Breakfast is one lovely meal. Best of the day, I've heard. Unfortunately for me, the chances of putting this theory into practice and decide for myself if breakfast is indeed a good idea are very slim. Or so I thought, until last week.



Waking up at 9.15am on a Saturday is not ideal, especially when the night before went long into the wee hours of the morning. But willing to honour the promise made to my friend (and the fact that he called to wake me up) and possessing the largest sunglasses available on the market, I jump in a cab and I show up, in a mixture of smiles and yawns, at BookMunch an hour later.



BookMunch is bright and colourful, funny and fizzy, "all smiles and giggles". I entered a bear hug of laughter, rainbow colours and freshly baked muffins and coffee smell. It felt welcoming, enticing, not intimidating and, most importantly, friendly. 

BookMunch looks rather small from the outside, but it is quite spacious. Divided into two by a ceiling to floor wooden shelf with cooking, dieting and non-fiction books, BookMunch caters to families with kids looking for a meal in a kid-friendly venue, but also to sleepy heads looking for a coffee fix or early risers looking for a healthy meal and a newspaper.



Browsing through the menu, I was tempted to order eggs Benedict, one of the dishes I can't get enough of. Then I remembered probably my friend will order it and I can taste from his plate. He didn't. Being one of those early risers looking for a healthy meal, he went for the Bircher muesli, with grated apple, yoghurt and honey. And a latte. His breakfast arrived in a huge bowl, filled to the brim with a porridge-looking concoction, not at all appealing. That's the thing with healthy food, I guess: if it tastes bad (or looks bad, in this case), then it must be good for you. Unaware of what Bircher muesli is, I was informed that it is one of my friend's favourite dishes (information is power, so I'll take it) and that is composed from oats, marinated overnight in apple juice, then served mixed with yoghurt, grated apple and honey, for a hearty, healthy, beige breakfast. To my surprise, it tasted quite good. It was sweet from the honey and sour from the apple, although I would have liked a bit more crunch to it, more of a "grownup" bite. I think that cutting the apples in bigger chunks rather than grating them would have made a serious difference and would have gone down with a bang with me. 



My "carnivore" friend went straight for the "burger as you like it" - 3 classic mini burgers with potato and sweet potato fries. I liked the presentation of this comfort food - a paper cone of fries, ketchup dip and 3 minis, on a black stone board. Unfortunately, the taste didn't knock our socks off. The beef patty looked really small in the over sized bread bun and, when biting into it, it was more on the dry side rather than on the juicy, properly cooked red meat side (as red meat lovers, both my friend and I were not awestruck neither with the patties nor with the burgers themselves). To be fair and give BookMunch some credit, their sweet potato fries were good and well seasoned. Now, I don't know the eating speed of my buddy, cause I only got to eat one (1) sweet potato "fry" (from his food. That he ordered. For himself). Either the sweet fries were in minority compared to the others or my friend is eating really fast (from his own food. That he ordered. For himself). 



On this glorious Saturday morning, someone who was probably neither an early riser nor a sleepy head decided to order the worldwide famous breakfast delicacy - omelette (also known as omelet, in English). His omelette (or omelet) with lard de dinde (or turkey bacon) and champignons (or mushrooms) was elephantine. My guess is minimum 3 eggs, for those who want to bet. Presented simply on a large white plate, with only half a cherry tomato and a lettuce leaf as decor, the omelette (or omelet) was golden yellow, glistering with a thin layer of melted butter and fluffy as a puffy cloud. I rarely eat perfectly seasoned eggs and/or resist the temptation of adding salt, pepper, herbs or other kitchen wonders, but this omelette (or omelet, I need to make up my mind) can work wonders on a Saturday morning. Judging by the grin on my amigo's face and his empty plate, the dish was a great (in taste and size) success.



Eventually, someone decided to order the eggs Florentine (they're no Benedict, but they're ok). The egg yolk was runny and the Hollandaise was glistering yellow, with just a slight trace of pepper on top. Since spinach is the only food item that can make me run for the hills, I did not touch the eggs Florentine. Pretty to look at and see the plate turning yellow and the bagel getting moist, but eating that with spinach - disaster combo. However, the plate went back empty (and white, somehow), so I take it that this Florentine invention (although it was more French) hit the mark.



In an attempt of trying something new, I chose the "oeufs en cocotte". This fancy French name describes nothing else but eggs, baked in the oven with cream, turkey bacon, mushrooms and parsley, served with a slice of bread and butter. Compared to the gargantuan portions of my dining companions, I felt at a disadvantage with my small ramekin (then I remembered I'm on a diet, so I was less disappointed). My first bite was quite pedestrian, nothing to write home about. I was tempted to add more salt, but then I found the turkey bacon and the taste balanced by itself. The mushroom were a nice touch, adding earthiness and bitterness, and the alfalfa (or at least that's what it tasted like) added freshness. Overall, the dish was average, plain and simple (despite its fancy French name). The egg yolks were a bit dry for my liking, thus making the whole plate difficult to swallow. 

 

To overcome my bad mood and disappointment, I dug wholeheartedly into two decadent dessert - to share with all of us: carrot, courgette and walnut cake with lemon cream cheese frosting and bread and butter pudding. The carrot cake arrived first, again in a simple, "less is more" presentation. The sponge cake was super flavourful on its own, with a good crunch from the walnuts. The lemon cream cheese brought equilibrium to the dish, balancing the heaviness of the two layers of sponge cake. While I would have liked a little more frosting (not on top, maybe the inside layer should be made thicker) and a more "loose" texture to be able to swallow it easier, I actually fell for this dish. I also never heard of courgette in a cake, so thumbs up for that.

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After 25 minutes of waiting, the old-fashioned English favourite dessert arrived - the bread and butter pudding, item number 14 on my food list challenge. Warm, milky, fatty, "cinammony", I did not expect in a million years to love a dessert without chocolate. But this one, so decadent bordering immoral, so rich bordering corrupt, was an absolute wonder. The crispy croissant pastry, the almond flakes and the brown sugar on top guarded an indulgent mix of vanilla cream anglaise, butter, milk, cream, more bread (more calories). I find my vocabulary limited when wanting to describe the taste, it was that good. Please, eat it while it's piping hot, nothing is more unappetizing than cold butter, cream and milk (besides spinach). 



During the whole three hours spend lingering over food and lattes in BookMunch, the place never got quiet. People working on their laptops (courtesy of the free wifi), reading newspapers, simply browsing through the book shelves or just trying to make their kids silent, all find their place in this quirky cafe in Al Wasl square. 



​The service at BookMunch is friendly and attentive, although slightly nervous in front of a large group (we were having breakfast in a group of 10). Sometimes slow when it's getting too busy, but you cannot become upset, seeing that the place is run with passion and that the owner is there, working hand in hand with his staff.



I like BookMunch. I like that it's honest. I like that it's welcoming and colourful. I like that it's friendly. I like that it smells like coffee and muffins. I like that they like books. But, most importantly, I like that it has a story to tell, a story that is unique. 



I think it was about time that Dubai starts to harbour local brands and small neighbourhood cafes that will bridge the gap between the "fast-paced metropolis" and the "real city where people want to feel at home"  Dubai. And, as a proof, people like it. Small quirky cafes are jam packed with residents hungry for something different than chains, hungry for some "home away from home feeling". We don't all have a Starbucks or Costa in our hometown, but sure as hell we have our own version of "BookMunch".