Ley St Cafe Second Visit

On the recent public holiday the speed-eater-bf and I enjoyed a sleep in. Well let me correct that, bf often can sleep in, however I consider 7am a sleep in, so it was quite unusual that I slept in till 9am, must have needed it! I am currently training for the City to Surf Perth Marathon, maybe all the training has caught up with me? Well nonetheless once I had gone out for a tempo run, I was in the mood for a late breaky. A quick look on Ley St Cafe’s Facebook page told me they were open until 12pm so bf and I ventured down around 11ish. A few others obviously had a similar idea, with the cafe being quite busy. The menu has changed since my last visit so I was somewhat excited about some of the new items. I ended up choosing the Spiced Mushroom Salad with Spinnach and Fetta ($12) and choose the option to add a Poached Egg ($2). This salad was deliciously light, exactly what I felt like on this Monday morning. If I was hungry, however, I might like some toast to go with it, but on this occasion it was very satisfying and full of mushrooms. Yay for me ordering something different for a change (from scrambled eggs with a side of mushrooms)…love it when it pays to branch out.

Speed-eater-bf however did not branch out, he ordered the same as he ordered on our last visit- Bacon & Fried Egg Sandwich with Home Made BBQ Sauce ($12) although it did appear the bread was different from last time. When this dish came out I asked bf if the bread was toasted as it didn’t look toasted- apparently it was toasted on the inside and not on the outside which bf said worked perfectly..making it easy to bit into but the toasted inside held it all together and stopped it going soggy..clever. As you can see by the photo the egg was perfectly cooked – bf thoroughly enjoyed.

Of note also was that they had a different brand of tea from last time – their supplier now being Temple Tea Co tea, which I enjoyed. I like being able to get tea that is different to what I normally can drink at home. Bf enjoyed two flat whites (on his way to his three for the day! Don’t know how he sleeps).

Again, a lovely experience at Ley St Cafe will definitely be back.

Yesterday I clocked a 21km run, so it would be fair to say I bought my appetite to breakfast this morning. The bf and I ventured to a suburban cafe in Manning  on Ley St called Ley St Cafe (easy for me to remember). The space this cafe occupies has been home to various different food related businesses (deli, lunchbar) in the last few years. None have had real staying power…however things may be changing. A little research on their facebook page prior told me Adam Gannon is behind this new cafe, former head chef of Kitsch Bar in Leederville.

Walking into the cafe the first thing you notice is the “Ley St Coffee Club” blackboard on the wall with names and their respective tallies in chalk. It appears the Ley St Cafe already has a solid bunch of regulars. The bf and I watched regulars walk in, put a mark next to their names and then grab their coffee. Quite a nifty token system. The space inside the cafe is quite large, which is nice as you have a bit of space between tables. The thing I loved the most about this cafe was the open kitchen. The bf and I watched as Adam happily cooked away in front of all in the cafe.

As we walked in we were greeted with a smile. The bf grabbed some menus for us. Upon sitting and having a quick glance over the menu, we were attended to and asked whether we would like to order any drinks (love that!). The bf ordered a mug flat white (Grinders coffee beans) whilst I ordered an English Breakfast tea (Twinings English Breakfast Tea bag). My tea pot arrived and I was a little confused about where my tea cup was. However then I realised the cup was under the pot…clever. I always feel a little disappointed when I go to a cafe and get served a tea bag…I much prefer loose leaf tea if I am paying for one whilst dining out. The milk was served in a cute little glass jar and there was an old school teaspoon to stir with (very pretty).

Love the teaspoons

We had a quick glance at the menu. The menu items had a range to suit those who like cooked breakfasts (Fried Mushrooms on Toast, Fried Eggs with Glazed Bacon), those who like cereal based breakies (Porridge with Banana and Brown Sugar, Roasted Peaches with Vanilla Yoghurt and Granola), those who like to deviate from the usual suspects (Spiced White Bean and Cheese Toastie, Baked Eggs with Spiced White Beans and Fetta) and finally to those who have a sweet tooth (French Toast – I can’t remember exactly what it was served with but it sounded deliciously sweet). The bf choose to go with the Bacon and ‘Fried Egg’ Sandwich with BBQ sauce.  I was one of ‘those’ difficult customers today. I spied the Cheesy Scrambled Eggs on Toast on the menu ($9) however didn’t want the cheddar cheese in my eggs. So….I sheepishly asked whether it was possible if I could get the scrambled eggs without cheese and having noticed the Fried Mushrooms on Toast ($12) on the menu I felt like a side of mushrooms to go with my eggs (note: there were no sides noted on the menu) – so I asked for a side of mushies too. Without a moment of hesitation the bubbly waitress said no problem….Big thumbs up!

As we waited we were able to watch our meal being cooked. It is such a pleasure to watch one go about their business in the kitchen and particularly when you know its your meal coming. I think it also gives you a lot of confidence in a place as you can see everything that is happening! As we sat each customer was greeted as they walked in. A little girl even burped  and there was a little friendly banter from the staff with the family which added to the warm atmosphere. The open kitchen creates the ability for such interactions.

The open kitchen

Our meals arrived promptely and wow did they look great. I loved the plates which seemed to fit with the whole feel of the place – homely and inviting.

My eggs were perfectly cooked and were beautiful and fluffy.  The mushrooms were flavourful and plentiful. The bf’s Bacon and ‘Fried Egg’ Sandwich with BBQ sauce was gone before I had even ate half of my meal (which is actually not an uncommon occurrance….side note: I have been trying to think about an adjective to describe the bf and have tried out a few on him to no avail. Maybe the speed-eater bf might be one to pass by him…I will investigate).

The Bacon and ‘Fried Egg’ Sandwich with BBQ Sauce

Scrambled Eggs with a side of Mushrooms

Overall a very lovely meal. Ley St Cafe is open Mondays and Thursdays thru to Sundays for breakfast and lunch. Word on the street is they were open Friday nights for Pasta night…not sure whether this is still happening. Heres hoping this little cafe is around for a long time to come. I get the feeling it will be. Now off to do that slow 6km recovery jog…

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