I’ve been so many places

I’ve seen so many faces

But nothing compares

To these blue and yellow Reuben Hills in Surry Hills. A Sydney institution, you can always count on a super vibrant Surry Hills crowd gathered outside of Reuben Hills.

With an eclectic breakfast menu influenced by Mexican, Asian and a host of other cuisines; Reuben Hills is incredibly unique. With cool interiors, great food and a lively atmosphere; Reuben Hills is one of my favourite weekend brunch haunts.

Let me show you some of the ghosts:

Once upon a time, I was talking to my parents about Valentine’s Day. My mother remarked that my father had never once bought her roses or any type of flowers. My father leapt to his own defence with one of my favourite quotes of all time: Father: Why would I get you roses when they die so quickly? I rather get you a roast duck that we can eat and enjoy together.

With that memory in mind, I opted for something rose-flavoured (for my mother) and something consumable (for my father) and polished it off (for myself). …yes I have spent every single Valentine’s Day of my life alone, why do you ask?

Baby, I know he did you wrong, but I pan cake you happy.

Let’s start with the quandong ice cream. Not to be confused with a province in China, quandong is actually a fruit found in Australian deserts.

I’d love to tell you I knew that off the top of my head but I got some help from my friends over at Wikipedia. It tastes a little like peach and was quite subtle with our ice cream tasting predominantly like vanilla. The pancake was rather light, fluffy and the pecan praline added a nice crunch to every bite.

If you don’t like it, you can bite me instead.

Sandwiched between two soft milk buns are gooey egg, crunchy bite-sized shrimp and sweet bacon jam with an element of smokiness that was absolutely delicious.

The mix of textures and combination of sweet and salty put my mouth through a rollercoaster of sensations with every bite. It may be a broken omelette roll, but this doesn’t need to be fixed. Instead, it needs to be affixed in front of my mouth at all times.

These are the best baked eggs I’ve ever had. I am aware that I occasionally float into the land of hyperbole when talking about food. It happens, I eat when I’m hungry and most of the food I consume tastes like making out with a Victoria’s Secret model after being single for 12 years.

In saying all that, these are still the best baked eggs I’ve ever had. I’ve been to Reuben Hills four or five times now and the reason this post has taken so long to come together is because the baked eggs are there every single time. It’s so hard to opt for a different dish when the baked eggs are just begging to be selected. It’s like how I’m keen to chill out and watch some TV and have all these shows at my disposal….but I end up rewatching Seinfeld anyway.

Let’s break down the cast of these baked eggs, you have the chorizo which is meaty and has a hint of sweetness reminiscent of dried Chinese sausage (larp cheung), there’s the kale for an element of crunch, you get the oozing egg yolk and then there’s the ranchero (Mexican salsa) that ties everything together with some spice and kick. Oh and the rye is slightly toasted and serves as a way to soak up all the delicious flavours.

Once again, these are the best baked eggs I’ve ever had.

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Here’s the TL;DR for everyone that expected to sing a lyric from the Sound of Music…ok, screw it: “the Reuben Hills are aliiiive with the sound of breakfaaaast”

– One thing I didn’t get to mention, you either go on a weekday or super early in the morning or you will be caught in a super long line. Go early and go often.

– The baked eggs are like Wi-Fi internet, ice cold drinks and coffee in the morning, they’ve p-Reuben to be good over time.

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Reuben Hills, Surry Hills 61 Albion Street

Opening Hours: Open 7 days: 7:00am to 4:00pm

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