From regionally specific breads and pastries to playful Asian twists on brunch favourites, Western Australians have a host of ways to start the day right. These four addresses are excellent starting points for exploring the city’s new breakfast order.
Grindhouse
On-campus breakfasts – the next big thing? It might be if more university cafeterias follow the lead of Grindhouse. Just as the mural, white splashback tiles and pendant lights chime with contemporary café culture, so too does the food. Young-gun former Rockpooler Jacob D’Vauz oversees a menu brimming with Asian savour. Furikake puts a Japanese spin on salt-and-pepper squid, just as the addition of ssämjang, the spicy, soy-based sauce, nudges the fried chicken sandwich into Korean territory. Crumpets with lemon curd lean more West than East, meanwhile, and single-origin coffee is offered alongside fresh smoothies and juices.
Building 3, Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley, WA, (08) 9371 6886, ,instagram.com/grindhouse_ECU“>instagram.com/grindhouse_ECU
Post
“Spa cuisine”. It’s not a phrase that immediately suggests tastiness, but the Shambhala menu at Post proves nutritious and delicious needn’t be mutually exclusive. Avocado on toast is reimagined as slices of avo on a nut and seed cracker, while quinoa porridge gets gussied up with pear, blueberries and almonds. Diners unencumbered by dietary requirements or calorie counts, on the other hand, can hook into deluxe egg and ham muffins and hot-smoked ocean trout with caviar and a fried egg. Service is more restaurant-polished than café-rushed to boot.
1 Cathedral Ave, Perth, WA, (08) 6168 7822, ,postperth.com.au“>postperth.com.au
Toastface Grillah
White bread. Cheese. Good fillings. Can it all be so simple? This rickety yet welcoming laneway café has no interest in reinventing the wheel, which is precisely why it commands such a loyal following. The sandwiches are a study in much-less-being-much-more: the Danny Zuccho combines jamón serrano, brie and zucchini to comforting effect, while lime chutney is the unexpected addition in the pear- and blue cheese-powered Pear Grillz. For the purists, ham and cheese and Vegemite and cheese sandwiches make ideal breakfast – or lunch or elevenses. Smiling service, well-priced coffee and feel-good tunes all but guarantee return custom.
Grand La, Perth, WA, 0409 115 909, ,toastfacegrillah.com“> toastfacegrillah.com
Mela
Mela gives good chaat. The only catch? The restaurant’s spread of Indian street snacks and breads is only available on weekends. Still, if anything is going to get you to the top of William Street for a vegetarian Saturday or Sunday brunch, it’s the handiwork of the specialist pastry- and bread-makers Hazari Lal, Jinu Jayapalan and Dayanand Bhatt. Between them, these chefs produce winners like chole bathura, a balloon-like fried leavened bread served with an addictive chickpea curry. Thin puffed pastry cups freighting spiced water, potato and tamarind make for some of the better pani puri doing the rounds, while Mela’s plus-sized samosas remain a benchmark.
428 William St, Northbridge, WA, (08) 9227 7367, ,melaindian.com“>melaindian.com