A classy presentation at Zaida Cafe
What used to be called Brooklyn Bagels. It’s been revamped and refurbished but is still owned by the same people – founded by Jayne and Martin Chait in 1980. Opposite the Wellington foodie heaven of Moore Wilson’s and next door to Cafe L’Affare on College St, it faces stiff competition but has more than held its own over the years.
Pastel green walls, big semi-rustic tables and deliberately mismatched chairs. It is light and airy, they are clearly going for the Mediterranean cafe look – a contrast to the old, more American, decor. There are black and white photos on the walls and the counter food looks gorgeous. It’s still possible to buy all kinds of different (pricey) breads and bagels.
Grilled haloumi on ciabatta bread with avocado and tomato ($16). It arrives quickly and looks delicious – and classy with it. They know presentation, even if they like the ubiquitous arty drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Ordering was a bit of a risk for me as I do not always like haloumi, a rubbery cheese whose appeal has been a mystery to me in the past. But it is very tasty, with the flavours blending well. The portion size is also impressive – you get good value for the price. As you’d expect the bread is lovely, crunchy crust and soft inside.
A grilled chicken salad ($16): ‘‘It’s very good, a lot of chicken,’’ she says. The other two order a filo spinach and feta parcel, a salmon bagel and a small thai chicken salad to share. The parcel gets heated in a microwave, which renders it soggy, albeit quick to serve. You get a good hunk of salmon on the bagel, proper fillet too, but it is cold. So cold that my fellow diner was shivering, and it was hot inside the cafe. The salad apparently had a real kick of spice, but I don’t know what level of spice would draw that verdict.
Coffee is from Flight and my flat white was nice and strong if not quite as silky as I like. My friends have a blueberry smoothie which was apparently quite delicious. However, my other friend orders an orange juice, which is extremely overpriced $4.50 for 300ml and it isn’t even freshly squeezed.
Efficient, and, as I already mentioned, very fast, which is ideal. However there seemed to be a shortage of water glasses as when we arrived we could find only one. To identify tables they use big blue wooden blocks, which are quite cute.
Mostly well-to-do looking people who have probably just been to Moore Wilson’s: in fact there were a couple of Moore Wilson’s bags visible beneath the tables. It’s busy without being crowded and the staff seem to handle it all well.
Newspapers, although there are only a few.
I’d go for the crispy chicken on turkish bread ($16). I’m not a brunch person so would steer clear of the eggs and pancakes and things, but my friend was tempted by the eggs on toast ($10) which you can add a range of extras to to make a big breakfast for $3.00-$4.50 each.