would expect a lot of attitude, and you don't get it from the wait staff. What you do get, however, is an interesting assortment of "uniforms" perhaps more suited to a beach. Surely there are hygiene issues in showing that much skin? But the biggest crime of all was a pair of jeans with rips going all the way from ankle to thigh... Uh oh, it's a 3.

Lola: Yeah that was a bit inappropriate. We weren't at the beach, we were at a restaurant and denim hot pants are a little icky. They were fairly friendly though! Table service was nice too, bringing it up to a 3.5 from me.

3. Tastiness

Alexander: I ordered the eggs florentine and was impressed by the speed of delivery, heat, flavours and serving size. This was a traditional eggs florentine - English muffin, spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce - none of this post-modern, avant garde, reconstructed/deconstructed stuff you find at other breakfast venues. The simplicity took me back to a less complicated time. My only issue? I am pretty sure it was not homemade hollandaise sauce (it had that "out of a jar" taste), which was a big let down. 3 out of 5.

Lola: My breakfast was also English muffin based, but topped with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and a little spinach. Let's be honest, it was a completely forgettable breakfast. It wasn't the most amazing example of each of the elements, it wasn't innovatively constructed, there wasn't even a garnish. But is that so bad? Absolutely not. In fact, I too was a refreshed by the lack of complication and the good proportioning of flavours. I was also impressed by the presence of three different flavours of frittata on the breakfast menu, which I'm sure I'll opt for next time. Look the food didn't wow me, but it pleased me, and I think that's what Rifo's seems to be about. I'm giving a score of 3.

4. Drinks

Alexander: Feeling adventurous, I strayed from my conventional long black and took a shot at the mango smoothie. Now, dairy is my favourite food group, and the smoothie is one of my all-time favourite drinks - when it's done right. The milk needs to be frosty cold and the fruit needs to be flavoursome. Rifo's did a pretty good job, and the drink was a great complement to my breakfast. It was also a nice touch that the smoothie was made with low fat yogurt and low fat milk. It scores 3.5.

Lola: A smoothie was also on the agenda for me on this particular morning, but mine was of the berry variety and I too am going with a 3.5. Flavoursome, not as calorie laden as some dairy drinks and not so big that it hindered my ability to finish my meal. I liked it.

5. Fiscal matters

Alexander: At $16 for my eggs florentine and $6.20 for my smoothie, the prices at Rifo's are very "middle of the road". You won't feel ripped-off here, but then again, you won't be coming back for the cheap eats. 3 from me.

Lola: My 'Salmon Deluxe' came in at $17 and yes, smoked salmon is not cheap, and yes, the many staff that were rostered on do have to get paid, but I think it was about $5 more than it warranted. I felt close to being ripped off, but if I was going to get funny about it I should have opted for the $5.90 banana bread. So a not too harsh 2.5 out of 5.

The verdict...
Comfort & surroundings: 5.5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Tastiness: 6/10
Drinks: 7/10
Fiscal matters: 5.5/10

TOTAL: 30.5/50

Il Circolo

Il Circolo

22 Angove Street

North Perth

(08) 9328 7667

1. Comfort & surroundings

Alexander: Il Circolo is on Angove Street in lovely North Perth. Incidentally, our very first breakfast blog review all of those months ago was just down the street at Milk'd, so it was nice to return to the area to try a new venue (ahh, memories). I really like the general surrounding and Il Circolo fits in nicely on the Angove Street coffee strip. The place gives off a casual, rustic vibe, with polished floorboards, exposed brick and blackboard menus. Definitely cool without trying to be cool. My only complaint is that it was freezing on this particular morning, so the expanses of wood and brick needed some sort of heating device - a wood fire would be ideal but I would've settled for a space heater - to temper the cold. Or, at the very least, someone could have closed the door! The practical effect of this was food that got cold before it was eaten - see below. 3 out of 5.

Lola: I'm not sure to what extent a troublesome back at the time of our visit is impacting on this score, but I'm going for a 2.5. While I enjoyed the rustic setting which was reminiscent of a little Italian trattoria, I consistently felt awkwardly exposed and in the way, especially as it got busy towards the end of our visit. As Alexander mentioned, the draft was irksome, also. But the visit wasn't unpleasant, just mediocre.

