My little black book is full. Not full of numbers from various men that I’ve met – I’m married after all, but full with restaurants and shops that I want to visit and notes that I take from visiting these places. There was one place that I was determined to visit and that had stayed asterisked for a while. I saw it on the lovely Ja’s blog Beansprouts cafe and her photos sealed the deal so to speak and that was why I had positioned an asterisk next to it.
I walk past and there’s a man at an outside table with an adorable dog and they’re bringing it a container of water. I walk in to meet Myriam who I’m hoping will love it as it’s said to be decorated in a French apartment Louis XIVth style (although I should have probably forethought that she might be able to spot the difference between the real thing and just an emulation of the style). It’s very dark inside, even though it’s day time and my first thought is “Oh the photos!”. Service is very friendly and they don’t mind that we’re taking ages to order, after all, we have some catching up to do.
No. 9 Decadent Eggs Benedict $15.50
The menu is small and succinct and we choose easily and opt to have a savoury dish and then share some pancakes. I was seduced by the name “Decadent Eggs Benedict” and they come with either smoked salmon or ham and I choose the smoked salmon. It’s deceptively filling – the eggs are perfectly poached with seemingly huge yolks that dribble a river of golden orange yolk onto the toasted English muffins. The salmon is very lightly lemon flavoured too and the tarragon is distinct in the hollandaise.
No. 9 Full Monty $16.50
Myriam’s full monty breakfast has a bit of everything. The waiter explains that this is an item that is going to be discontinued as the small kitchen means that they cannot produce all those little bits and pieces during busy periods. There is bread, butter, home made baked beans, tomato, hash brown, bacon and scrambled eggs. It’s enormous and produces a gasp when it’s set down on the table. I try some of the baked beans which are home made but they’re perhaps missing a smoked hock or other rich flavour and they taste predominately of tinned tomatoes.
Pancakes with banana puree and poached rhubarb $14.50
The pancakes are said to be their signature item and the idea of banana puree may be an odd one but our waiter reassures us “It works, believe me” when we had looked a bit puzzled at the idea. The pancakes are pikelet sized and aren’t quite as light and fluffy as we’d like but this may be due to us rather than them as we waited a while before trying them as all three dishes came came out together. The banana puree and poached rhubarb are delicious and he’s right, it does work with the banana puree rich the flavour of brown sugar.
OK yes do love a good bathroom. Say hello to my arm! Hello!
I wander upstairs to visit the Ladies and to have a look at the library and see that there is a book wallpaper rather than actual books. We then try the Galette Des Rois that Myriam had purchased earlier that day. They don’t mind at all and bring us knives and plates. Myriam offers them a slice which they try and they offer us a tea to complement the buttery Galette des Rois. It’s a perfect Summer’s afternoon really.
And because it’s our first Wallpaper Wednesday of the year, at a special request from my friend Kathy, I’ve made a Bacon wallpaper! Actually three in fact for your gustatory food porn pleasure 
Click on the images to see the larger version.
And I’m rather excited to share my recent press. In somewhat of a mini media blitz, I’ve been fortunate enough to be featured in Cleo Magazine, The Brisbane Courier Mail newspaper, That’s Life magazine and Fried Chillies voted Not Quite Nigella #8 in their favourite things of 2009!
Cleo Magazine with Jen, Suze, Anita, Lili and Lisa.
Brisbane Courier Mail
That’s Life
Fried Chillies
So tell me Dear Reader, do you have any Wallpaper requests? Is there anything food related that you’d like to have as a Wallpaper?
No. 9
9 Ward Avenue, Potts Point, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9331 1399
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52 Comments | Add your own
You look so cute with your smile!
OMG, bacon wallpaper. Pascal is going to laugh when he sees my desktop!
Oh wonderful, I was wondering if they were open again after the takeover. So glad they’ve kept the decor.
I’m more excited about your press than anything! Though that full monty looks good to me (a woman surviving on very little sleep with a big day ahead!)
