Coffee Breakfast

Last month, we met our friend Kate for breakfast at Gusto Food in South Perth. They don’t take bookings and on weekends, the place is absolutely chockers with a constant queue outside. If you sit near the window you will feel the gaze of hungry strangers piercing through the glass, willing you to hurry up and leave.

The servings are generous; wear your eating pants and don’t make plans for lunch. Jac’s creamed mushrooms needed seasoning but Kate’s pulled pork Benedict was a masterpiece of dish envy, a colossus of protein piled high on chunky toast. I designed my own fry-up with a base of scrambled free range eggs on toast plus bacon, mushrooms and house-made hash browns which came topped with sweet onion jam. Like I said, eating pants – and as one of my readers remarked Facebook, the place should be called Gutso!

But for me, the best part of breakfast was the enormous doughnut I had after the streaky bacon and buttery eggs. (I’ve mentioned my separate sweet stomach before, haven’t I?) Surprisingly, the plate of doughnuts was sneakily placed on the far side of the counter, away from the cakes and other baked goodies in the magnificent display… but not completely out of sight for eagle-eyed gluttons.

The Benedict was porktacular, but the classic ring of dough fried to a deep golden brown and rolled in crunchy white sugar (that ended up, gloriously, all over my face and lap) – that is what I’d go back to Gusto for.

Gusto Food
86 Angelo Street, South Perth WA 6151
Telephone: (08) 9367 3512
Closed on Mondays and public holidays
Open from 7am
No bookings taken

Creamed mushrooms with sunny side egg, bacon, roasted cherry tomatoes, olives and rye toast (AU$18.50)Pulled pork Benedict with two poached eggs, wilted spinach, onion jam, hollandaise and thick toast (AU.50). Here’s a tip when taking food photographs in a restaurant (I know this but failed to do it on this occasion) – remember to remove the ‘extras’ that don’t belong on the plate or you’ll have to explain what they are, because someone will notice and ask. So here’s the explanation: Kate requested extra hollandaise and onion jam on the side (in the little glasses). Scrambled free range eggs on toast (AU$11.50) plus (AU$4.50 each) bacon, mushrooms and house-made hash browns. In hindsight, it’s the expensive way to design your own fry-up. For me, this doughnut was the best part of breakfast. Outside, someone is always waiting for a table.