150 Maeroa Rd, Maeroa
We get lost twice on the way there, but when we arrive the sunlit tables are packed with cheerful Sunday-brunchers and our initial frustration fades away. The staff are particularly friendly here, and the menu, though somewhat small, holds something for every taste. The boyfriend orders an original Eggs Benedict, and I go for the vegetarian version (both $16).
My coffee is delivered first ($4 for a mocha), is absolutely delicious, and just the right size. Our plates arrive: thick, chewy slices of crusty bread, his topped with good-quality bacon, mine with garlic mushrooms and spinach, and each with two perfectly poached eggs and a generous dribble of lovely hollandaise sauce. A bit of pesto on my toast is a nice touch, and the fresh baby spinach adds a spark of color to the plate and a light freshness to accompany an otherwise rather rich dish. The hashbrowns are a bit salty, however, and I can’t really taste the garlic in my garlic mushrooms, but neither issue takes away the fact that the food is pretty damn good.
Our table wobbles and lacks chairs, so we are forced to pinch a few from inside- only they’re the wrong size, so we spend the meal feeling like little kids having Christmas dinner at the fancy grown-up table, but we soon get used to it and find ourselves rather enjoying the atmosphere. Actually, The Sugar Bowl’s location is a bonus in itself, as (after you manage to find it), you are sitting on the corner of a quiet street in a somewhat sleepier part of Hamilton. At roughly 10-15 minutes drive from Hillcrest, this makes it a great place to nurse a hangover without loud traffic noise- and the food makes that little bit of extra petrol well worth it. And for those of you wondering why it’s called The Sugar Bowl; I’ve been told they make a sweet French Toast.
3/5