Coode Street Café

Coode Street Café
24 Coode Street
Maylands
(08) 9371 9900

1. Comfort and surroundings

Alexander: Sorry about the delay, folks, things have been a bit crazy in the lives of these breakfast bloggers! But with Lola's imminent departure on a European holiday, we knew we had to squeeze in a breakfast review! Coode Street Café was actually not our first choice on this particular occasion, but our first choice was inexplicably closed. Not to worry though, Coode Street Café was just a hop, skip and a jump (and a short car ride) away. Nestled on a leafy street in Maylands, you can tell that Coode Street Café has a good reputation by the number of cars parked within a 100m radius! After finding a carpark and securing a table outside, we settled in for breakfast. The café has a bustling, informal vibe, with an assortment of groupings (from friends to couples to families to singles) partaking in their morning meals. It's pleasant, if a little suburban for my taste, so I'll give it a 3.

Lola: I love the leafy streets and the homely feel to this high Mt Lawley / Maylands border area. Locals flock to this property which retains a corner store vibe. After breakfast you can pick up your milk, a newspaper and other morning staples. It might be bustling and it might be suburban, but I like the sense of community that those things create. And although it's busy, the vast space means there's little crowding. I'll have to say a 4.

2. Service

Alexander: Our waiter was very friendly, breezing across to our table after giving us a couple of minutes to peruse the menu. After securing our coffee orders, our waiter gave us the special of the day (a little bit of a novelty at breakfast!) and then left us for just about the perfect amount of time to make our decision. The food came out fast for such a busy place, so you know they are experienced at catering for a lot of people at the same time. Points for that. Payment at the counter afterwards was a pretty easy affair, too. A 3.5 from me.

Lola: There isn't much more to say in the service department. The system works well with waiters seating you and taking your orders, with counter payment at the end. This gives you a chance to pick up a pie to take home for lunch after! Pretty good with another 4 from this side.

3. Tastiness

Alexander: I couldn't go past the special on this occasion - corn cakes serviced with an avocado salsa, plus bacon on the side! If I could dream up my perfect breakfast, this would definitely be on the menu. It all worked well together, even if the plating was a little rustic. I devoured my breakfast and was left satisfied without being stuffed. A very happy 4!

Lola: Ohh that special nearly had me too! In the end I settled for the grilled peaches and ricotta on fig toast. This was just delightful and warrants a 4.5! The ricotta cut the sweetness of the peaches perfectly, and the bread was jam packed full of figs. Though I don't felt like I overindulged, it kept me full for hours with all its goodness. Yum!

4. Drinks

Alexander: Today I was back in long black territory, so I won't mince words. Good coffee, not the best I've had, definitely not the worst. Above average coffee = a score of 3.

Lola: My flat white could have been a little more robust, but it served the caffeine fix purpose and warmed me from the inside. A 3 seems apt for my beverage, also.

5. Fiscal matters

Alexander: Prices are on par with similar establishments in the location, with breakfast for 2 including drinks coming to a little under $40. When you can get away without parting with more than a $20 note each, things are pretty good... by Perth standards, anyway! 3.5 from me.

Lola: I couldn't have said it better myself. That $20 is a bit of a line for me. Spend over and, although it's common, I feel slightly peeved. But if I can come home with only having bust an orange, I feel like I've done not too bad at all. I second that 3.5.




The verdict...
Comfort and surroundings: 7/10
Service: 7.5/10
Tastiness: 8.5/10
Drinks: 6/10
Fiscal matters: 7/10

TOTAL: 36/50

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

399 Bar

Sunday 16 July 2009

399 Bar
399 William Street,
Northbridge
(08) 9328 8006

1. Comfort & Surroundings

Alexander: I think it's important to highlight at the outset that 399 Bar is not your typical breakfast café. First and foremost, it's a bar that also serves coffee, but with an opening time of 10am on weekends in a nod to early-morning types. It adapts to the breakfast venue vibe pretty well with a tempting coffee aroma and large booth seating, but its layout with a ubiquitous view of the bar and spirits shelf means that you're under no illusion as to where you are at all times. That's not necessarily a bad thing; I'm sure there are lots of people out there who will be excited by the prospect of somewhat edgier and grittier breakfast venue. It's probably not the most child-friendly venue in town, but if you do want to bring one, there are three inexplicable high chairs that will keep your kid at eye level with the bar at all times. Now that's good parenting. 3 from me.

