‘Twas a lazy Saturday morning and as 10am rolled round, hubby and I made the decision to head into Northbridge for brunch, with a couple of reasons driving us – firstly, the Tuck Shop is one of our favourite breakfast spots, and secondly, that way we could walk into the CBD afterwards to view the Giants (massive marionettes from France).
Moving a bit slower than usual after hosting a dinner party at our house the night before, we strolled through the front door at the Tuck Shop Cafe around 1045am, spoke to the lovely lady at the front door who placed our name on the waiting list. We only had to wait about five minutes before we were shown to a table.
We started off with a couple of coffees, and I also ordered a beetroot, celery and apple juice ($7.50) to get some goodness back into my body. The flash of ginger added to the juice gave it a perfectly refreshing bite, just the thing to rejuvenate the soul ahead of a strooooooong caffeine boost 😉
Coffees & Beetroot, Apple and Celery Juice
We have been to Tuck Shop many, many times and this time I had to go for one of my staples – the Chilli con Carne with sourdough toast, tomatoes, avocado and lime salsa ($19.50).
Chilli con Carne with Poached Egg, Tomato and Avocado Salsa ($19.50)
The chilli con carne is served in a ceramic dish and has a lovely crust on top from being grilled in the oven to finish it off. The poached egg placed on the top of the chilli is just waiting to be burst, so it can be absorbed into the beans. The tomatoes are a mix of delightfully juicy roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and served with coriander and avocado drizzled in fresh lime juice.
Dipping the crusty bread into the piping hot chilli, swirling it to get a bit of the oozy yoke from the egg, smooshing some avocado on top and balancing half a cherry tomato with a leaf of coriander – now, that’s the way to get set up for the day! Dave ordered something new that he had not tried before, but which we had both eyed off on nearby patron’s tables previously, the Moroccan meatball dish.
Moroccan meatballs with flatbread, hummus and za’atar fried egg ($18.50)
Dave’s meatballs were tender and the flatbread was warm, lightly toasted, with the crushed spiced tomatoes providing a good base for the meatballs to lay upon, and topped with hummus. The addition of dukkah and fresh mint leaves provided a crunchiness and freshness that bought the whole meal together – I think Dave was more than a little miffed when I asked for a second (and third!) taste. Having said that, my meal was HUGE, and I could not actually get more than half way through my dish of chilli con carne before I was stuffed to the brim!
The Tuck Shop has some fantastic options on the menu, and one of my favourites, besides the chilli con carne, is the smoked cod dish – do yourself a favour and pay Tuck Shop a visit. And if you’re not in the mood for a sit down brunch then do the next best thing, grab one of their award winning pies and make it a breakfast on the go!
Highly recommend both the pies, and the sit down dining experience – Tuck Shop is consistently good.