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Caf-fez...Food with a dash of Community Spirit!
Breakfast. The most important meal of the day we are told. There are many, many cafes and restaurants in Bunbury that offer a good breakfast, and believe me, I have tried most. I had the absolute pleasure of a late breakfast in Caf-fez,#caffez last week, and without any agenda, I can honestly say it was one of the best.
I guess, when I mentioned we went in for breakfast,#breakfast I am being a bit economical with the truth. Lisa and I had had a fairly big night the night before, so it was more of a brunch for us. It was about 11:30AM. Does that still qualify for breakfast? Any hoo, I digress.
Before I go on, I just want to say, I absolutely love the relaxed layout and atmosphere of this cafe. You can take your choice of sitting at the standard table and chairs, or relax on a sofa. There is nothing conventional about Caf-fez, you could almost believe you have popped around to one of your mates for a casual bite to eat. Even the decor is relaxed and understated. If you are in to people watching, this is the ideal place, there is even seating outside for when the warmer weather hits.
OK, down to the nitty gritty—The food! First things first, I have gotta talk about the coffee.#coffee I think I have mentioned before in other blogs about how coffee preference is purely down to taste. I love my coffee strong—really, really strong! I ordered a latte for Lisa and a Mocha for our teenager who had mooched along for a free meal. For me it was my usual Long Black with a threat of cold milk.
“Do you want four shots in a mug” I was asked by smiling member of staff
Mmm four shots of coffee. Do I want four shots of Coffee? Hell yeah, bring it on!
“Why not” I politely replied.
Our drinks were promptly served. Any traces of the beer and wine I had consumed the night before were put in a headlock and booted out of my system by the strong but deliciously smooth coffee. My senses were awakened as was my appetite. There was plenty to tempt us on the menu. The breakfast choice alone was huge. Everything from a seasonal fruit salad; carb hits in the guise of Banana bread, croissants and a breakfast Bruschetta; right through to a selection of cooked options. There really was something for everybody. Their lunch menu is also varied—a blog for another day perhaps.
I pretty much decided straight away that I was going to have their aptly titled “Caf-fez Big Breakfast” They are not messing around when they say big. It consisted of bacon—obviously— perfectly cooked, not over salty and lean, none of that fatty stuff here! There was an interesting take on a hash brown. At Caf-fez, they call it a smash brown.#smashbrown This is like a baked potato with skin still on that has literally been thumped with a blunt instrument and then lightly fried.
It was a pleasant surprise and made a refreshing change from the frozen shop bought type that is usually served in some other venues. Now, I am a huge fan of sausages, I love them in all their glorious forms. Caf-fez again tried something different. They serve chorizo,#chorizo with this breakfast and it simply works. They cook it to perfection, just a little bit of char on the sausage to give it a subtle sweetness which then balances the hint of spice in there. Bloody Delicious! The eggs are served however you want them. I opted for fried, but they’ll give you whatever you want, poached, scrambled, you decide. Also, along for the ride with this breakfast was a generous handful of mushrooms, cooked fresh tomato, a doorstep of toast, (again, you get to decide the type of bread you want), and all finished off with some spinach and some micro greens.
There was one other thing that completely sealed the deal for me. As some of you will know, I come from the UK. If I am honest, there is not too much I miss from my homeland. However, HP sauce,#HPSauce is one of them, and I always have a bottle in my cupboard at home. Imagine my absolute delight on seeing a bottle sitting with the other condiments. Breakfast heaven for me.
Lisa opted for the Veggie breakfast. This was another huge affair, but without the meat of course. There was a generous serving of saucy baked beans. Toast and butter.
Perfectly cooked fresh tomato—how great do they look! The aforementioned smashed brown, mushrooms, avocado, spinach and micro greens. It was thoroughly enjoyed.
Our freeloading teenager who unlike us did not have a big night, decided on the nachos.#Nachos I guess you would call it comfort food. A large bowl of hot nachos with a spicy salsa, cheese, and a fruity chutney. The obligatory sour cream served on the side. When I asked if I could try one, he reluctantly agreed. They were good nachos. Not too spicy, plenty of cheese, but not too much that everything else was lost! It was great winter fare.
Three meals, three coffees and three satisfied customers. Caf-fez delivered the perfect late breakfast/brunch. The service was excellent, the staff could not do enough for us, and most important of all, everyone had a smile on their face and seemed happy to be there—Staff and patrons alike.
Before I finish, I just want to mention the community,#community stuff that Caf-fez are involved in. They open their doors to small community groups for meetings etc. I also had the pleasure of attending an open night evening they hosted recently. An absolute incredible night, with heaps of talented people. The night was made more amazing by the hospitality shown by Caf-fez. The owners of the cafe really go the extra mile. They work all day in the cafe, then sometimes work till late to ensure these events run as smooth as they do. They clearly have a passion for the Cafe, but also for the local arts scene. If that’s not commitment, then I really don’t know what is.
Your table awaits!