Lola: 399 Bar has popped up as a result of Western Australia’s new small bar licences and the product is a refreshing addition to the breakfast, and presumably evening, scenes. The bar is up the north end of William Street and, rather than juxtaposing the dreggy area, it embraces the grungy aesthetic. At the same time, 399 manages to remain clean and modern with its inviting booths, open plan and fresh fit out. After sampling another of the new small bars the night before, trudging into 399 was a fitting start to the morning and its relaxed and knowing atmosphere allowed us to wake up slowly. Points off only because the wide open doors made for a windier, chillier time than I would have liked, and the grandness of the booths means that had we come an hour later we would have shared our space with others, not the most desirable set up in a space that is otherwise so attractive to those waking up feeling a little seedy. 3.5.

2. Service

Alexander: Being seated within one metre of the bar at all times means that you don't have to go far out of your way to make an order. And you'll be happy to know that you get the cool, mild indifference from the staff that you'd expect from someone working behind a bar, but with a slightly more attentive vibe given that you're not shouting an order over loud music and a throng of other people. In keeping with the theme, we were brought two glasses of water without having to ask - but they came after we'd finished our meals. This sums up the service at 399 Bar perfectly; there's nothing to complain about, but they're not going out of their way to impress you. Which is probably how it should be. I'm going with 3.

Lola: Agreed. While the staff embodied the laid back vibe fitting for a bar in the morning, they were suitably attentive and polite. They did not have the sluggishness of having been out on the turps themselves, yet they were not disproportionately perky either. They settled into the surroundings perfectly and warrant a 3.5 from me.

3. Tastiness

Alexander: You get two food choices at 399 Bar: the "Bloody Bacon" or nothing. Let me explain. Food is not 399 Bar's specialty, but as an acknowledgment to hungry people, they have included one breakfast food item on the menu: a Bloody Mary/bacon & egg roll combo for $15. And if you keep in mind the context and don't mind the lack of choice, it's pretty good. Sure, the roll could be toasted and the fillings were a little undercooked for my taste but, in combination with the Bloody Mary (more on that below), it went down a treat. Plus, it's the ultimate hangover food for people who were at 399 Bar the night before and want to come back the next morning for more. Another 3 from me.

Lola: I really enjoyed this no fuss approach to morning ordering. Although it wouldn’t be my choice every Sunday, I think it’s ideal for the venue. 399 Bar also serve lunch and dinner, offering one option for each meal that changes daily. I really dig this idea! Like Alexander, I would have preferred my roll slightly toasted or warmed, but you can’t expect too much fuss here. I’m giving it a 3 as well.

4. Drinks

Alexander: Being a bar, the drinks category is 399 Bar's time to shine. And I wasn't disappointed. Lola and I took the opportunity to review two drinks again at this breakfast and both were of a high standard. I started with a cappuccino that was of a better quality than a lot of cappuccinos I've had from "coffee specialists". Then, as foreshadowed above, it was time for the Bloody Mary. I enjoyed it as the perfect accompaniment to the food - spicy and savory with cracked black pepper and a celery stick. I'm giving the drinks a 4.

Lola: A 4.5 from me, an extra half a point being awarded for the novelty of the Bloody Mary. What a perfect idea! My hot chocolate was, like Alexander’s cappuccino, above the standard of many cafés I’ve visited and the Bloody Mary was delicious. The staff really know what they are doing here.

5. Fiscal Matters

Alexander: The "Bloody Bacon" combo was $15, which is pretty reasonable considering you are paying upwards of that price just for meals at most breakfast venues. The coffee was very reasonably priced as well. However, despite the value for money, I can't give this a huge score because the lack of options means that there isn't really something for everyone. 3 from me.

Lola: I was more impressed by the value for money and am awarding a 4. I thought $15 was extremely reasonable, particularly compared with other local breakfast venues. If you're scraping your pennies together after a big night out, 399 Bar is definitely an option for morning nourishment. I look forward to returning on an evening before too long.

The verdict...

Comfort & Surroundings: 6.5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Tastiness: 6/10
Drinks: 8.5/10
Fiscal Matters: 7/10
TOTAL: 34.5/50