Brighton is a little quirky in comparison to the rest of the UK you might agree. Joined along with the wooly hat wearing, new balance sporting ironic hipsters and the nautical attired middle aged folk who are embracing the coast, I wander The Lanes. I want to step into every other tea shop (which there are many) I pass. But, I am on a mission to land my seat outside of Café Coho. An independent chain in Brighton. Specifically, I am aiming for the breakfast at the Ship Street location, where there blankets to shield me from the winds and food to recuperate me from my not so welcomed hangover.
I found it hard to gain any information on this little delight; I wanted to search their history and praise them for the progress in which they have - from the beginning probably made. Alas, the show must go on, and I shall tell you why I think they still stand as they do today.
It's small, modern but well set out. It's diverse, different and but well thought out. The breakfast menu can tailor for all, offering the health and fitness individuals one of their three grain, five fruit wholemeal delights or the individual who couldn't care less what they were being served their triple fat, double oiled cooked breakfasts. It may seem a little pricey to the eye, yet what meets the stomach is wholly satisfying and definitely worth it.
So, we (my Brother) opted for the cooked option, judge me all you want - but be jealous when you realise what you have been missing out on my dear reader. With the optional extra of bacon, you are evidently being provided for by a 'feeder' so speak. By this I mean a chef who wants all their customers to say 'sod the obesity crisis!'. The egg comes in the masses (even noted by the waitress), and the toast is not at all sparse. Buttered well, a skill many have tried and unduly failed at the soda form of bread compliments the egg wonderfully, and makes what seems a simple breakfast ten times that of your mother's special recipe. Happy hangover day is I inform you, complete.
But why, does this breakfast set any other café or greasy spoon aside from the rest? And why, the rest of the 190,501,302 in Brighton? Well, it is because it is easy. The location - easy. The ordering - easy. The service- you have it ... easy! And this is what I struggle to find sometimes, overwhelmed with welcomes, menus and people it sometimes seems as though you want to be waving goodbye as soon as you have said hello. To often now days we are confronted with too many menus and it becomes difficult to retain a sense of simplicity.
Although simplicity in its form is far from what Café Coho are presenting with their visitors, the way in which they present it is simple. For instance, their egglette - eggtravagent (wehay!) and highly complex, it is in fact served so daintily and casually that we do not give a second glance to the weird, and wonderful creation in the Coho coolness. However, the chefs do and this is what works about the café on the corner.
I am yet to give you negative review about anywhere I have been recently, perhaps because I am an optimist - like to search for the best. Or, maybe it's something about Britain at the moment, having a bit of a food reformation and providing us with whole-heartedly good, honest food. Let's keep it up, and if you're down - in Brighton, let's keep it at Café Coho people.