Oui to that
Situated in the middle of the Ferrymead industrial complex, this diminutive cafe looks out on an unprepossessing carpark and could easily be missed by the motorist passing down Ferry Road.
It has, however, already established an enviable reputation both among those who work in the area and the cognoscenti from the eastern suburbs, who on fine weekends can sit in the sun in the carpark and enjoy a truly splendid breakfast or brunch, washed down with excellent tea or coffee.
But first be warned. If you are going to attack and defeat their Big Breakfast, it would be advisable to fast for at least 15 hours beforehand.
Luckily, five of us chose a fine Sunday for our first visit to the cafe. The carpark was empty, so our hosts put three little tables together so we could enjoy our brunch in the sun, well protected from the easterly.
We were all peckish, so two of us ordered the Big Breakfast ($20), consisting of two poached eggs, two large rashers of bacon, hash browns, mushrooms, baked beans, roast tomato and two sausages.
When the dish arrived, beautifully displayed on a rectangular white plate the size of a small table, it elicited a spontaneous burst of applause from the assembled company. And the combined tastes of this dish more than matched the quality of its presentation: the eggs, perfectly cooked, reposed on delightfully crunchy wholemeal toast; the mushrooms actually tasted like mushrooms, and the hash browns, beautifully crisp on the outside, melted in the mouth.
Two more of our company chose Provencale scrambled eggs with slow- roasted tomatoes and grilled ciabatta bread with smoked salmon ($17). This, too, was received with approbation.
One of us observed that the egg could have been a little less runny, but each to her taste, for the second recipient pronounced it perfect.
The only other main dish to be sampled was poached eggs on grain toast with roasted tomatoes and bacon ($17), which again received the highest of accolades.
All this was accompanied by English Breakfast tea and a wide variety of coffees, all of which were pronounced excellent.
Altogether it was hard to fault the service or the food provided by C%26#39;est Si Bon.
Their flyer suggests that we should try their European breakfasts %26ndash; French, Spanish, German, Italian, Polish and Russian %26ndash; but nothing exotically European is displayed on their menu, unless you count eggs benedict, Provencale scrambled eggs, or a seafood, meat, or vegetarian Mediterranean platter. But no doubt the Polish chef can provide more exotic European dishes on request.
We felt rather sorry for two of our number, who, after so gargantuan a meal, had to drive to Dunedin. For my part, I was happy to drive straight home for a lie-down, having resolved to restrict myself to light victuals for the rest of the day. %26ndash;David Elworthy
C%26#39;est Si Bon Cafe Deli
1025 Ferry Road, Ferrymead. Phone 982-3693.
Hours: seven days, 7.30am-5pm.
Upside: great breakfast/brunch %26ndash; and the unisex loo has a shower.
Downside: small.
