If you’ve been reading my tweets on twitter, you’ll know of my ongoing saga with our house renovations. We were originally told that the bathroom would take 12 days. It had been 6 weeks exactly since that fateful day and we’ve endured complaints from neighbours about hammering at 2am and yawning stretches of them disappearing for 2 weeks. So my Mother got serious and asked her friend Janice who works in construction to have a word to them. She did and he snapped into action and before we knew it, our bathroom was done. Of course one way to thank her for her help was with lunch and we asked her where she would like to go. Kaki Lima (which means 5 feet in Malaysian) was the best choice. If anything is going to intrigue me, it’s a name. Kaki Lima caught my eye many months ago as I was always interested by the name “Malaysian Breakfast Favourites”. I love breakfast food (but at much later in the day).

It’s a small space, not quite 5 feet long but perhaps 5 metres long. On the right there’s a display of the food and kueh (sweets). A list of drinks sounds good and we pick 4 different kinds – cold drinks are $3.20 and hot drinks are $3. As for breakfast food, I need to confirm this with Janice – is this really what Malaysians eat for breakfast. “Sure!” she replies. Okaaay…

Bandung on left $3.20 and Tea Tarik on right $3

The Bandung is more an Indonesian drink with condensed milk and rosewater tinged a lurid candy pink. Whilst it has ice cubes floating in it, the drink is warm and sweet and reminds me of a Strawberry Quik from my childhood with a rose flavour. Tea Tarik or pulled tea is usually served foamy due to the pulling of the tea (pouring it from one glass to another).

Kopi $3

The copi isn’t as sweet as I like it and of course it’s Nescafe so a coffee connoisseur would probably give this a miss.

Barley water $3

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Nielsen Park in Vaucluse is one of those lovely areas that I frequented when I was a teen and growing up, the Beach House or kiosk as it is more commonly known, is one I used to go to a lot for my fix of ice creams or more grown up fare. So on this Sunday I’m filled with a bit of nostalgia walking along the promenade. A part of me swears the same families are walking past me as the ones that were there 20 years ago.

No that’s not Brian McFadden

The left hand side: the cafe side

The right hand side: the more casual side

In Sydney where anything that is waterfront is expensive to dine at (I’m looking at you Balmoral Beach!), it is amazingly good value with all dishes under the $20 mark. In fact the most expensive thing is $18.50 (no wonder we see some bottles of Veuve Cliquot carried to other tables). The atmosphere and decor is like someone’s Beach House with mismatched cushions, wooden chairs and white paper tablecloths. It’s unpretentious and friendly despite the very upmarket neighbourhood. There is an all day breakfast as well as items such as burger, fish and chips etc but the blackboard which changes weekly features more creative fare. When facing the building, the cafe is on the left whilst the takeaway with ice creams is on the right.

It has to be said, the coffee is fantastic which is a great start.

Antipasto plate $18.50

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“Morning Lorraine! Have you been to …at Perry Lane in Paddington? I grabbed coffee there on Sat & it was packed-wld love to hear your take!” said the lovely MsUnreliable from That Unreliable Girl in her twitter message to me. Upon further reading I find out that it’s bit of a local’s secret cafe in a little laneway cafe that’s only open as a cafe on Fridays and weekends so I immediately put it in the black Moleskine. One Sunday I had a meeting with a girl called Piglet and At Perry Lane it was. And little did I know that there would be Tarot reading involved…

Approaching it, it is indeed a hidden away cafe at the back of the Oxford Shop on Oxford Street in Paddington. It’s a multi level space with the kitchen set lower and chairs and tables set on three levels. I sneak upstairs as it’s busy and nab an empty table. I look down and a few minutes later there’s a smiling face looking up at me which I later learn to be the owner Chris. At Perry Lane is run by Chris, his mum and his partner all doing the cooking, coffee and waitering duties and on weekdays the space is hired out for fashion shows, events and commericals as well as Tarot and Jewellery reading. But more on that later!

He shows me the menu and explains that it’s a reduced size menu today as the chef is away and normally there are more complex choices but I am relieved to see that there is an all day breakfast available (you’ve got to love those fellow late risers in Paddington).  Prices are  reasonable with the most expensive item hitting the $16.50 mark with most around the $13-$14 mark. Teas are by T2 and coffee is by Campos and there’s a selection of several types of breads from a kalamata olive roll to a rye sourdough as well as gluten free bread (although they are out today). Piglet chooses the Proscuitto, two poached eggs and asparagus on kalamata olive bread and I choose the French Toast with bacon, banana and maple syrup.

Cappucino $3.50

The coffee is that uber rich and heady blend that Sydney siders clamour for. I’d love a little more foam on my cappucino but the coffee is fantastic-rich and with that unmistakable Campos flavour.

French Toast with Bacon, Banana and maple syrup $12.50

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