Braking for Breakfast

A couple of my closest friends recently moved to Collingwood St in Paddington and prior to moving, they were particularly excited about the close proximity to a new breakfast spot opening, Shouk Cafe, which was taking over where Jazzcat had recently vacated. While I was in India, a group of our friends including them checked it out and I returned to hear glowing reports about the Middle Eastern-inspired food. Shouk Cafe has also been popular with the food bloggers, Urbanspoon reviewers and even got a Gourmet Traveller Hot Plates mention. So when S, who recently returned from a holiday to the Middle East, and I were trying to think of a place to breakfast, I suggested Shouk Cafe in Paddington. Now Paddington is not a particularly bike-friendly area (at least not for me and my bike) with it's many hills so I decided this would have to be a non-biking adventure.


We planned to meet at 8:30am but I, running late as usual, turned into Collingwood St a little after 8:30 and then spent the next ten minutes looking for a park, maneuvering my car into an awkward space and then walking from the car which was about 200m from the cafe. Note to self and readers: parking in Paddington is painful. Anyhow, by the time I finally arrived at Shouk, S already had a seat by the front window. Brisbane is definitely cooling down and due to being next to the open door, it was a bit cold. But there were already people outside waiting for a table so I was just happy we had one. The friendly waitress appeared soon after I sat down to take our order so we ordered our coffees and asked for a few extra minutes to decide on meals.



The menu was already at the table when I arrived and although I'd already looked at the online menu, there were some minor differences. The all-day menu has some interesting options such as Goats Milk & Date Panna Cotta ($15), Lamb Shwarma ($16) and the Israeli breakfast for two ($35), which is a continental-style selection of rolls, pastries, smoked salmon, salad, cheese, olives, eggs and jam and house-made condiments. They also offer the standards like Avocado on Toast with poached eggs ($16) but with a Middle Eastern twist of added dukkah and pomegranate molasses. Their extras are all priced at $3 each or 2 for $5, which sounds like fantastic value given that they includes bacon, merguez sausage, leg ham and latkes, but there isn't really a basic menu item that you could order multiple extras with. The Grilled Zucchini & Haloumi on flatbread with dill, mint, hummus, olives and rocket ($14) appealed to me but I wasn't sure how I would handle the flatbread so opted for the Shakshuka (Tunisian style baked eggs) with toasted challah and olives ($17). I asked about the gluten-free bread ($1) and was told it was just sandwich bread so decided to leave it. Unless the bread is an integral part of the meal or great bread, I tend to not bother paying the extra to switch it. S decided on the slow cooked Lamb Shwarma on flat bread with hummus, pickled red onion, olives, marinated artichoke heart and lemon ($16). She was somewhat pained by the price given that a few months ago she was paying $2 for a similar meal. By the time we had ordered, the waitress had already been over a few times to see if we were ready to order so I get the feeling that high turnover is encouraged, possibly to cater for the number of people waiting for tables. It didn't really bother me though as I would appreciate it if I had been waiting!

Shakshuka

Coffees arrived quickly and my long black was smooth and not at all bitter. Meals took a while longer, about twenty minutes. I was starving by the time my Shakshuka arrive so was a little disappointed it wasn't bigger but it really was a good breakfast size. The sauce was thick with large chunks of tomato, capsicum and olives surrounding the baked eggs. I thought one of the eggs was over-baked with the yolk set but the other was perfectly cooked with a gooey center. The capsicum still had some bite to it - I would have preferred that it had been cooked for longer to blend in with the other ingredients more but that may just be the style. I had a small bite of the challah and it reminded me a lot of brioche and was delicious - pity I couldn't eat more!

Lamb Shwarma

S's lamb shwarma looked delicious with a huge amount of hummus smeared on the homemade flatbread and a generous serve of shredded lamb atop it with the pickled red onion, artichoke and olives. I had a taste of the lamb and it was flavourful and tender and no doubt complemented by the onion and hummus. I think next time I'd just take the pain of eating the bread to have that meal! I was a few other meals being served to other customers and they were all beautifully presented, especially the panna cotta.