2. Service

Alexander: I had never been to Il Circolo before, so as I peered in the door, I wasn't sure what the deal was. Take a seat anywhere? Please wait to be seated? Obviously, not hard to work out, but it would have been nice if the guy behind the counter had said "Welcome, feel free to sit wherever you'd like". Instead, I got a stare. Not a good start. After deciding what we wanted from the blackboards, located above and below the counter, I went up to order. The menu items all have Italian names, but I wasn't getting any help from the guy, so I just felt awkward once again. Story of my life, but not what I want at breakfast. To be fair, the food came out very quickly after we ordered, and it's not like anyone was unpleasant. But I know much friendlier cafes in Perth. 2.5 from me.

Lola: I had less contact with staff - waltzing in and heading directly for Alexander's table and not doing the ordering (see back, troublesome). I did, however, get smiles after eye contact and helpful directions to the bathroom on request. I'll go a 3.5.

3. Tastiness

Alexander: I ordered the funghi strapazzat which was scrambled eggs with sauteed mushrooms, served on ciabatta bread. The mushrooms were the highlight - I don't know if they were Italian style or what was going on, but they were a bit different from all the other breakfast mushroom dishes I've experienced. Tasty. The eggs were good too. Ciabatta is never my favourite (too many holes to properly complement eggs), but I could look past that. What I couldn't look past, however, was the fact that my dish was cold before I finished it! Lola will attest to the fact that I'm not a slow eater, either. This would have been a 4, but eating cold eggs isn't nice. So I'll give it 3.5.

Lola: Damn, I regret not sampling some of these mushrooms of A's! Will have to go back. My dish on this particular morning was the asparagi alla fiorentina. You can see from the picture that this consisted of a mound of asparagus spears over two poached eggs and slivers of ciabatta toast. The asparagus was sweet and a nice level softness without being mushy and the eggs were beautifully poached. Now, I should probably reveal to you my feelings about toast and bread. I'm one of those people who doesn't really love her bread products. I know, I know, many of you must think I'm crazy, especially as a breakfast lover. It just doesn't agree with me and I don't feel it offers me enough in terms of flavour and enjoyment to warrant a stomach ache and subsequent feeling of lethargy. There are exceptions - fresh, top quality baguettes (like at our last breakfast adventure); chunky, deliciously tasty brown bread; dense loaves filled with seeds and grains; you get the idea. These shaves of ciabatta were clearly just there as a vehicle and not as a taste sensation. They were quite crispy and dry and resultantly I was a little disappointed. Overall a 3.

4. Drinks

Alexander: Solid long black. Enough said. 3.5.

Lola: I've recently returned to the world of coffee after about 6 years of absence. The flavour is what got me back, that delciousness calling my name. Upon my return it appears I am much, much fussier than ever before but, luckily, Il Circolo delivered. My flat white was quite tops! A 4 from my side of the table.

5. Fiscal matters

Alexander: Il Circolo is well-priced given the location and the quality of the ingredients. My breakfast cost a mere $12! Other dishes were similarly well priced. Good value - 3.5 from me.

Lola: The servings are not huge, but they are no smaller than they should be. In fact, they are quite appropriate in my opinion. So, while you might not be getting as much in terms of quantity at Il Circolo when compared with other breakfast venues, the prices are also lower. My dish came in at $12.50 which was a nice change. I'll have to give a 4 in this department!

The verdict...

Comfort & surroundings: 5.5/10

Service: 6/10

Tastiness: 6.5/10

Drinks: 7.5/10

Fiscal matters: 7.5/10
TOTAL: 33/50

The Naked Fig Cafe

The Naked Fig Cafe
278 Marine Parade
Swanbourne
(08) 9384 1222

1. Comfort & Surroundings

Alexander: Wow. How could you ask for a better location than this? With an expansive deck and floor to ceiling glass, The Naked Fig plays up its sensational surroundings to maximum effect. I was telling Lola at breakfast that I'm not really a beach-y person but I love the ocean in Winter. Yep, with unobstructed views of the crashing waves from the deck, I was in Winter beach heaven. I was a bit worried I was going to get chilly sitting outside, but my trusty hoodie kept the cold at bay and, in the end, I was too absorbed in the view and the food to notice. Close to perfection at 4.5.

Lola: When scoring this section of the reviews I always think to myself, "Well it's not perfect, there are no sea views." I, too, find the beach delightful in the colder months, the tables were suitably roomy for two, the chairs comfortable and the deck was a nice touch. I can't fathom a nicer setting than this so it has to be full marks! 5/5.

