This morning’s breakfast adventure – LorCa off Flinders Lane (near Degraves St). I hadn’t even planned on having breakfast out this Saturday morning but it was 11 a.m and I was low on blood sugar so I had to find a place to eat. Quick.
LorCa used to be part of Cafe No. 5, for some reason, it became an entity of its own, with Cafe No.5 now resides in the little dwelling just next door. Cafe No.5 used to be one of my favourite breakfast spots in the city–great value for money, plus it’s nice to sit by the window bench during summer watching the people walking pass in the busy little lane.
Even though I manage to be seated by the window bench this morning, I didn’t find the experience all that exciting. Mainly because it’s winter and it’s cold, and also the fact that the waiters didn’t take notice of me. Famished as I was, the service was slow to come. The couple who came later and sat to my right got their coffee even before mine arrived, which, to me, is a sign of bad service. The breakfast menu is Spanish influenced, so if you’re up for chorizo and the likes for breakfast, then this spot would probably be ideal for you.
I am a creature of habit, so naturally, I have a consistent preference for the type of breakfast I want when I’m eating out. On a not-too-adventurous day (which was what it was for me today), I usually opt for scrambled eggs on sourdough toast and a couple of sides, usually hash browns and baked beans, or mushrooms. Today, being extremely hungry, I was in no mood to be adventurous, so scrambled eggs on toast it was for me. Unfortunately, a mocha and a glass of water later, there was still no breakfast. The three ladies sitting to my left had finished their breakfast and left, in their place were two young lads, who obviously came much later than I did, were already digging into their poached eggs on toast. Me? Still no sign of breakfast. I ‘prodded’ the waiter nicely, asking him when my food was arriving, he wasn’t particularly apologetic but he did speed things up a little. Lo and behold, a few minutes later, my breakfast arrived. By which time, it was already 11.50 a.m.
LorCa seems to find serving breakfast in a bowl-like dish somewhat exciting. To be honest, it was a nightmare to eat from. Imagine two slices of toast, scrambled eggs, a handful of greasy mushrooms and a pile of baked beans all crammed in a bowl–now imagine eating all that with a knife and a fork. Not a pretty sight. The tip is, don’t order any sides, cuz there’s simply no room for you to dig into your breakfast like a civilised person.
The entire experience wasn’t particularly exciting. The scrambled eggs were a little too runny for my liking, the toast too dry (you know when bread is overtoasted–it becomes too brittle and hollow in texture) and the mushrooms a little too greasy. I did enjoy the baked beans, however–cooked with spanish onions in a rich tomato paste with a spicy tinge. All that for $15.70 (that includes the coffee).
Would I go back there again? My answer is no. The food is average, for what I ordered anyway. If I was in the mood to be more adventurous, I might probably go back and try the more exotic spanish influenced selection. But for just scrambled eggs on toast, I can think of a long list of other places where I would rather go than LorCa. The major put off for me is how slow the service was. So a word of caution, try it on a morning when it’s not that busy. On a busy day, expect to wait at least half an hour for your meal.
