Eggs Zachary

Those who like to tootle around the bays from Oriental to Owhiro may have, in the olden days, been frustrated by the lack of coffee en route. This 30-odd-kilometre journey cannot be completed on fresh air alone. In the twenty years I’ve been biking it there have been two welcome developments: more cyclists, and more cafés. The last few years in particular have seen a proliferation of foody pit stops in the Eastern suburbs: the Gipsy Kitchen, Queen Sally’s Diamond Deli, and the coffee shop at Wild Style Surf to name but a few.

And now there’s Zak’s, in the Seatoun shops, which opened early June  and is indeed owned by Zak, long-time local and jazz musician. His café is a handsome, timeless number (much like the man himself), decked out in Spanish white, Euro-chic furniture and a dusky green banquette. Little else adorns the room bar poster-sized prints of local historical photographs. It’s clean, modern and easy on the eye, although spoiling for a run-in with a bold Bello vase and rampant florist.

Besides wine & tapas on Friday evenings – which looks very appealing, by the way – Zak’s is a day-time affair. There are six options for breakfast, the eggy classics bumped off in favour of herby, fruity, modish dishes such as poached tamarillos with honey yoghurt & gingerbread, and toasted brioche with rhubarb, apple & rose jelly and crème fraiche ($13). My friend chose the latter, both beautiful and delicious with its glazed rhubarb stacked neatly atop the brioche. I had the full shebang – panfried beans, bacon, chorizo, poached eggs and toast ($18). It was my ideal brekky, being big and gutsy with a modest nod towards healthy eating. Both bacon and sausage were surprisingly lean, the beans hearty yet wholesome. I’d certainly return for this breakfast, although I’d likely get waylaid by the smoked fish brandade with spinach, poached eggs & hollandaise.

Six dishes are also offered up for lunch, including soup, risotto, steak with tarragon butter, and fish of the day. A blackboard lists daily specials. There’s also a couple of options for the children ($5–6), and five-dollar French fries. The coffee is Supreme, so no quibble there. What Zak’s lacked on the day we visited, however, was alluring counter food. There were muffins and scones of average appeal, and some glamorous cupcakes from Tempt in the Old Bank Arcade. These were stout, with inch-thick icing. A chocolate fascinator poked out of mine, and the whole thing was spr inkled with gold dust. At $6, however, I would have expected a rich, fudgy cake with genuine ganache, not a Betty Crocker doppelgänger and icing sugar.

On the whole though, this café impressed. Fresh and modern with a pleasant atmosphere, attentive service, and quality food competently prepared… yes, you can chalk up another winner for the easterners.

www.zakscafe.co.nz