Six Unexpectedly Exceptional Breakfasts
Six of One turns to the most important meal of the day, featuring Taran Khan, Tom Usher, Naseer Chia, Sejal Sukhadwala, Panayiota Soutis and Ivan Kirwan-Taylor.
Hello and welcome back to Vittles Restaurants!
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We’re back in the capital this week with the latest in our series of special Six of Ones, this time for a breakfast special. The enabling constraint for our writers was unexpected, which has brought forth some excellent examples of the most important meal of the day. Below you’ll hear from Taran Khan about lamb chops from a British caff cooked by the guy who used to run the breakfasts at the Wolseley; Tom Usher’s alternative to a protein shake; Sejal Sukhadwala and Naseer Chia on two versions of hospital breakfast (including a very unexpected live dosa station), and Panayiota Soutis and Ivan Kirwan-Taylor on unexpected Cypriot and Sri Lankan specials at two different British cafes.
Next week, look out for the latest episode of the Vittles podcast, when Adam will be chatting to Songsoo Kim from the Super 8 Restaurant group.
Till then, good morning!
1. Lamb chops at Deja Brew
‘Tell her I want rice with spinach, spicy, and she knows,’ my friend Ragu texted me when he found I was back in Deja Brew Cafe, his beloved local breakfast spot in Brockley. The ‘she knows’ referred to Szilvia, who runs the place with her husband, chef Toure.
The couple began the venture as a way to spend more time together. Before that, says their website, Toure was ‘in charge of breakfast’ at the Wolseley in Piccadilly, as well as at other central London spots like The Langham and the Savoy. This accounts for the easy virtuosity of his omelettes and breakfast spreads with eggs – in truth, Deja Brew would be a standout on these alone. But the real pull of the place for Ragu, and now for me, are the grills.
The first morning we visited together, we ordered lamb chops on a bed of couscous, imbued with a spicy ratatouille, as well as chicken kebabs that came with rice, also mixed with the ratatouille. On my next visit, I hit the kofte meatballs – a mix of lamb and beef mince – as well as the sea bass, which was crisp and delightful. The grills are on offer from 7am each day: Szilvia says this is because they get builders coming in early, looking for a breakfast that will let them work through the day without stopping for lunch. For a vegetarian option, I sampled Ragu’s rice with spinach, which came with a sauce spicy enough even for our Indian palates.
Deja Brew has red and black diner-style seating, and each person who walked in was greeted by the staff like an old friend, or at the very least a regular. A couple had their order called out as they entered and a runner training for the marathon was offered encouragement as he left. It’s a place where friends meet for lunch and fathers bring daughters for milkshakes on the way home from school. The soundtrack moved between the Backstreet Boys and Neil Diamond, adding to the feeling of being in a familiar place. In an area thick with pretty cafés offering vibes and mediocre food, Deja Brew is a rare find. Taran Khan
319 Brockley Rd, SE4 2QZ
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