A lovely escape for breakfast

The Sugar Club

Where: Beverly Hills Hotel, 1 Lighthouse Road uMhlanga Rocks.

Open: For breakfast 6.30am to 10.30am

Call: 031 561 2211

I had a message from a former Independent on Saturday editor last Saturday. “I see you had sushi for breakfast,” it read. I couldn’t conceive of sushi for breakfast. It wouldn’t occur to me unless perhaps it was fresh oysters or smoked salmon, but that is not sushi. It would rank with curry for breakfast, or a T-bone steak, or chicken livers or anything swamped in garlic or peri-peri.

And then the penny dropped.

In last week’s column I had written that the restaurant was open daily to 9am. Oops. So with apologies to Seven Seas Sushi, that should have been 9pm. The devil in the details.

But the Glass Guy and I did go for a swanky breakfast this week - and while there were no fresh oysters, there was plenty of smoked salmon.

We’re at the Beverly Hills Hotel in its formal Sugar Club dining room. It’s a lovely room with big comfortable club chairs arranged to maximise views through large picture windows of the ocean beyond. It was an angry choppy sea that day so we were glad to be inside but on a glorious day, breakfast spills out onto the terrace.

There’s a series of tables groaning with delicious food options. We’re offered a glass of bubbles on arrival but sadly have to decline as we’re both on work schedules later. There’s an array of fruit juices from the conventional orange and apple to options like lichi or pineapple. Coffee is soon on the table, the Glass Guy’s cappuccino a shade on the milky side. His second was better.

There’s a table laden with fresh cut fruit, stewed fruit, dried fruits and nuts and seeds and stuff, along with a selection of yoghurts, and pouring and whipped cream. And then there are cereals and mueslis. You can order oats porridge from the kitchen if you would like some. I must admit I’ve never quite understood why on a five-star buffet laden with many exciting options someone would want rice krispies for example. Maybe they just want to feel like they’re at home. And that said, I have fruit and yoghurt every morning at home, and guess where I went.

Then there is a whole selection of cheeses, cold meats, pickles, olives, artichokes, dolmades, capers, sauces, creamed feta, preserves etc. There is a vegetarian and chicken and leek quiche. Then come the breads and croissants and a selection of mini scones, muffins and Danish pastries along with jams and honey. 

And that’s before you’ve ordered from the hot kitchen.

Here you could build your breakfast with a choice of back or streaky bacon, pork, beef, lamb or chicken sausage, steak or devilled kidneys. Smoked haddock or grilled kippers were an option plus any which way you wanted your eggs. There were grilled tomato or mushrooms or hash browns and even baked beans. Now there’s something I don’t think belongs on the table - ever, not just for breakfast.

I enjoyed a bacon and mushroom omelette which was light and fluffy. It was also nice that a basket of hot toast came with it. None of this hovering around a toasting station waiting - and everyone trying to steal someone else's toast.

The Glass Guy was in his element with soft scrambled eggs and smoked salmon and avo - paired with artichokes and cream cheese and capers and croissants from the buffet. It was his very own breakfast feast.

Afterwards I hit the cheese board which had a good chilli boerenkaas, along with Danish blue and camembert with preserved ginger. I also had a nice crisp apple Danish, loaded with cream.

The Glass Guy saw waffles on the menu and had to try one. These fortunately were not enormous (I had visions of having to help him finish a waffle the size of a dinner plate) and came with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and syrup. Thumbs up from him.

We managed a quick second coffee before it was back to reality - the office. But we relished our morning treat.

Food: 3 ½

Service: 3 ½

Ambience: 4

The Bill: R750 for 2