An egg-cellent new brunch spot

Hey Carrara, we heard you were getting a bit hungry over there? Well, you’re in luck because things have just gotten a whole lot tastier with the opening of newcomer, Café Junie – and they’re promising to fill the brunch shaped hole in your belly.

Café Junie is bringing a modern Asian-style brunch menu to life, wrapped in a coastal European exterior and it might be one of our favourite culture collabs in a while. Trust us when we say, you’re going to want to make this your new weekend hangout.

The space and menu seem familiar for a reason, because the legends behind Currumbin institution Refinery are the brains behind Café Junie.

Novices no more, owners Gabrielle Hows and Brendan Hill are no strangers to the café game and have been delivering the goods down south for the past few years. Now it’s time for the rest of the Coast to get a taste of the good stuff.

Refining their passion for great coffee and food with Refinery Coffee, they’ve taken that experience to create a whole new dining experience at Café Junie.

Leading the kitchen is Ryo Miyamoto, bringing a unique flair to the menu with his heritage and background in Japanese cuisine. The result? A modern Asian brunch menu that’s already turning heads.

The Asian influence on the menu carries through to the breakfast classics, with the Eggs Benny getting a fresh twist, served on house-made hash browns and topped with yuzu hollandaise – an absolute must try along with the signature Chilli Scam, scrambled eggs with a delish kick.

Sometimes you do win friends with salad and that’s exactly what’s happening with the Bang Bang Chicken Salad, with poached chicken, seven minute egg, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, coriander and a miso sesame chilli dressing – this is one you won’t catch us saying no to.

For the burger lovers the Wagyu Ragu Cheeseburger is guaranteed to be a hit marrying a wagyu patty, savoury mince tomato sauce, tomato, lettuce, cheddar cheese, pickles and mayo – complimented by their signature Umami salt fries and side of vegan yuzu mayo.

And while the menu might hero modern Asian flavours, the fitout is distinctly inspired by the European coastline with white arches decorating the space complimented by neighbouring ABI Interiors finishes, as well as accents of sand and seafoam green throughout – even down to the coffee machine – bringing that cosy feel so you’ll want to hang around long after your last sip of coffee finishes.

The covered outdoor courtyard is perfect if you want to bring your pooch along for a pupachino – all dogs are good dogs in our book, so they deserve it. The sunshine filled space features a mix of greenery with olive and citrus trees that are giving aesthetic. It’s the perfect spot to soak up some of that glorious winter sun.

Café Junie’s outdoor courtyard can seat up to 60 people, making it the perfect spot for everything from lazy brunches to quick coffee breaks. And while our all-time favourite liquid – coffee – isn’t going anywhere, matcha is seriously having a moment so this is your time to get around their signature Matcha Whip—a dreamy iced matcha latte topped with white chocolate and matcha whipped cream— even the biggest coffee lovers will be converted.

Where: 45 City Link Drive, Carrara
When: Monday to Saturday, 7am to 2pm