Inside Miss Jones Cafe, New Farm, where cake is served for breakfast

In some circles eating cake for breakfast is frowned upon, but not at this incredible Brisbane cafe where it has become the main attraction alongside some still-enticing healthier options.

Anooska Tucker-Evans

2 min read

April 21, 2022 - 4:30PM

QWeekend

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Unless it’s your birthday, eating cake for breakfast is rather frowned upon. But not at Miss Jones.

The popular, almost-all-pink New Farm cafe serves up a puffy, fluffy disk of red velvet sponge (though it’s seemingly lacking in red food colouring, making it more of a chocolate cake) for your morning meal, topped with a puddle of coconut yoghurt, a decadent blob of lemon and raspberry-infused cream cheese, lashings of berry coulis and a tumble of rose-tinted fairy floss ($22).

You can almost hear the collective groans of nutritionists across the country as the knife slides into the airy, saucer-sized cushion, but surely the addition of some strawberries and raspberries on top has to count for something, right? Of course, this isn’t everyday breakfast food, but there is plenty that is at this welcoming neighbourhood eatery, where charming staff almost bound to the door to greet customers.

Owner Tam Pham, who took over last June, ensures diners have a little of something naughty and a lot of something nice to make this a venue people can visit daily.

Inside Miss Jones, New Farm. Picture: David Kelly

Looking for something healthy? How about a Goodness bowl ($20) loaded with a virtual garden of vegetables atop spiced brown rice? Or perhaps garlic and thyme sauteed mushrooms draped across toast with spinach, pesto and goat’s cheese ($18.50); or even the vegan-friendly granola with honey coconut yoghurt, fruit and chia pudding ($16.80).

As for those “sometimes foods”, think a karaage chicken burger ($18), a parmesan and sage croquette special ($20) and bacon-laden breakfast gnocchi ($22). There are also bought-in pastries and cakes, plus some house-made banana bread, which our smiling waitress insists is top-notch.

Combining a little of the everyday and the indulgent in one is the chilli scramble ($18.50). Just-cooked eggs are sprawled over terrific herby sourdough and then layered up with haloumi, flaccid from time in the pan.

The chilli scramble. Picture: David Kelly

The chilli component comes only from a restrained zigzag of mild, vinegary chilli sauce kissing the toast, making this a dish even the spice-averse could handle. Miss Jones also delivers breakfast in liquid form, serving vegan-friendly smoothies from local Queensland company Nakedberry.

There are also cold-pressed juices by Hrvst St; while coffee comes from Sunshine Coast-based Tim Adams, using its The Doctor blend that is smooth, creamy and rich.

Five years on from opening, Miss Jones still delivers plenty to draw customers in; and with a change of ownership injecting fresh energy, it’s sure to continue for another half decade.