Jagos On Miller, North Sydney – Rating: 17/25

Jagos On Miller benefits from being situated in North Sydney but away from the busy business centre.  This means that in a suburb where the only cafés try to hustle you onwards as quickly as possible, you can indulge in a quality meal but also enjoy relaxed surroundings.

Jagos plays host to a covered courtyard  as well as a spacious dining area.  I found the service to be a mixed bag although mostly we were greeted by welcoming, smiling faces and reasonably fast service.

There is no doubt that they nurture a roaring trade of takeaway coffee (regular $3.50, large $4) here and everyone at the table enjoyed their cups.  While the Vittoria bean itself would not be able to stand up against many other roasters I’ve sampled, the Jagos barristas certainly know their craft.

No surprises or letdowns with the hot chocolate (regular $3.50, large $4).  It came as a decent serving size and with the compulsory marshmallow on the side.

Freshly squeezed juices (regular $5, large $7) are available as orange or watermelon with ginger as an optional add-on.  My orange juice consisted purely of just-squeezed oranges as expected.  I would have preferred it slightly chilled though.

Despite some criticisms so far, the food certainly impressed all of my guests.  The corn fritter ($16.50) dish arrived looking fantastic and the portion size was large enough for most apetites.  The fritters themselves were as good as one can expect.  They were well seasoned, fluffy and did not have too much corn which can often be overkill.  Fresh avocado, bacon, rocket and an ever so slightly spicy chilli mayonnaise on top all worked so well together.

Eggs Benedict ($16.50) done right.  Even though the traditional English muffin is substituted for sourdough, it’s a good swap.  The toast was crispy but fluffy, the ham was bounteous, yolks were runny and the Hollandaise was as close as possible to what my idea of the sauce should be.  The ‘Benedict’ can also be ordered with smoked salmon (otherwise known as eggs Atlantica) for an extra Dollar.

The buttermilk pancakes ($13.50) this morning were eaten by someone who I refer to as a pancake expert and he gave them his tick of approval.  They were enveloped in a  thin berry sauce which was perhaps a bit overdone and he would have preferred fresh berries but overall he was happy with the flavours and size of the dish.

 

Other dishes that are worthy of a return visit include the fruit salad with yoghurt and dried fruit compote ($11.50), bacon and egg sandwich ($9.50) and Jago’s big breakfast (two free range eggs any style with bacon, sausages, mushrooms, smash potato and grilled tomato, $20.50).

 

There’s no doubt that if you’re in the area, Jagos On Miller is one of your best options for a well prepared breakfast with a delicious caffeinated brew.