Braking for Breakfast

After a miserable rainy Saturday, Brisbane returned to its gorgeous sunny self the next day. I woke up feeling surprisingly energetic after a lateish night out and decided to go for a ride. I texted C to see if he was also up for a ride and he was so after meeting at my place, we set off and decided to head towards Woolloongabba and find something small for breakfast there. It was a later than usual start around and the weather was lovely and warm so we had an enjoyable ride along the river towards the Goodwill Bridge and after crossing, heading past the Mater Hospital toward the Gabba. After reading a review of new East Brisbane restaurant Catbird Seat Bistro I was interested to see what they had on offer but wasn't feeling anything in particular there. So we walked our bikes a little further towards old favourite Paw Paw but the line was long and we were on a semi-deadline with a soccer game to play just after lunchtime. Despite loving Pearl Cafe, we weren't feeling it and although the Spanish-inspired menu at Canvas sounded amazing, it was a bit heavy for a pre-soccer meal. So we headed across the road to The Baker's Arms. I'd been there before and thought it might have something easy and quick.



The Baker's Arms is a specialty bakehouse in the Logan Rd precinct of shops and restaurants and serve up freshly baked items for breakfast and lunch daily. On top of the usual pastries, cakes and pies that you'd expect to find at a bakery, they make fresh sandwiches on house-made bread, muffins and other savoury items such as vegetarian tarts, vegetable rolls and frittata that are served with salads. The items baked change daily and there is no set menu - you simply look inside the display cabinets and on the counter and choose from the large array of sweet and savoury items. Now as someone who can't eat regular bread, going to a bakery doesn't sound like the smartest idea but The Baker's Arms have plenty of gluten-free options and also caters for vegetarians and the lactose intolerant. On the day we were there they had Spiced Indian Vegie Bhaji with vegan tzatziki ($9) which is what C chose to order. I was initially feeling Bircher muesli, which The Bakers Arms offers for $8.50 and is served with fresh strawberries and honey. But at the last minute, I spotted the tray of Pear and Sour Cherry Spelt Crumble ($8.50) which was served with Greek yoghurt and decided on that. We ordered at the counter along with our coffees ($3.50)  and found a table outside in the warm sun.



Within 5 minutes our coffees arrived - long black with milk on the side for me and a short macchiato for C. The Baker's Arms uses Campos beans, which is one of my favourites, and they use them well. My long black was strong without any bitterness. A few minutes later our meals arrived, served on old school white enamel plates with bright blue rims. C's bhaji was served warm (obviously reheated) with the tzaziki on the side and a leafy green salad accompanied it. The bhaji had large chunks of sweet potato and potato throughout it and was strong in Indian flavour. C commented that the tzaziki was too sweet for his liking but generally enjoyed his meal. My spelt crumble was served in a bowl with some thick Greek yoghurt on the side at room temperature. The large chunks of pear were soft but still with some bite and the sour Morello cherries added delicious flavour and tartness to the sweet pear. The spelt crumb wasn't overly floury and had oats, nuts and seeds mixed through which added texture to the soft fruit. The yoghurt was cream and unexpectedly mild in flavour but worked well with the crumble. Overall I loved it and was a great alternative to standard muesli.

Spiced Indian Vegie Bhaji with vegan tzatziki ($9)

Pear and sour cherry spelt crumble with Greek yoghurt ($8.50)

The Baker's Arms is a great spot for a quick or leisurely breakfast or lunch or even just coffee and a small snack. Service is quick and friendly, coffee is good and there is a large range of options to choose from and all appear to be $10 or under. Meals are therefore on the smaller side but that just means if you're hungry, you can try several things! It's easy to cycle to and, if driving, there is ample parking around the area although given the number of popular spots in the precinct it can get busy.

Image courtesy of Brisbane Times

Pearl Cafe has has always been a favourite of mine but I don't go there very often. It always seems like a more expensive option, which in retrospect I'm not sure why I thought that. Pearl Cafe always has delicious seasonal options and use excellent quality ingredients. It also regularly has a line so I was concerned about the wait we might encounter once we arrived, especially since it was 9:30 by this stage. However we were seated immediately at the bar and handed menus. After taking our coffee orders (short mac for C, long black with milk on the side for me) we were told about the two breakfast specials - a French toast dish and a Barossa Valley ham steak with beans and poached eggs, both $14 each. Prior to knowing the specials I had been considering getting the 2 hens eggs poached and ordering a few sides but the waitress had me at ham steak, even after having had ham for about the last six meals straight. I do love some Christmas ham. C does too it seems since he also ordered it.

Barossa Valley ham steak w beans & poached eggs

The coffees arrived first. I'm not a coffee connoisseur - I either like the coffee or I don't. And I liked this coffee. The short mac had a dollop of foam on it and C had no complaints. C then felt like something more refreshing so ordered the Citron Press ($7), which is citron syrup and soda water with mint. It arrived shortly afterwards and hit the spot for him. No too long afterwards, the ham steaks came out on a bed of beans and with two poached eggs on top. I cut into the first poached egg and it was slightly gooey and oozed slightly out, exactly how I like my eggs. The ham steak was absolutely delicious - salty and sweet at the same time and bursting with flavour. Together with the mild beans and gooey egg, it was a perfect combination. There were some micro greens around the plate as well which gave the dish a slight freshness although I always have trouble eating them! Somehow I just can't get them on a fork properly...but that is just my poor cutlery handling skills.

We went up to the front counter to pay and, as usual, there was a display of delicious looking sweets, including brownies and a pecan cake, and jars of tomato relish. I was tempted to get one of the cakes just because they looked so good but I really didn't need it!

Overall, this breakfast reminded me why I love Pearl Cafe so much. I have never had a bad meal there and I have rethought my opinion on the menu prices. Note that on Sundays Pearl do charge a 20% surcharge but that is noted on the menu. It does make their milkshakes (which are excellent from memory) around the $9 mark which is excessive in my mind but I will just avoid going on Sundays!