We hung around a little longer but, seeing as we could see a small queue forming outside, felt bad about staying too long. We went up to the counter to pay and only then I noticed that there was a large, sunny room out the back too which looked like it fit larger groups.


Overall I enjoyed my meal at Shouk although my meal didn't blow me away. Still I think I'd like to return to try one of the other meals!




http://www.shoukcafe.com.au/

Burnett Lane was the start of Brisbane's development of alleyways and is home to 'hidden' places such as Brew, The Survey Co. and Super Whatnot. Felix Espresso & Winebar is the most recent addition to the lineup and is possibly the most hidden of the lot. The first time I visited it took me a few walks by to see the little chalkboard sign and stairway. I think signage has improved since then but you may need to keep your eyes wide open to find it. Felix is a small cafe offering simple breakfast and lunch fare with a focus on organically and locally sourced wholefoods made from scratch. I believe there were plans to eventually become licensed and serve wine (hence the name) but I'm not sure if that is still happening.


Owners Peter Kuhnell and Gretta Bottomley designed the fitout and Gretta is responsible for all of the delicious homemade treats available to eat. They have done an amazing job with the innovative layout which has a surprisingly spacious feel for such a tiny space due to the high ceilings and sunken eating area. There aren't a lot of available seats (three small, one larger communal table and a bar overlooking Burnett Lane) so get there early if you want to dine in. A beautiful bright sky mural adorns one of the walls and the stained glass windows, brightly coloured stools, flowers in white vases and timber floors and tables give the area a warm and happy feel. There is also a range of great cookbooks available to peruse on a small shelf along the wall.




The all-day menu changes regularly and when I went it included breakfast items such as Felix's Bircher Jar ($7), a vegan Fruit Chia Cup with coconut cashew cream ($6.50) and avocado on sourdough with house-made labna ($7.50). Additionally there were a range of freshly baked goods on the counter including two types of gluten-free vegetarian tarts ($7.50). I've tried the pumpkin, caramelised onion and ricotta and there was also a roasted tomato and pesto one. The pumpkin tart was frittata-like and chock-full of ingredients - perfect for a small breakfast. It would also be an excellent lunch option with the side salad (additional $5). As delicious as the tart was, I've found it difficult to go past the Bircher Jar which is a creamy mix of oats, chia seeds and Maleny vanilla yoghurt topped with sweet crunchy maple nuts and a few slices of fresh fruit such as apple and dragon fruit. It's not a large serve but is delicious and again good for a small breakfast. The avocado on sourdough is one slice but the serving of sliced avocado and labna is generous and is accompanied by a wedge of lemon.

Coffee is $3.50 for small or $4 for large and soy or almond milk are available for an additional 50c. Felix also offer Green Smoothies, Raw Chocolate Milkshakes and Raw Cashew Milkshakes (all $7.50) which are all vegan and dairy-free. Continuing with the raw items, they also make a raw cashew 'cheese' cake ($6)  and something called a Dreambar Brownie ($4) intrigues me. There are usually also a few other baked sweets on the counter. Lunchtime options change daily but generally include a lineup of stuffed baguettes ($11),  salad bowls ($12) with optional chicken/ham ($3) and Goat Pie Guy pies with salad ($17). According to their Facebook page, jaffles and soups have recently been added to the menu. 




Overall, Felix is a fantastic place to stop off and have a relaxing coffee and delicious breakfast in the CBD for a small price. It's rare to find a place where you can sit down and get great coffee and food for just over $10. So far I have met people there but I could see myself happily going there solo and perusing the cookbooks as I ate and people-watched from the window bar. I look forward to seeing what is coming next for Felix - they have recently begun doing evening food workshops such as raw foods, gluten-free baking, vegan baking and fermentation techniques. The cost is $95 for a three hour workshop and further details can be found on their website. 

The window bar overlooking Burnett Lane

Kitchen behind counter