Shouk Cafe | Paddington Brisbane

While it has only been a mere five months since I last wrote about Shouk Cafe, I cannot get enough of the food at this place and decided it was time for an update (read: any excuse to eat here).

The dishes at this Paddington cafe all have a touch of Middle Eastern flair about them, which makes for both interesting and delicious eating. I love anywhere that has smashed baklava as a regular meal accompaniment.

So what Autumn/Winter delights are on offer at Shouk? Let's find out.

---

Unsurprisingly not much has changed in the interim between now and my last visit, including my inability to decide on what to order from the amazing-sounding options available.

Between two people we ordered three breakfasts- this is how mouthwatering the menu is. We kicked off with:

• Shakshuka: Tunisian style eggs baked in a rich sauce of tomato, capsicum and spices. Served with toasted challah, olives and Persian fetta.

• Challah French Toast: Challah soaked in a spiced egg mixture, served with candied walnuts, balsamic macerated berries and a vanilla bean semifreddo

The Shakshuka was spicy and warming on a crisp morning.  The eggs were cooked perfectly with runny yolks and we asked for an addition of merguez sausage for a meaty kick. This worked- order the sausage.

The french toast was one piled-up plate of delicious food- I struggled getting through the mountain of challah bread and generous slabs of semifreddo on offer. The french toast itself had just a very small hint of spice which was nice and not overpowering, while the candied walnuts were undeniably moreish. I also love any excuse to have ice cream for breakfast.

Though we weren't exactly hungry by this stage, we happily tucked into our third breakfast:

• Cardamon and Honey Panna Cotta with Smashed Baklava: Lightly sweetened honey and cardamon panna cotta with smashed baklava and pistachio persian fairy floss.

This was similar to a dish we'd had at the start of the year, except that panna cotta was served with fruit. The baklava on the side of this dish was fresh, crispy and packed full of nuts. The panna cotta itself was so tasty with a strong cardamon flavour throughout.

Last time we had ordered this, it was so stinking hot that the panna cotta melted on our plate pretty quickly. Not this time however- this dish made for some excellent cooler climate eating.  

Shouk Cafe again lived up to my expectations, with super friendly service, and beautifully creative dishes using fresh ingredients.

It's been a few days already- I think I'm due in for another meal here...