Le Petit Crème at Darlinghurst

Its been a long time between visits to Le Petit Crème. Since moving across the bridge I've had to say goodbye to some of my favourite haunts and Le Petit Crème is a place that I do miss. So when my friend Carbon Debit and I decide to have breakfast, on a bleary eyed Saturday morning before she sets off for a long drive, I figure that sustenance, in the form of delicious eggs, is in order. We meet at 9am and since its too early for most Darlinghurst-ites to have rolled out of bed, we have our choice of tables and nab ourselves an outside table.

There's no menu to be had at the tables, only one large chalkboard menu in the front of the cafe. Amazingly, it looks like nothing has changed in the years between visits. I have a hankering for one of their fabulous omelettes, unmatched whenever and wherever I've travelled. They're offering us their weekend special Eggs Benedict, two eggs on toasted brioche with a choice of either ham or smoked salmon with hollandaise and a touch of parika. Carbon Debit orders the Eggs Benedict $14 and I order the cheese and ham and mushroom omelette (served with greens and baguette) $14. There is a choice of other fillings that can be added to it but I am going with tradition. I also order a bowl of cafè au lait $4.50-yes that's right, they have bowls of it and we're not talking tiny dainty little bowls, we're talking heaping great-serve-soup-in-bowls.

The coffee arrives shortly after and its just as I remembered it: huge. I took a picture with cutlery beside it so that you could see proportions and not wanting to mislead, we got out Carbon Debit's ruler and measured the bowl at 13cms diameter.

Its scarcely 5 minutes before our breakfasts arrive. Carbon Debit's Eggs Benedict is two poached eggs (small in comparison to Wharfy's large puffy super eggs) on a gigantic mattress of brioche with a very yellow hollandaise. I can't help but compare it to my favourite Eggs Benedict in the world at Wharfy's and whilst its very good, I love the tang and creaminess of Wharfy's Hollandaise (which is almost Bernaisey to me) and the supersized eggs. The hollandaise here is thinner and less creamy, much like a runny egg yolk. The brioche is however a delicious touch and makes it seem more luxe.

My omelette, sans the greenery promised but with a crunchy slightly warm baguette, is as good as always although needing a little salt. Its a huge half moon of fluffy omelette inside which is generously packed with ham, mushrooms and melting cheese. And another thing I remembered, I could never finish a whole omelette no matter how hard I tried. I try, I struggle but I valiantly fail. Vanquished by the omelette again!

As we leave its 10.30 and most of the best seats are taken. Breakfast time for Darlinghurst.

Le Petit Crème

Shop 2, 116-118 Darlinghurst Rd (near Govindas)

Tel: +61 (02) 9361 4768

Mon to Sat 7am-3pm, Sun 8am-3pm