2. Service

Alexander: I would like to start with the positive and say that, overall, the service was top notch. We had a chatty but not overbearing waitress who was happy to give us as much time as we wanted. But, happily, she made herself sufficiently available that we were never waiting very long before she popped up. My only criticism is that when I walked in at 9.38am (8 minutes later than the scheduled reservation time), I was greeted with the following comment: "Good thing you arrived just now, I was about to give your table away". What do you say in response to that? "Umm thank you so much for being normal and not giving our table away after 8 minutes"? Sheesh! It's Sunday morning, cut a guy some slack! 3.5.

Lola: Yeah, I understand they are busy, busy but surely a courtesy phone call could be expected. Fortunately it didn't come to that and after arriving in the nick of time we were treated to polite, attentive service. Nothing too fancy though. While our orders were taken at our table, we had to pay at the counter on our way out, marginally inconvenient due to the amount of people coming and going and the counter being between the entrance and the start of the tables. I shouldn't nitpick about that though, a minor issue! 3.5 from me too.

3. Tastiness

Alexander: Let me just state for the record that I love sweet and salty flavour combinations. Peanut butter and jelly. Chocolate covered pretzels. French fries and soft serve icecream. Mmm... But I find that breakfast options overlook this delightful pairing. So you can imagine how excited I was to see the Grizzly Bear Pancakes on the menu: bacon and eggs (scrambled or fried) with pancakes and maple syrup. I went with the scrambled eggs and I was not disappointed. Two fluffy pancakes topped with creamy eggs and crispy bacon, then drizzled with just enough maple syrup. The tastebuds on my tongue that register sweet and salty went into overdrive and forced me devour this dish in a matter of minutes. A big 4.

Lola: Unfortunately I'm awarding a 3 for my dish. The 'eggs on fire' promised so much but let me down a bit. It consisted of eggs cooked to my liking, I chose fried, on a 'chilli corn cake' with bacon, avocado, spinach and a sweet corn sour cream. I couldn't taste a hint of chilli in the actual corn cake (that's not to say there was none there, I just couldn't find it) though there was delicious hot chilli sauce all over the plate. Could have done with some more of that sauce though! And the corn cake itself did appear a little tasteless, more like a vehicle for the topping than the main event. No complaints about the avocado, bacon and spinach, however brief mention should be made to the sweet corn sour cream. Others may have loved this flavour but for me this was way to sweet and overpowering. Eggs were nicely cooked, and the rest of the offerings on the menu sounded really great, so it wasn't so bad.

4. Drinks

Alexander: Seeking to do a bit of a comparison against my drink from the last breakfast blog outing, I ordered the Mad Monkey. Despite the ridiculous name, this was not a ridiculous drink. Think banana, coffee and chocolate, all blended up into a frothy, icy-cold smoothie. It was pretty delicious, and definitely on par with the Mocha Delight from MillPoint. 4 from me.

Lola: Of course I had to have one as well! Banana, coffee and chocolate is a heavenly flavour trio, I agree. Quite delicious though I think the MillPoint version was superior. But I really, really loved my Mexican chilli hot chocolate. Even better than a banana/coffee/chocolate combo is chocolate and chilli, for mine! The chocolate must be of high quality and luckily this one fit the bill. 4.5 here.

5. Fiscal matters

Alexander: I expected to be paying a premium for the view at The Naked Fig, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that nothing on the menu tops $19.50 - which is pretty rare for breakfasts at coastal locations in Perth. Of course, all of the substantial options start at $16.50, but there are still the usual cheaper items for those who don't believe breakfast has to be cooked. My dish cost $17, which I thought was only slightly higher than average. But my drink was $7.80, which I thought was a bit OTT. The same price applied to all of the cold milk drinks. Even the ice tea was $7.30, and we all know how much tea bags cost. I'll have to score it a 2.5.

Lola: Alexander has summed it up nicely, while the food sat at a fairly reasonable price point, it's the drink prices that have brought my score to a 2.5 as well. Though this wasn't relevant on our visit, it's worth warning you that there is a 15% surcharge on public holidays. On the other hand, they do donate their tips to a charity.

The verdict...

