The feijoa bircher with a fresh berry compote is worth returning for.
Unknown Chapter Coffee Roasters, 254 St Asaph St, Christchurch Central, the newest cafe on St Asaph St. is roasting its own blend of coffee and is welcoming everyone to have a closer look with the roaster on show in the front window.
Grabbing a couple of coffees ($4.30 each) to kick start our early morning breakfast, and picking menus from the front counter. Sipping on our strong wake-up call I order the vegetarian breakfast ($19.50), which comes with smashed avocado, poached eggs, field mushrooms, tomatoes, pan fried potatoes and seeded toast. The big breakfast doesn’t wow me, but it’s perfectly nice. The only small problem is the food goes cold quickly, a heated plate would fix this. It’s a struggle to finish the large portion. I’m so full I forgo lunch.
Unknown Chapter Coffee Roasters is the newest cafe on St Asaph St.
My dining mate has the feijoa bircher, a soaked granola served with fresh seasonal fruit, natural yogurt and berry compote ($13.50). While this sounds like a simple dish that could be made at home it is executed perfectly. The compote is the hero of the dish. Unlike any compote I’ve tasted before it is refreshingly minty. We both agree we’d return to Unknown Chapter again for the granola.
The service was… Spot on for a cafe. Both the coffee and meals arrive in good time and the waitstaff are attentive, checking up on us several times throughout the meal.
The vibe was… The smart interior is well suited to the growing businesses around it and is already popular with locals for a workday coffee. The plants and glowing lights hanging from the ceiling are its stand-out feature that adds interest to the dark, industrial interior. If you go, stop in for a mid-morning caffeine kick and a chunky muffin fresh from the baking tin.
