Fancy your eggs with a side of kimchi? 5Loaves 2Fish has your fusion brunch cravings sorted.

Just a stones throw away from the lower North Shore’s bustling Military Road, 5Loaves 2Fish is your new local breakfast joint in Neutral Bay. Sunny harbour side brunch with a side of Asian flair? Sorted.

Husband and wife dynamic duo Lyn and Andrew have been fusing your classic brunch items with traditional Korean cuisine since March 2018. With their forever evolving, seasonal menu and enthusiastic service, they’ve already garnered a very loyal clientele.

The minimalist and contemporary cafe lets you watch the cooks at work, with a view of the open kitchen. Simply take a seat at the communal bench in the centre of the space and bask in the floating vines hanging from the sprightly ceiling plants above.
Inside, we spied a pastry cabinet on the coffee counter, complete with rich chocolate brownies and sticky buns doused in a shower of white icing sugar. Whilst the vibrant interior of 5Loaves 2Fish offers an appealing place to enjoy our breakfast, we opted for a table on the footpath to people watch and soak up the sunlight.

We opted for a couple of celebrated crowd pleasers. First up was the Open Omelette ($19) which immediately caught my eye. And how could it not with such an extensive list of components. It’s a somewhat intimidating dish – a mountain of kale graces the omelette, with wild mushrooms and honey roasted artichokes on the side. It also comes with chorizo, pickled chilli, goats cheese and a light dusting of white truffle infused salt. Unfortunately against the other powerful flavours, the truffle may not have been there at all. That being said, you can really taste the honey in the roasted artichokes, the chorizo was smoky and sweet and the goats cheese cut through the (surprising) richness of the omelette.

Nothing says spring time like a bowl filled to the brim with sweet bursts of colourful, seasonal produce. The Granola ($16) was a generous serving of chopped kiwi, orange and strawberries, resting a top a light and tangy organic coconut yogurt. The fruit compote was chunky and sticky, like a rich berry jam. It added a nice textural element against the not-too-sweet honey roasted almond and pistachio granola.

With an emphasis on wholesome food, it’s no wonder a Green Bowl ($18) features on the menu. Before you think “seen it before”, this one stood out. First off, it’s more of a loaded avo on toast. Light and nourishing, the chimichurri added a new flavour element and the almond and pepita dukkah not only threw in a nutty note to the sautéed greens, but also some healthy fats and protein. This is the kind of brunch meal that will make you feel okay about the 5 beers you’ll be swigging over at the beer garden come 3.30pm.
Take our word for it and opt for a poached egg instead of the suggested soft boiled. We were informed by our lovely waitress that the boiled egg comes cold (as they pre-cook them at the start of the day), whereas a poached egg adds a very welcome warm element to the dish.
Whilst we went the familiar route, 5Loaves 2Fish specialises in fusion, Andrew citing his Korean heritage as the innovative inspiration to many of his dishes. Nothing says Korea like kimchi, featured in the Homemade Labneh ($17), alongside poached eggs, heirloom tomatoes and grilled chorizo.
On the lunch side of brunch? The Turmeric Spiced Chicken ($18) will spice up the rest of your day with a diverse combination of grilled chicken breast, roasted cauliflower, toasted pine nuts, kale pesto, cranberries, crispy chickpeas, fresh spinach, steamed brown plus wakame and tzatizki.