English Breakfasts

As much as I love my creative dishes, not everyone does and sometimes the best judge of a café is how well they do the classics. What I like about this Kins’ Big Brekkie ($24) is that it really does look like a massive, hearty, tasty breakfast plate — and it tastes like that too. Their scrambled eggs are done rather well and just the way I like em: nice silky folds, creamy from being just slightly underdone, and not overly rich or buttery. Big thumbs up to their shrooms too, which were beautifully browned, well-seasoned and full of umami. Sourdough was nicely buttered and toasted; tomatoes sweet and grilled just right; and the regular processed hashbrowns well, hard to fuck up. I am a little on the fence about their candied bacon, which was very unevenly “candied” — if that makes sense to you. It was more akin to maple-drizzled bacon strips to me, with the top slice receiving more of the syrup bath and the bottom slices like regular (and very crispy) bacon. The sausage also tasted more like those processed English Cumberland ones, without the juicy chunky meat. It is a lil expensive considering the rather straightforward ingredients, but it’s tasty and satisfying and yknow it’s not always that easy to find a brekkie that offers you that — as common as this is.

$25 may seem a tad hefty for a classic English breakfast, but take my word when I say it’s worth every buck. You’ve got sourdough toast topped with a creamy 3-egg scramble (idk what eggs go in there I haven’t had a chance to catch Bird since 🙃), sweet roasted tomatoes, juicy and tender homemade sausage patties, bacon strips, creamed mushrooms, and a crisp garden salad. Every component is executed perfectly, each complementing the others while bringing additional layers of nuanced contrast in textures and flavours. It’s straightforward and hearty, and downright delicious. And that’s really all I desire in a good ol’ breakfast plate. They get extra brownie points for a solid salad too: great vinaigrette and crisp veggies that are definitely not just on the plate as an afterthought.

Well-scrambled eggs, two slices of toasted bread, a grilled sausage with a crusty exterior, tomatoes and baked beans - it's everything one could ask for in a breakfast plate done well. Artistry has lots of amazing dishes to order so this is usually overlooked. But on days I'm in the mood for something simple and hearty, this fits the bill perfectly.

Ronin's my go-to place for consistently reliable and stunning all-day brunch. A great - possibly the best - scramble, well-roasted portobello, beautifully charred sausages, crisp bacon, and generously buttered toasts - I'm in brunch heaven. The food's awesome, the coffee's stellar, and the staff are amazing. What's not to like?

Lovely bread, great baked beans, and the rest...meh. Am only returning to try the sandwiches.