I feel like I’ve been visiting old friends this week, while I wait for some new ones to arrive.

A Deluxe cafe cookie, a Nikau brunch, a Zibibbo platter, and a Capitol breakfast (can you tell it was a teenage-free weekend??).

My cookie at Deluxe was enlivened by an interesting discussion with a fellow customer about whether having a ‘favourite’ meant you had to restrict yourself to just one choice.  My philosophy – different circumstances call for different favourites, so nope, no restrictions here.

Nikau sage eggsNikau delivered as always, and I was amused to find that my four fellow brunchers all chose the famed Sage Eggs, but with different accompaniments – salmon, sausages, bacon and black pudding.  Which got me wondering if a book could be written about sage egg therapy along the lines of Schoc’s chocolate therapy with different choices revealing different personality traits….! My buttermilk pancakes with honeyed butter and apple syrup were simple but tasty, the Nikau philosophy.

Enough of the philosophy.

Zibibbo has a tapas platter for two that’s hard to go past for a pre-show graze and is always impressive (go and see Midsummer at Circa this week if you can fit it in, great fun!), and Capitol’s warm semolina pudding with fruit compote (and french toast with rum and raisin cream cheese for him) delivered the Capitol-expected uniqueness to round out the weekend pleasures.

Adam Newell at Zibibbo has a range of degustation and master class events for those wanting something more, and I see they’re also lining up to do Xmas Day lunches and dinner this year if you’re of a mind.  Tempting.

He’s also the Chef de Cuisine at Wellington’s Le Cordon Bleu School, so a busy man.

Capitol semonlinaThe new things I’m waiting for?

  • Charley Noble – the new venture from the White house folks opening today and located in the strengthened Huddart Parker building on the corner of Customhouse Quay and Post Office Square. Cooking by wood fire and accessible pricing I understand.

Yum yum!