Comfort & Surroundings: 9.5/10
Service: 7/10
Tastiness: 7/10
Drinks: 8.5/10
Fiscal Matters: 5 /10
TOTAL: 37/50

MillPoint Caffe Book Shop

MillPoint Caffe Book Shop
254 Mill Point Road
South Perth
(08) 9367 4567

1. Comfort & Surroundings

Lola: This week we headed to the MillPoint Caffe Book Shop in South Perth. I'd requested a table outside but under cover so we had leafiness and fresh air without having to try and avoid the sun. It's pretty crowded out the back there and neighbouring conversations did get entangled with ours, but luckily those sitting just behind me were quite witty. They've also used their space well, and a large wall blocks out much of the traffic noise from busy Mill Point Road. An above average 3.5 from me.

Alexander: What do you get when you combine tasty food and lots of books? Why, the MillPoint Caffe Book Shop of course! You can imagine how excited I was to be eating my favourite meal while surrounded by thousands of carefully constructed sentences. It truly was a combination of two of my greatest loves - eating and reading. So, right off the bat, this place gets high marks for surroundings. Even leaving the books aside for a minute, though, it was nice to be seated outside but without having to deal with a view of traffic or direct sunlight. Of course, the decor isn't exactly what you would call a triumph of interior design or style, but that's not what the Book Caffe is going for, and I'm okay with that. 3.5 from me.

2. Service

Lola: The team at the MillPoint are incredibly welcoming and extremely accommodating. From the phone call I made to book the table to the cheerful farewell, they were lovely to deal with. I have said I'll never give above a 4 without table service, but here I'm awarding an extra half mark for a 4.5. Here's why: I requested my dish be served without bacon and not only was that fine, but they asked what I would like extra of. Chipolatas please and thank you!

Alexander: I loved these guys! They were all so friendly. I am convinced they spend their free time reading customer service books (conveniently located on the other side of the café) because everything was spot-on in this category. But it was more than just by-the-book customer service, it was a genuine desire to make breakfast a happy experience. Which is so rare these days! As Lola mentioned, it wasn't table service, but I am willing to be a bit controversial and award a 4.5 as well.

3. Tastiness

Lola: My choice for the morning was a sausage and bacon bagel (sans bacon). A white bagel was topped with a few squirts (which happened to be just the right amount) of barbecue sauce, three halved chipolatas and a fried egg. A mound of greens with slices of tomato at the apex sat alongside. Now, the menu included fresh tomato and lettuce in its description of the dish and while it was technically true, on presentation it was more of a glorified garnish. I also feel you should know there was only one egg, though it was plenty for me. None of the above was particularly bothersome and the deliciousness of the chipolatas pleased me a great deal! What displeased me, however, was the bagel quality. Although bagel shaped, it was more akin to bread roll. Disappointing, and brought the dish down to a 2.5, I'm sad to say.

Alexander: I ordered the "new" chevre scrambled eggs (this is how the dish was described on the menu). Now I'm not sure if this item was actually new to the menu, or just quote-unquote new, but they eggs were goo-ood. Think fluffy, delicious scrambled eggs mixed with rich goat's cheese and savoury chives. It's a combination made in heaven. Perhaps the sort of thing you'd be inspired to make after reading a cookbook... Coincidence? I don't think so! My only problem with this dish was the accompanying toast. I just can't get on board with ciabatta as a breakfast option! Bread used in breakfast dishes needs to be dense (to absorb the liquid parts of the eggs) and moist (so as not to dry out during the toasting process). Sourdough comes to mind as the perfect option. However, the awesome customer service, I'm sure they would have swapped in some other type of bread if I'd requested it. I am awarding a 3.5.

4. Drinks

Lola: As soon as I walked in the sugary sweet counterhand was eager for me to grab a drink, which suited me just fine and I opted for a hot chocolate to tide me over until the main event. It was smooth and creamy but not overly chocolaty, suffice to say that it was suitably generic. It was the hot chocolate from the ski-trip special of an 80s-90s teen novel / television drama that is sipped in front of the fire while making eyes at the hunky college student who spends his winter break teaching beginners' ski lessons. It would have been at home in the hands of Donna Martin when she and David Silver briefly broke up in season 4 and she had an episode long interlude with a dreamboat. Or 'dreamboat'. Meanwhile, have you seen Brian Austin Green lately? I was pleasantly surprised when I saw him on The Sarah Connor Chronicles, that's all I'm saying. Anyhoo, transporting me to this place is pretty great but what was greater was my second drink selection, the mocha delight . I'll give Alexander the floor since he ordered it too, but I'm going with a 4 thanks to this treat.

