Breakfast at Brew Revisited

Brew Cafe and Wine Bar
http://brewgroup.com.au/

In the spirit of revisiting old favorites, I stopped by at Brew on the weekend. I first went there about a year ago, which on the scale of things isn't that long. It FEELS like a long time ago though. At the time, it was newish and hidden and there weren't many other laneway establisments.

Over this past year, Brew has developed into a popular go-to breakfast/late night spot in the city. What's more, we've now got a host of other hot locations down Burnett Lane, including Survey Co and Super Whatnot.

For those who don't know, Brew can be found by heading near the Albert St and Queens St intersection, locating the 7-11 and turning down an adjacent alleyway. It looks dodgy but the big 'Brew' sign overhead will clear up any reservations. My mate Zen and I caught up over very late brunch and hot beverages last Saturday.

Latte

I got there first and ordered a latte. I've practically given up writing anything constructive about coffee that I drink because too often, my feedback is 'pretty good'. I'll break the trend here because this latte at Brew was fantastic. It makes sense, given the name 'Brew' that coffee is something they excel in.

When Zen arrived, we had a conumdrum with deciding what to order. I had my eyes on the haloumi and roast cherry tomatoes. Zen was also drawn to this. I like to inject variety into my blog by never ordering the same thing as anyone I'm eating with so I thought I'd change my order to the avocado on toast with an addition of haloumi. I know it's similar to Zen's but at least I could say I tried.

Unfortunately there was no avocado available that day so put on the spot, I ended up ordering the same thing. We also got a pot of tea each.

Roobios and ginger tea

I had the roobios and ginger tea, which tasted cleansing and refreshing. Zen had the Grey Owl earl grey (creative tongue twister name) and enjoyed it.

Haloumi - with slow roasted tomatos, organic ciabatta and a poached egg

In the end I was glad I ordered the haloumi stack because it was exactly what I wanted. The fried haloumi had a golden and crunchy exterior and familiar chewiness on the inside.

Close-up of poached egg

It was served layered with wilted cherry tomatoes on ciabatta, a poached egg and microherbs for decoration. The sweetness of the cherry tomatoes were a lovely compliment to the haloumi. The egg was cooked flawlessly. Both Zen and I enjoyed this dish.

Brew is a great spot to stop by for food and drink any time of the day. It has a charm that's often missing in Brisbane food establishments. I would term this factor 'Melbournian' since Melbourne cafes do it so well. The space is trendy but relaxed and I would love to see what it's like for late night drinks and tapas.