Eggs with a difference
There’s no denying the allure and delight of perfectly cooked eggs on toast. It’s the literal bread and butter for the brunch trade of most cafés. But in the name of research, our food editor Kate Underwood was determined to scour the city for egg dishes offering something a little different.
TOP PICK: CHILD SISTER
Forever drawn to the most obscure or unique sounding item on a menu, it takes a special dish to secure a repeat order from my curious appetite. The Kimchi Rice Omelette from Child Sister gets me every time. Served dramatically sizzling on a hot plate, the moat of fluffy eggs is topped with a mountain of spicy, vivid red, kimchi-spiked rice mixed with pork belly slices (or mushrooms), showered in Grana Padano, and finished with a blob of Kewpie mayo. It’s flavour-forward, satiating, and evident by the number of people eating it all around you – extremely delicious. Since joining the Christchurch dining scene, Child Sister has won appetites and loyal friends, taking out café of the year in 2021. Conveniently located on Manchester Street across from the famous Margaret Mahy playground, the industrial, open-air space makes it a hot spot for mums with prams, family gatherings (they take bookings for groups) or work meetings. With strong brews from Lyttelton Coffee Co, the cabinet offers loaded sandwiches and treats I always want, like lolly cake and Basque cheesecake. The menu is influenced by Korean ingredients, including dishes like gochujang meatballs and a kimchi cheese toastie. I’ve spent many hours tapping away at my laptop here and can tell you that someone will always order the fried chicken and often honey butter waffle fries.
277 Manchester Street
HELLO SUNDAY
If there’s shakshuka on a menu, I’m ordering it. At Hello Sunday, it’s served in a sizeable cast iron pan with tomatoes, capsicum, onion, and eggs nestled within. The generous portion is scattered with marinated feta, almonds, and Egyptian dukkah, alongside housemade flatbreads ready to be ripped and dipped to mop up gooey yolks and unctuous sauce. This quirky brunch spot has been a city go-to for years, with its loud, lively atmosphere housing different spaces to exist. The plentiful, crowd-pleasing menu involves brioche French toast and a popular braised beef cheek hash. On a balmy spring day, it’s worth sitting out back in the private courtyard for some al fresco dining and a side of sun with your eggs.
6 Elgin Street, Sydenham
WESTEND STORIES
Blink, and you could easily miss Westend Stories. Just a step and a hop from the Avon, the green oasis is a favoured central city lunch spot for visitors and office workers upstairs. It was the smoked salmon bruschetta that secured my stomach real estate, essentially a poached egg on sourdough supported by cold smoked salmon, beetroot hummus, avocado, tamari sunflower seeds, and a welcomingly tangy salsa verde. Inside the large modern space are people from all walks of life, some sipping espresso martinis, others ordering smoked cheese truffle burgers or fried cauliflower tacos. Like me, you’ll leave satisfied and enticed by the lush-looking treats, hopefully with a slice of hazelnut chocolate torte (gf) on hand to devour later.
93C Cambridge Terrace
NICHE EATERY
Just a stone’s throw from Sumner beach is Niche, an eatery for all, where delicious food and relaxed seaside vibes abound. Tempted by ‘The Indecisive’, aka the big breakfast, the chilli scramble with potato rosti and Calabrian sausage, I was eventually swayed by a dish called ‘Planted’. A celebration of poached eggs and vegetables draped in a Kolkata-style coconut curry sauce. Tasty, fragrant, and nourishing, it is livened up the roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, and crunchy jeera papad or cumin pappadom on the side. There’s something here for every appetite and all the Allpress coffee you desire. I love that you can order a pancake stack with a choice of toppings, but next time I’m going back for the housemade pies.
Unit 18/42 Marriner Street, Sumner