Alexander: Oh the mocha delight! It brings back such delicious memories. This drink is effectively a banana smoothie with coffee and chocolate mixed in for good measure. It's an inspired combination of flavours. Not just taste, though, volume and temperature were both perfect too - a nice big glass and icy, icy cold. Plus, you could treat it as either a dessert or an energy shake! Maybe not something you would see being sipped at a ski lodge, but I could definitely see this drink fitting in well in the 90210 postcode - if it were made with non-fat milk. I am giving it a 4.

5. Fiscal Matters

Lola: Not much to say here as the prices are slightly elevated but typical for our city. Ten dollars for a bowl of muesli or fruit means budget options don't exist. My plate came in at around $14 I think, which wasn't so bad, so I'll give 3 marks.

Alexander: There might not be a big list of cheap items, but at the same time, the most expensive item is about $16. So, averaging things out, the prices sit fairly in the middle of the spectrum. I am awarding a slightly higher score because the quality of the ingredients doesn't seem to have pushed the prices out too much - 3.5 from me. You can probably find cheaper books at bookdepot.com though, so stick to the breakfasts if you're looking for a bargain!

The verdict...

Comfort & Surroundings: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Tastiness: 6/10
Drinks: 8/10
Fiscal Matters: 6.5/10
TOTAL: 36.5/50

The Silver Spoon

The Silver Spoon
691 Albany Highway, Victoria Park
(08) 9361 4220

1. Comfort and Surroundings

Alexander: For this review, let's break comfort and surroundings down and consider each one separately. First, comfort: The Silver Spoon is very comfortable with well-spaced, well-sized and well-apportioned tables. The bathrooms are clean and pleasant. You could sit in the seats for hours and not feel uncomfortable. So, yes, it's a comfy place. But turn to surroundings and things are a bit different. It's not that anything is particularly bad, just that some things seem a bit, well, awkward. The Silver Spoon is obviously going for a classy vibe with white table cloths and a sleek black, silver and white theme. But there were a few things that stood out: the cigarette butts on the veranda, the waiters in casual clothes (one of whom I originally mistook for a patron taking a bit too much interest in whether I had finished eating). Plus, it's smack bang on Albany Hwy, across the road from a car dealership, which doesn't make for the nicest view. (Some people might argue that there's not much you can do about that; well, what about a giant wall with a delightful trompe l'oeil painted on it? Problem solved!) All in all, I am going with a 3.

Lola: So Alexander has summed it up very well, The Silver Spoon just feels a little awkward. I'm a big believer in working within the space that you have and making the most of it, but this wasn't done here. Having said that, the hall to the bathrooms, including a water feature, is quite lovely. And I think the entire place would scrub up really well, sans cigarette butts. I'll have to give an ambivalent 3.

2. Service

Alexander: Table service at breakfast! Hooray! And pleasant service at that. My only complaint: no one refilled our water, and it ran out pretty early into the meal. A 3.5 from me.

Lola: The wait staff seemed to genuinely care about the food and how we liked it, which gave the feeling of one big Silver Spoon family, where everyone is passionate about the restaurant and their product. This is always wonderful! And I too enjoyed the table service, though it would have been more worthwhile had they been close to us during our meal, so we could request more water. A 3.5 from me too.

3. Tastiness

Alexander: I ordered the vegetarian breakfast and 5/7ths of it as a great experience. The poached eggs were cooked perfectly, I am happy to report, and the potato cake had a delicious crunchy exterior and soft, pillowy centre. The roasted tomatoes were sweet, roasted with a hint of garlic, the mushrooms weren't oily and the house made beans had a lovely rich flavour. So that's the five good parts. The two bad parts? The toast was a bit thick and very hard to cut into and there was a noticeable amount of grit in my spinach, making that part inedible. What a shame! I will give it 5/7ths out of 5, or in other words, 3.5.

Lola: Oh yeah, I could see the spinach grit on Alexander's plate from where I was sitting! For my meal I chose the Mt Cook smoked salmon with truffle scrambled eggs, asparagus and Turkish bread, and also a side of sausage (yes, it was a singular sausage when delivered). I'll award it a 3.5. The smoked salmon was abundant and superb, the asparagus cooked to perfection, but unfortunately my scrambled eggs were clumpy and overcooked. Really disappointing. And I'd heard such good things about the food here! The sausage was pretty tops though, I must say.

