Breakfast is the first, and quite possibly the most important meal of the day. Be it milk rice or pancakes, a satisfying meal to start off the day, is sometimes all it takes to take away the blues. With cafes coming into the picture, breakfast is celebrated now more than ever before with their carefully curated menus and decadent meals. Cafe Kumbuk is no stranger to the local brunch faction, and is renowned for its gorgeous food, whilst having one of the best brunch menus in town. Apart from this, they’re commended for taking and abiding by apt measures to craft a sustainable environment. From metal cutlery to drinking straws, we were able to observe these measures first-hand. This time around, however, our eyes were set strongly on their attractive breakfast menu. With a variety of options to choose from, they’re sure to have something for everyone. Here’s what we had: [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="17480"] Food Chickpea waffle Rs. 900 [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="17486"] This was the savoury dish we opted to try; and it was served with chicken sausage, chickpeas in a spiced tomato sauce served on waffle, topped with a fried egg, and Hollandaise sauce. The waffle was made to perfection, with it being crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside. This was a hearty dish and the ratio of filling to waffle was commendable. The sauce was flavoursome and was delicious on its own, although we thought it might have lacked the spice its menu read. Pancakes Rs. 880 [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="17484"] The menu read that the pancakes were coconut milk and wheat flour pancakes, as opposed to your typical pancakes made using dairy. Despite my prejudices, the pancake on its own was moist, and appeared delectable. They offer an option of caramelised banana or grilled pineapple, and we opted for the former. Our pancakes were topped with curd and treacle, with the sprinkling of almonds and cinnamon. The sourness of the curd worked well for it acted as relief against the rich combination of bananas and pancakes. In terms of size, the portion seemed small although we instantaneously understood that with this dish; a little definitely goes a long way. Peanut butter granola Rs. 850 [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="17485"] Granola is a trending breakfast staple, and we thought it would not have been fitting for us to have left without trying some of theirs. Their homemade granola was served up with treacle topped off with slices of strawberry, star fruit and banana accompanied with a side of warm coconut milk, and sprinkled with shavings of dark chocolate. This dish was filling and the granola had great texture. The addition of warm coconut milk, I thought, enhanced the taste of peanut butter, whilst bringing the entire dish together. Their clever use of sliced star fruit and strawberries rendered the tartness it required, to grant some relief against the sweetness of the treacle. This entire dish, I thought, took healthy to a whole new level. Drinks We were spoilt for choice here due to the availability of an array of options to choose from: Cappuccino Rs. 450 [gallery link="file" columns="2" size="full" ids="17482"] Breakfast would not be complete without a good cup of coffee, hence we decided to try some of their Soul Coffee which is grown and sourced with in Sri Lanka. It wasn’t too milky unlike most places, and successfully retained that mildly strong flavour of coffee. If a nice, moderately strong cappuccino is what you’re after, then Café Kumbuk is the place to be. Ceylon punch Rs. 450 [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="17483"] This juice was a mixture of narang (local orange), coconut water, lime, sea salt, and mint. As refreshing as it was, it definitely had the punch with the crushed mint working in its favour. It was a well-balanced drink, for neither was it overpoweringly sweet or sour. Call: 011 2 685310 60, Horton Place, Colombo Facebook: Café Kumbuk Open: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. By Chenelle Fernando Photos: Pradeep Dambarage