Inspiration for my weekly breakfast adventure comes from all manner of sources. One Saturday morning, just for a bit of fun, I decided to browse the hashtag “#melbournefood” on my Instagram account while I was waiting for my breakfast to arrive. The first picture to appear on my iPhone screen was a colourful, appetizing shot of a “Breakfast Pan” by pacoylolamexican at the South Melbourne Market. I thought I had tried most of the cafés and restaurants open for breakfast at the market but obviously there were still more experiences to be enjoyed.
After a couple of weeks and some more investigating on my behalf to find out the precise location, I walked to Paco Y Lola on Cecil Street on a beautiful, bright Autumn Saturday morning and found a quiet table in corner of the outdoor dining area, making sure the sunshine was poised to warm my shoulders and that I could enjoy a bit of people watching to help pass the time. I had actually been to Paco Y Lola for lunch with my parents six months previously and enjoyed the experience, but failed to realise that they were also serving breakfast.
The breakfast menu is clearly presented on one page and obviously has a Mexican influence with a breakfast burrito on offer and other eggcentric dishes served with either crispy jalapenos, rustic guacamole or tomato salsa. I was happy to see that the Breakfast Pan was still available on the menu, but what shocked me out of my morning stupor were the prices – most dishes were incredibly cheap and were priced at $12.00. The most expensive item on the menu, “Eggs Gremolata” was only $15.00 and indeed sounded worthy of a deluxe price tag – two poached eggs served on top of two golden corn cakes sprinkled with gremolata of finely chopped coriander, kaffir lime leaves, red onion and chilli served with a rustic guacamole, crispy bacon and salsa roja. Mmm … sounds divine but I think I had already fallen in love with the Breakfast Pan the moment I first laid eyes on the dish on Instagram, so my decision was a little bit of a foregone conclusion.
The service at Paco Y Lola is laid back and not obtrusive, although at one stage I must have looked so relaxed and noticeably enjoying my time in the sun that the wait staff thought that they didn’t need to intrude on my solitude, and seemed to avoid my table for a good length of time. But having immensely enjoyed my first cup of coffee and eagerly looking forward to my second cup, I did have to wave someone over to take down my order as the coffee at Paco Y Lola is definitely worth experiencing. Deliciously hot and creamy, with a beautiful roasted aftertaste and served on bright, colourful saucers typical associated with Mexican/Spanish culture, I honestly didn’t expect quality coffee to be served, so I admit that the joke is on me for passing unwarranted judgement because in my humble opinion, it was outstanding.
The Breakfast Pan – eggs, bacon, mushroom, sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, casa iberica chorizo, baby spinach and caramelised onions served in the pan with chargrilled bread – was everything that I thought it would be when placed in front of me shortly after ordering. Presented on a large wooden board and with fresh sprigs of coriander adorning the top, the dish was like similar to a large fluffy omelette with the listed individual items hidden and dispersed throughout the shallow cast iron pan. With a slice of succulent honey bacon taking pride of place, I ate my way through the rest of the dish to discover succulent chorizo beneath, then across to the thyme roasted mushrooms, under which were the sweet caramelised onions, over to the roasted cherry tomatoes and wilted baby spinach, so it was like being taken on my own edible adventure. The toast was also delicious and actually the perfect texture and flavour to break up some of the monotony of the egg mixture. Breakfast really was worth walking a few blocks for and the kicker is that it was only $12.00 for such a substantive and fabulous feast.
If I was to think of my local neighbourhood gem, I wouldn’t hesitate to now name Paco Y Lola as mine and I’ve recommended it to a few of my friends looking for a new breakfast destination. Completely unpretentious, with high-quality, fresh and flavoursome food, where else could you get an amazing big breakfast with two coffees for only $19.00?
bonjourchickie 