hookturns.com

At the risk of sounding older than I am, I remember when a good, full English style breakfast dish could be found for $12. Now, something similar is approaching the $20 mark at some places. The version at Pope Joan (77-79 Nicholson St, Brunswick East) costs $18.

When you’re paying that much for a breakfast dish, it needs to either be very large, or very good quality, and preferably both. I don’t think the offering at Pope Joan ticks either box, although it’s not a complete failure either. The portion sizes are respectable, bar the single rasher of bacon, and it’s generally well put together.

Lets start with the positives. The free range eggs were some of the better scrambled eggs I’ve had at a cafe, the bacon was nicely crisp, the sausage was not too meaty or fatty to be enjoyed at breakfast time. I liked that the butter was quality, and arrived on the side.

It’s a pity that the bread seemed a little commercial, and was insufficiently toasted. Worst of all though, given the serious names behind the operation, the baked beans had far too much vinegar in them. Although my coffee looked burnt, it actually tasted okay.

Another problem, on this occasion at least, is service. It’s already incredibly popular, and there didn’t seem to be enough staff, which led to inconsistent service. We had to wait quite a while to get menus and orders taken, and our meals took about 30 minutes to arrive. I noticed at least a couple of people walking out without having eaten, presumably because of the slow service.

Whether or not they iron out the issues, given the location and the personnel behind it, I suspect that Pope Joan is going to remain popular regardless.