This Kitchen has Kornered the breakfast market
When I was a teenager my parents frowned upon sleeping in late and they employed subtle ways of showing their disapproval. My mother would vacuum my room as I lay there, apparently in her way. And my dad would hose off the exterior of my bedroom window as a supposed part of his weekend morning home maintenance routine. The sound of a water jet hitting glass is quite startling, if you were wondering.
We have taken a more relaxed approach to parenting around here, although I had a very difficult time not jumping up and down on my daughter’s bed the Saturday morning that we planned to order in brunch from the Korner Kitchen. It was all part of some special mother/daughter time I had been scheduling to try to add a little cheer to the week that should have included her prom.
The two of us had eaten at their appealing new restaurant in Waterloo on what became her last day of high school, and nearly the restaurant’s last day being open for regular business. It felt like coming full circle when I called to put in our order and discovered they were hoping to soon reopen their patio for diners.
We are big fans of breakfast in this family and Korner Kitchen has just the menu for us. They also have plenty of lunch items, along with daily specials.
I dithered a bit over the menu because I couldn’t decide between sweet and savoury. A day without maple syrup is like a day without sunshine, but I ended up with the best of both worlds when my daughter and I added a Belgian waffle ($8.29) to share as a side. We definitely ordered more than we could eat, but I knew we would enjoy the leftovers.
I was very happy with my choice of the Canadian Eggs Benedict ($13.50). It derives its name from the inclusion of pea meal, or Canadian bacon, which is layered with poached egg and melted cheddar cheese, all on top of a toasted English muffin and smothered with delicious Hollandaise sauce. It was tasty and satisfying, and came with two side dishes.
The hash brown potatoes at Korner Kitchen are a thing of beauty. The potatoes are grated nice and thin, salted and cooked to crispy perfection. I also had the fruit salad, which was quite large and incorporated two types of melon, three types of berries, bananas, kiwi fruit, pineapple, and grapes.
My daughter’s BLT Deluxe Sandwich ($10.50) was so generously sized that the sides of hash brown potatoes and baked beans had to go into a separate container. The sandwich was made with bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, smashed avocado, two fried eggs and garlic mayo, all between toasted whole-wheat bread. She also really enjoyed the hash browns and smaller portion of baked beans.
The waffle we shared was light, airy and accompanied by a whipped topping. I added my own maple syrup, of course.
The final dish we sampled was the Berry Salad ($16.95). I was looking to add a little fresh greens to our meal and it didn’t disappoint. This salad is a satisfying meal in itself — and came with a grilled breast of chicken on the side. There are plenty of toppings including berries, toasted sliced almonds, pieces of walnut, crumbled goat cheese and I chose a balsamic vinaigrette for my dressing.
Last but not least, we each ordered a Tropical White Herbal Tea ($3.25). I would describe it as having the aroma and flavour of a delicious island-themed cocktail, but in tea form.
The other three members of my family are not going to read this review with quite the same enthusiasm as my daughter and I felt eating our brunch, but they can rest assured we will be ordering in again soon from Korner Kitchen. Dining In reviews focus on Waterloo Region’s delivery, pickup, and takeaway dishes and are based on unannounced orders from the establishments. Restaurants do not pay for any portion of the reviewer’s meal. Sandra Walneck can be reached at swalneck22@gmail.com and on Twitter @swalneck.