Dishoom, London

I wanted something different for breakfast and Bombay café inspired Dishoom stood out. Starting with the house chai, the spice warmed me up but despite it being offered with unlimited refills I don’t think I could have more than two.

The first dish from the menu that took my fancy was Kejriwal, two fried eggs on chilli cheese toast. Reputably named after a member of the WIllingdon Club in Bombay who took a fancy to the dish. It certainly made for a breakfast with a twist and now makes normal cheese on toast appear boring.

Another Dishoom take on a classic breakfast item was the bacon and egg naan roll. Smoked streaky bacon from The Ginger Pig which is dry-cured for five days with rock salt and Demerara sugar before being cold smoked over oak chips. I may well have to ask for all my bacon sandwiches in naan bread in the future which may cause a few raised eyebrows. 

Delifonseca, Liverpool

Despite only living a mile away and driving past it most days it’s been a long while since I last dined at Delifonseca Dockside. Since it winning the readers restaurant of the year in the Good Food Guide 2014 I always had a mental note to return, we finanlly had that chance over the Christmas break.

The main dishes and desserts are chalked up on massive blackboards in the dining room. Mrs Nom chose the duck a l’orange whilst I stuck to the lunch time menu and went for the Po’ Boy sandwich. The duck come with a rich pomme boulangere and earthy roasted beetroot. The orange sauce however lacked flavour and Mrs Nom would have preferred it to be more orangey. 

The Po’ Boy is one of the signature dishes of the restaurant, a New Orleans classic. A hot baguette filled with slow roasted beef and roasted juices, with lettuce, tomato and chunky chips. For a quick lunch the Po’ Boy is ideal, the beef was moist and tender and the portion was more than adequate. The thick chips reminded of chippy chips, soft and fluffy.

We decided to share a dessert and ordered the orange, pistachio and cardamom tart. To Mrs Noms dismay it was served with cream instead of the advertised vanilla ice cream. However the warm nutty tart was a good combination of festive flavours worked well together with the runny cream.

With an ever changing blackboard of mains and desserts I really should make an effort to visit more given its my local. The adjoined deli offers quality meats amongst a host of fresh veg, condiments etc.

Trawling through our vast photo album from last year I found some breakfast shots. Although I can't remember exactly I recall it being decent.

Berners Tavern, London

Berners Tavern is one of Jason Athertons latest ventures.  Set in the London Edition hotel on Berners Street off Oxford Street it boasts one of the most eye catching dining rooms that I have ever dined in.

During my breakfast visit I settled for Eggs Royale and a clean looking plate was presented. The portion was rather large to my surprise.  The egg yolk was runny and oozed out when I cut through the egg.  A classic dish with hollandaise and smoked salmon which was executed very well.

I was dreading the waffle with caramelised banana that I ordered to follow the eggs and asked for ten minutes before it was served.  To my dismay the waffle was not uniformly cooked and slightly too brown on one side.  However the caramelised bananas were a revelation.  By this point I was too full and left half the waffle.

The service was efficient and I was seated in the corner which resulted in me being to enjoy the splendor of the whole room which was a bonus.  A very enjoyable breakfast for the eggs and banana alone has left me intrigued with the dinner menu.  At a shade under £20 for the breakfast including tea and service it also provides reasonable value for money.

Rosylee Tea Rooms, Manchester

I remember hearing good things about Rosylee Tearooms in the Northern Quarter but I had never looked into it until Mr Nom randomly suggested it.  I wish I knew about them earlier because it was such a relaxed place for a bite to eat on a chilled Sunday afternoon.

I started off the meal with a hot chocolate, not my usual choice of beverage but I needed warming up; it shocked Mr Nom and he went for his usual glass of wine.  We decided on the Sunday lunch menu, which was good value for money, with 2 courses for £15.95 and 3 courses for £18.95. 

For starters we had crispy goat’s cheese bonbons which were delightful balls of joy and it married well with the beetroot.  Minted lamb Ballantine was tasty with freshness coming from the strips of cucumber and the roasted tomatoes.  Like refined lamb koftas!

Mr Nom’s roast looked extremely delicious. I was envious of the perfectly cooked medium rare beef; all the trimmings were wonderful and the Yorkshire pudding looked very inviting. He kept asking me whether I wanted any to be polite but secretly he wanted it all for himself as shown by the speed he gobbled it up. 

Breaking from the norm I ordered the chicken dish from the main which I usually never do. Chicken breast with a rich mushroom sauce, buttered kale and crispy potatoes. It was so filling I had Mr Nom finish off the dish for me but it did not stop me from ordering dessert as the Zara rose crème brulee caught my eye from the beginning. 

I love rose so what a fantastic combination of them both to create a moreish dessert. The shortbread was a lovely addition to the brulee but I was so full by then to finish off a little biscuit. 

Mr Nom’s apple and rhubarb crumble was lovely and a classic dessert, it was dainty and I could smell the vanilla as he was pouring on lashings of the custard. Personally I didn’t think it needed the clotted cream on the side as the custard was more than adequate.