Congratulations! xx
Congratulations on the major fame Lorraine. Fortune to follow? I love the wallpaper in the cafe’s bathroom but I would have been terribly disappointed in the library. I hope real libraries never replace their books with wallpaper!
I love that rhubarb with banana puree on pancakes (even if it does sound bit like something my 2yr old would have eaten when weaning), I may have to make that myself!
Congratulations on all your mentions!
Bacon wallpaper
Love this post…great writing and great pictures as well!
So happy to see all the mentions in the press; well done!
And what a beautifully opulent place No.9 is! That decadent eggs benedict looks wonderful!
Oh, and hello arm!
Congratulations on all your media mentions, Lorraine. Thanks for sharing the amazing bacon wallpaper and the review of No. 9. Book wallpaper masquerading as a library….scandalous! I think the eggs benedict would have comforted me in my disappointment however. Meredith.
well done on all your press coverage. The egga benedict look delightful
oooh all that food made me hungry just looking at it! Time for breakfast I think
and CONGRATS on the media coverage – awesome work
Oooh so many mentions! You must be so pleased. Congratulations – you deserve it.
The eggs benedict looks amazing, especially with the hollandaise spooned so temptingly over the top of that perfectly poached egg. Mmmmmm.
Congratulations on the feature articles as well as being #8 on the Foodsters’ Favourite 50 (2009).
The No. 9 Full Monty looks superb!
Oh cool! Congratulations on all the mentions – you and your blog are so fabulous honey, you so deserve it and much more!
That eggs benedict shot is making me hungry …. Saw you in the Courier Mail yesterday. Must check out Cleo to read the story.
love the bacon wallpaper! too glistening for words.
and great on ALL the press – you are really get so well known now!
Congratulations! That is quite the media blitz.
Also, is it just me, or does the plate of pancakes look a bt like a jellyfish?
Congratulations Lorraine, well done and keep up the great work!!
A suggestion for your next wallpaper….a field of Crocus flowers, Saffron being one of my favourite spices. I was going to enter the Lap Rap competition with this idea but it had closed
There are 2 foods I simply cannot deny myself no matter how hard I try: bacon (which of course goes without saying) and hot cinnamon donuts (you know, when they’re still too hot to hold, but you just have to dig in and start eating).
-How about a wallpaper of a close up of steaming cinnamon donuts? All those glistening beads of sugar crystals would capture the light perfectly!
Wow, congrats on all the media mentions! I love a good eggs benedict and I am really intrigued by the sound of the banana puree with the pancakes, it sounds lovely!
Congrats on all of that media coverage! I bought my copy of Cleo yesterday (never buy it) and flicked frantically to find you all.
Cute photo in That’s Life from what I can see =)
I of course, would want the full monty. And the bacon.
Congrats on all those fabulous media mentions! Oooh, this place is full of character and the food looks incredible! (And for some reason I’m always enamored with a good bathroom too, lol, especially if there are all different kinds of perfume and/or lotion!).
Well done on all the much deserved media mentions! Hooray for CLEO girls
I think i would much prefer the rhubarb on the side as I hate nothing more than soggy pancakes! But oh my, bacon wallpaper! hehe…
I was a little disappointed to find that the ‘bacon wallpaper’ in the title of this post was NOT the real thing!! That’s my request – a wall of bacon that you can peel off and chew.
And congrats on your many recent media mentions – very impressive!
Congrats Lorainne! Very well deserved, I would say. Breakfast is my favourite meal on weekends, so I’d definitely check this cafe out.
p/s: Hello Lorainne’s arm
Mangosteens are such a gorgeous looking fruit – all purple and round with the perfect little stalk on top. A still like of mangosteens works for me as a wallpaper.
Congratulations on your media mentions!!! Awesome!Your fans will soon be asking for your autograph!
The Eggs Ben looks so yummm…hmm my favorite brekkie item!