4. Drinks

Alexander: You can't get too much wrong with a long black and there was nothing awful about mine. But I am used to my long blacks coming out steaming hot and needing a few minutes to cool down, whereas this one was drinkable straight away. I'm not a coffee expert, but it seems like this is unusual? Perhaps a reader could enlighten me. Anyway, I am going to give my drink a 2.5.

Lola: Meh. Lukewarm coffees are not okay! And neither is a lukewarm, 'hot' chocolate. I couldn't resist trying the marble chocolate, a mix of milk and white, and the flavour was great but the milk was barely heated. Sure, it's better than burning the milk, but that's not a concession I'm willing to make. I also sampled a chai and that too was lukewarm. Sigh. Add some undisclosed soy milk to the mix and I'm giving a 1.

5. Fiscal Matters

Alexander: Prices are reasonable for Perth, coming in just slightly below the average price point. Toast is $5 and the priciest items are $18. My dish was $14 which I thought was quite reasonable (some breakfast places still try to charge the "big breakfast" price for a vegetarian breakfast, which is just ridiculous). I also like that there is not one set price for all sides; I find it strange that a side of tomato often costs the same price as a side of bacon. 3.5 from me.

Lola: Hmm, I thought it was still a little overpriced, my dish coming in at $18. While there was a good portion of smoked salmon, and it was really large, the price is not quite what I could call reasonable. And a $4 teeny sausage was a bit steep. However, the $5 toast and $11 eggs and tomatoes on toast on offer are both pretty good value. I'm even it out and awarding a 3 overall.

The verdict...

Comfort & Surroundings: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Tastiness: 7/10
Drinks: 3.5/10
Fiscal Matters: 6.5/10
TOTAL: 30/50

Toast

Sunday 24 May 2009

Toast
Shop 21/60 Royal Street, East Perth
(08) 9221 7553

1. Comfort and Surroundings

Alexander: My first breakfast in East Perth was a pleasant surprise. There were plenty of people in the area which provided for the right amount of bustle on an otherwise relatively sleepy street. Toast looks great - it has a distinct theme without feeling rigid or overdone. There are tables inside and outside. It's counter service but there weren't any difficulties ordering. The condiments tray was conveniently located. The table next to us was inhabited by rude people who didn't have any concept of personal space (with a chair continuously banging against our table), but even that didn't dent Toast's cool, casual vibe. 4 from me.

Lola: Having found the development of East Perth overly manufactured, I've previously avoided the suburb. There was nothing contrived about Toast. With its red vinyl chairs, antique Pastis bottles serving as water bottles and miniature blackboard table numbers, the decor proved fresh and delightful. I chose the comfortable bench seat across the back of the room and took advantage of one of the many cushions that were lying about. Toast was pleasant and inviting and deserves a 4 from me too.

2. Service

Alexander: It's counter service but the people working there were so nice that I can't really mark it down for that. Our drinks came out quickly (which is what you want), but the food wasn't rushed out, providing just enough delay to allow a decent portion of conversation before stuffing our faces. Perfect. Plates were cleared quickly and with minimal invasiveness. I'm going 4 again.

Lola: The staff here are delightful and incredibly good at what they do. The way the counter service works here makes for maximum efficiency, however, as a rule I won't give above a 4 for this kind of set up. Therefore they receive the maximum counter service score of 4.

3. Tastiness

Alexander: I ordered the cheesy scrambled eggs with chives, roast tomatoes and rye bread. It was good - enough food without being too massive. The eggs weren't super cheesy, but that was probably a good thing to avoid excessive richness. The tomatoes were sweet and well cooked. I was really excited when I saw rye bread on the menu, but unfortunately this was probably the least delicious part of the meal (the pieces being slightly tiny in size and a tad over-toasted). There was a good variety of innovative other things on the menu, and I look forward to trying some of the other options. A 3 from me.

Lola: My choice this Sunday were the corn fritters with scrambled eggs, avocado and hollandaise. I'm a big fan of the corn fritter and resultantly might be quite hard to please, but these were just the way I like them. With not too much unnecessary batter holding them together the focus was on the good stuff. Eggs were poached to perfection and the avocado was fresh and plentiful. The dish only fell short because I prefer my hollandaise with slightly more tang, but that's very much a personal quirk. Once again, a 4 here.