I would definitely return for more nibbles, cakes and cocktails. Although if you are hungry there is a slight wait between each course, but the wait is definitely worth it because each course delivered. A nice surprise for a spontaneous Sunday lunch.

Grillshack, London

Grillshack opened earlier this month on Beak Street, Soho.  When Mr Nom showed me the menu, I latched my eyes upon the buttermilk apple pancakes and was eager to visit them for breakfast. I was up early for a change which did surprise Mr Nom since I’m not particularly a morning person, and breakfast usually becomes brunch.  We were surprised how empty it was around 11am with only a couple of occupied tables.

After a warm welcome we were seated and introduced to the different ways of ordering.  The choices included ordering via the mobile app, a touchscreen ordering point or the old fashioned way at the counter.  We chose the easy way of walking up to the counter, although at busier times the other options maybe more appealing.

Deciding what we were going to have for breakfast was super easy! We had already decided on the bacon brioche roll for Mr Nom, buttermilk apple pancakes with maple syrup for me and cinnamon French toast to share.  Tea and filter coffee was offered via self-service.

The cinnamon French toast was heavenly!  I was thinking maybe it would need a little butter when they arrived but they were gorgeous as they were.  They were eggy and fluffy and light, the only thing I needed was more of them!

The bacon brioche roll seemed to go down well with Mr Nom although it was nothing special but just what is needed in the morning.  The buttermilk apple pancakes were so good, they soaked up the maple syrup and if I had to nitpick maybe they could be a little more fluffier.

I absolutely loved the breakfast and wish I could have the cinnamon French toast every week!  The normal menu has rump steak, burgers and grilled chicken among other things; all at affordable prices, our breakfast come to around a tenner which was very reasonable.

Brink, Liverpool

This will be the first in a series of posts about the various breakfasts we have experienced in the last few months in Liverpool.  These include the Interesting Eating Company, Tavern, Delifonseca, and Carluccios.  We have previously posted on the breakfast from Leaf here.  This post focuses on Brink situated on Parr Street.  Being a dry bar Mrs Nom was excited with all the non-alcoholic smoothies and cocktails on offer.

The place was bigger than I had imagined and featured an outside sitting area and a small stage inside, similar to Camp and Furnace on a smaller scale.  I settled for a Brink Big Breakfast which was basically a full English and Mrs Nom chose the American which was pancakes with syrup, scrambled eggs and bacon.  The price of the food was very reasonable with both breakfasts costing around £10.

When the food arrived we noted how well cooked each of the individual elements of the breakfast was.  The egg was perfect with no browning on the white and a runny yolk, the black pudding was shallow fried just right with no crunchy exterior and the sausage and bacon was also cooked well.  The thick toast came buttered and was ideal to mop up the sauce from the beans.  The mushrooms were sent a few minutes after, we didn’t even realise until that point.  Mrs Nom unfortunately felt the pancakes were bought in scotch versions; however she seemed to enjoy them anyway.

With a big variety of alchoholic drinks on offer Mrs Nom settled for a Strawberry Dream smoothie which comprised of strawberries (surprise surprise), strawberry ice cream, milk and cream soda.  I chose the Drivers Dream cocktail of pineapple & apple juice, elderflower & apple cordial with sparkling water and fruit.    The Strawberry Dream was a creamy delight and the Drivers Dream was refreshing albeit it was nearly half foam.  There are plenty more concoctions that we will return to try, especially as it seems that I’m the one that drives! 

Leaf, Liverpool

Leaf is one of Liverpools gems which we fall back on whenever we feel like cake, breakfast or snacks and can’t decide on where to go because it is consistent and relaxing for a reasonable price.  Along with a decent selection of tea it is the ideal place to chill out in the afternoon without a care in the world.  Inside it is simple with marble and wooden tables and chairs with a couple of sofas.  There is also a small stage for gigs at night.  There is always a decent vibe and a constant stream of punters in the morning and afternoon.

We first visited for as Mrs Nom had one of her numerous cravings for cake.  The menu had us intrigued as what turned from a cake craving turned into a small feast of falafels with tzatziki, Moroccan chicken with roasted peppers and chorizo & bean stew along with Victoria spongecake and carrot cake.  All of the dishes we have tried thus far were very palatable and enjoyable comfort food to nibble on in a relaxed vibe.  Tea comes in clear pots, our favourites being the cherry blossom and fairy wings concoctions from the extensive range of beverages,

Subsequently we returned for breakfast there were there the usual suspects being a full English and the more intriguing and various egg variations including benedicts, florentine etc.  As good as any other that we’ve had in Liverpool for a similar price range.  We are spoilt for choice for breakfast in Liverpool and a future post will include all of our favourites as a guide to anyone interested.

Leaf comes highly recommended for drinks and nibbles.  It will also give you the chance to explore the many other eateries and shops at the top end of Bold Street where there has been a renaissance in recent years with the Italian Club establishments to the more recent Nolita Cantina.