Oh breakfast is looking good right about now! Congratulations Lorraine on your well deserved publicity! I’d like to see a mixed beans wallpaper to remind me of the Baked Bean Impossipuzzle I tried to do when I was younger.
Ahh, beautiful! I love the places you review and the food is unbelievable looking!
I’m thinking a wallpaper with some of the pictures you take of the great inns and restaurants you visit would be beautiful. I love the ones you do of food (especially your desserts).
And hello arm! (I love that shot! Hey, how about that for a wallpaper theme?!)
Congrats on all the mentions! I would love to read a few of them
You’ve got lovely photos in all of them.
I’m so glad you are being recognized for all your hard work! xoxo Mum
You know, sometimes I think I’m a bit strange. I feel the need to check out the walls when I go places. As I work at a wallpaper wholesalers, I know alot of wallpaper. Lol.
But moreso, I love bacon. And that bacon looks delicious!
I’m with Belle! I was thinking Bacon Wallpaper,ala Willy Wonka hehe. But computer wallpaper is pretty good too! Seems like a day for bacon type things, I stumbled across bacon-flavoured lip gloss (via twitter) for all you die-hard bacon fans.
Congrats on the media coverage! ( you’re stunning btw) I will be sure to check out the Newsagency tomorrow
COngrats on the article. No way are you 37! I would have picked you for 10 years younger.
I’ve been a long time reader and fan. You’re great.
the No. 9 Full Monty looks so massive ! and they have a new pancake !! I love rhubarb and wow, with banana puree… next time definitely try.. ( I also took photo of the toilet..super pretty,rite?)
I bought the Cleo magazine today.. gonna read it now..hehe
Congrats to you on the media coverage. You surely deserve it. I am glad you shared this with your followers. I love the bacon wallpaper. It is so unique and as usual you did a great job. You could not have described the eggs better. I love a yolk that runs onto the bread I am eating. I have not thought of taking photos inside bathrooms before. I will have to remember this as there are some very unique ones that I have been in and would love to share. Great job totally, as usual.
I now have severe cravings for Eggs Benedict. Did you ever notice that no matter how perfect the egg poaching goes at home, they just arent the same? Congrats on the brilliant media mentions. VERY much deserved. I hope 2010 brings much more success!
Aww I thought u meant bacon wallpaper wallpaperr hee hee.. I wouldnt mind setting up a bacon room mmmm
Congrats on all the mentions!!
I have a black book as well for exactly the same purpose – otherwise I just forget about all these brilliant new restaurants!
well. you’re completely famous. at least i can say i was familiar with you before you became the rage.
pancakes with rhubarb? and banana? i’m frightened but very curious!
Woohoo! You go girl =D.
all these media attention is wonderful to the foodblogging community! hurray for you girls for making it into the media spotlight – such great rewards for all your hard work!
Next: TV show… you are a star!
The pancakes used to be so much better when they first opened with rose syrup – yuuuuuuuuum! I had never had anything like them – very impressive.
Lots of things to say about this post!
Firstly, congratulations on the media blitz, it is most deserving!
Secondly, bacon wallpaper, woo!
Thirdly, that full breakfast looks fantastic, but why must they always include a disappointing premade hash brown?
Fourth, hello arm!
a chocolate and strawberry wallpaper please
It’s close to seven in the evening here, but your post suddenly had me craving bacon, pancakes, and eggs Benedict!
Ohmygosh, did u try their pancakes? It’s quite decadent, but served with the most beautiful butter! And this gorgeous syrup thingy. mmmm can u tell I miss Sydney!
LOVE that bathroom
And you’ve got quite a lot of media attention lately. So great for your profile 
Congratulations, Lorraine!! You do us proud!! Well done, dear friend!!
You totally deserve this!!!
Waw!!!!!!! Fame all around!
Hi Lorraine, Went to No. 9 on saturday for dinner (now open Thursday – Sat) and it was amazing. All the dishes were fantastic and such great value – plus BYO. Hope you can retry as it is so much better at night!
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