4. Drinks

Alexander: My iced mocha was pretty awesome. Sweet and strong without being overpowering. Cold. Served in a tall glass. Just the way I like it - 4.5.

Lola: Top marks! I couldn't fault my hot chocolate. With its great flavour, temperature and size, I was Goldilocks and it was baby bear's porridge. Since there was no room for improvement I have to give a 5.

5. Fiscal matters

Alexander: Prices are pretty standard and definitely reasonable. My food was $15 and my drink was $5.50, so I definitely didn't feel ripped off. Other items on the menu provided a suitable range of prices. Not much more to say on this front. I'm giving it a 3.

Lola: I feel similarly to Alexander on this issue as Toast offers average Perth prices and, accordingly, I'm giving an average 3.5. My fritters were a reasonable $16.50 and my hot chocolate $4.40.

The verdict...

Comfort & Surroundings: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Tastiness: 7/10
Drinks: 9.5/10
Fiscal Matters: 6.5/10
TOTAL: 39/50

Sensations en Ardross

Sunday 19 April 2009

Sensations en Ardross
43A Ardross Street, Applecross
(08) 9364 8806

1. Comfort and Surroundings

Lola: Needing a south of the river location we once again ventured to Applecross, this time trying the spot just next door to the location of our last expedition. Accordingly, the view and surrounds were just as nice, though I couldn't help but compare the seating arrangements to Jacs. The table and chairs this week were adequate but not particularly comfortable and I felt a little cramped. It's nice there, but nothing special, so I'll give it a 3.

Alexander: Our table felt like it was a bit smooshed in between other tables, which wasn't very impressive. The decor is a bit of a jumble without any discernible theme. Also, the line of people waiting to order tends to snake through the tables, meaning things felt a little unsettled. It also made it hard to reach the condiments table! This may sound harsh, but I am going with a 2.

2. Service

Lola: You order at the counter at Sensations which I don't mind at all. The girl who served me was friendly and accommodating, granting substitutions and answering questions. They also provide water and a huge range of condiments for self-service, meaning there was no further contact with staff. I find this kind of set-up often results in not being able to obtain access to what you want because it has inevitably been taken by a customer for exclusive use at their own table, but they had so much on offer that we weren't disappointed. No problems but I can't give more than 3.5 since we largely served ourselves.

Alexander: I didn't have much contact with the people working at Sensations because Lola ordered my breakfast for me. The brief encounters I had with the waitresses were pleasant though. As a self-service place, the marks are never going to be super high from me - I'm giving it a 3.

3. Tastiness

Lola: I really liked the menu and was torn between many dishes! I finally chose the breakfast wrap minus the fresh tomato. This was a thin crepe with perfect scrambled eggs, chives and avocado inside. Unfortunately the avocado you see in the picture was almost the entire amount of avocado in the wrap. Sigh. While the eggs were cooked to perfection I did expect a bit more out of each bite. I was still pretty happy though and would like to return and try another option! But for this meal, a 2.5.

Alexander: It was a big menu and in the end I went for the scrambled eggs with spinach and feta. The scrambled eggs were well cooked and there was a good (but not overpowering) amount of spinach and feta included. The combination of flavours definitely worked and the bread held it all together. I could probably have used a bigger serve though. All in all, 3.5.

4. Drinks

Lola: My chai was extremely disappointing. It was insipid, tasting of slightly flavoured warm milk. The flavour itself was promising but was not brewed for long enough! Only a 1.5 from my end.

Alexander: Given how fussy I am about drinks, I am surprised to be giving a higher mark than Lola. I ordered a cappuccino and, while not the most exciting coffee in the world, it still hit the spot - a 3 effort.

5. Fiscal matters

Lola: At $18.50 for my fairly small and simple crepe I thought the prices were a bit steep. I have to go a 2.5.

Alexander: The prices weren't exorbitant but they were on the high end of the scale. It's pretty much what you would expect from Ardross Street in Applecross. Given it's self-service, I think the menu was a bit overpriced, so I am only giving it 2.5.

The verdict...

Comfort & Surroundings: 5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Tastiness: 6/10
Drinks: 4.5/10
Fiscal Matters: 5/10
TOTAL: 27/50