meei / Breakfast

we really liked their food though, haha. small selection (naturally, with coffee being the focus) but their chef does a kick-ass job too.

newest cafe in the cbd with a frenchie flair - the owner bustling about isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty - getting involved in the serving and even coming to check on patrons to see if everything is okay, which is an absolute rarity (and very welcome addition) in the humble cafe setting. not excelling very much in the pastry dept, though, i'm afraid. croissant was gummy, not very buttery and hardly flaky at all at about midday.

one of the better croissants in auckland so far, with the champ still being la cigale. but la cigale's got an upper hand because they churn fresh pastries out with such immediate turnovers. soft, buttery, the littlest bit of sweetness, and a crisp shell that leaves pastry flakes tumbling down your shirt front. no other food would've been worth the disgrace.

a little difficult to eat daintily (we kinda sorta resorted to hacking our way through), but actually way tastier than it looks (and you'd have to admit that it looks pretty good, even if slightly dull), and it's stubbornness is appreciated in the mouth.

behold; la cigale now offers cooked breakfasts! i'll admit, i was slightly underwhelmed when i was served the above, for i have been too spoiled by brioches and sourdoughs. the limp, wheaty bread works here though. it allows the ham and sweet, sweet cheese to shine. cheese in the middle, cheese on the top, and an over-easy to crown. egg was perfectly done - whites were silky smooth and yolk remained beautifully runny, even after having to sit around for close to half an hour (i like saving the best for last). classic. they don't bother do any more than is required of them, but thank god they do what they do beautifully.

a competent version using brioche. they use lean bacon strips - such a rarity! bacon cooked crisp, but not to the point of being too stubborn. an enjoyable eat.

very well cooked (flawlessly so, even), but not exactly a stand-out. perhaps i had set too high an expectation.

white anchovies, avocado, cherry tomatoes, black sesame, pink onion, coriander. anchovies sweet and slightly savoury with a wonderful tang that follows. pink onion reminiscent to the sour indian pickled onions that one eats with murtabak. they suggest eating all components together, and it is most beautiful that way. i have to admit that even the baby coriander contributes a refreshing balance to the richness of the anchovies, avocado and sesame dressing - and i'm not at all a coriander fan.

while the outsides were beautifully crisp, the insides of the croissant, as you can see, were a little breadier, albeit being a soft, buttery sort of bready. the flavour is probably spot-on with its butteriness, but the texture doesn't cut it.

served under a split banana and topped with a honeycomb butter. comes with a little jug of honey. quite good - a little gummy thanks to the ricotta, but the light ricotta flavour manages to stand out, and the honeycomb butter is fascinating, although it admittedly really is just a fancy way of serving regular butter and honey.