‘City’s first brekky carbonara’: Popular cafe serving up lunch for breakfast

Bored with bacon and eggs for breakfast, well this innovative Brisbane cafe has you sorted with everything from beef kapow to pasta on the morning menu.

Twenty-somethings flood the footpath outside in their activewear waiting for a table, while groups of girls sipping mimosas and baby boomers enjoying their morning coffee occupy tables inside.

On a relaxed Sunday, family-owned West End cafe Morning After is bustling.

The work of mother-and-son duo Soula and Yianni Passaris, the eatery has just celebrated its eighth birthday and, judging by my visit, remains as popular as the day it opened.

The exterior of Morning After cafe in West End.

It also looks just as fresh as it did almost a decade ago, with the bright, sun-drenched interior punctuated with accents of deep olive green on the chairs and banquette, hanging plants and pale timbers, which add warmth against the cool grey polished-concrete floor.

What does show signs of its longevity, however, is the service, with a level of professionalism and calm among the commanding, knowledgeable and highly proficient staff that only comes
from experience.

While the service is no doubt a major reason why customers keep returning, the repeat business is also largely due to the food.

The dining room at Morning After cafe in West End.

Morning After has always been one of Brisbane’s most progressive cafes, serving up dishes that would normally be associated with lunch or dinner for breakfast, including the city’s first brekky carbonara, which became famous and remains a staple at the venue to this day.

Its menu continues to evolve, however, with even favourites undergoing fresh iterations to ensure only the best hits the table using the finest of local ingredients.

The latest offering carries on the cafe’s global approach, with everything from truffle mushroom and leek croquettes or baked eggs with spicy nduja to beef rendang and fish burgers available.

Beef kapow at Morning After cafe in West End.

First to hit the table, though, are our drinks, with Five Senses coffee the house blend, while there’s also a frequently changing seasonal variety and a feature blend, such as Roast
By Yili’s punchy Super Natural edition (all
from $5).

Tea comes from Ripple Effect Tea Co, there are Hrvst St and cold-pressed juices, and smoothies include a deliciously creamy, nutty peanut butter and banana number ($10)

While for those so inclined, there’s also a clutch of South Australian and Victorian wines, plus four beers, three basic spirits and a handful of classic cocktails, such as an Aperol spritz, negroni and bloody mary.

A flashback for the menu is the wagyu beef kapow, created by former Morning After chef Bowyo Muangsong, who now serves up a pork version of the popular Thai dish at her and Yianni’s other venture, Ping Pong in Newstead.

The beef iteration ($25) is a lively and bold one, fragrant with Thai basil, garlic and chilli, sitting on a round of roti that has lost its crispness under the moist meat ensuring it’s easy to slice through.

Corn fritter breakfast bowl at Morning After cafe in West End.

Meanwhile, the breakfast bowl ($24) delivers an abundance of freshness with raw spinach, mashed avocado, blackened corn and roasted pumpkin showered with a cumin-heavy dukkah, nestled around nugget-style corn fritters that come to life with the juice of the accompanying lemon wedge.

From the food to the service to the vibe, it’s not hard to see why Morning After continues to draw crowds. And it will no doubt continue to do so for the next eight years.

MORNING AFTER

Cnr Vulture and Cambridge sts, West End

3844 0500

morningafter.com.au

Open 7am-3pm daily

Verdict - Scores out of 5

Food 4

Service 4

Ambience 4

Value 4

Overall 4