Breakfast is meant to be the most important meal of the day.
From porridge with honey to the traditional Scottish slap up offering, there’s certainly plenty of inspiration available here in the north-east.
I personally think there is an unsung hero in our midst though, the humble pancake.
Light, fluffy and with endless possibilities as a topping, it’s surely a crime that Shrove Tuesday only happens once a year?
Shrove grudges aside, I was craving something both sweet and filling as I got ready for my hen do, an occasion which called for a thoroughly lined stomach.
Thankfully the maid of honor, Emily, lives in the city center, where you are spoilt for choice when it comes to all manner of breakfast options.
I knew the full works was not the way forward however, who else feels sleepy after polishing off sausage, bacon and eggs sunny side up?
There was also the small issue of my outfit of choice, a sequined mini dress which already needed some persuasion in the zipping up department.
The Venue
Thankfully the menu at Corner Tree Cafe answered my prayers.
Having moved to the beautiful town of Ellon last summer, it’s been a while since I’ve ordered food from Aberdeen’s west end.
Corner Tree Cafe is open seven days a week for brunch, lunch and afternoon tea, and its sister restaurants include Cafe Ahoy and The Pier.
The ultimate deal cincher however, was the fact that the delicious menu is available to order via Deliveroo.
Emily did the honors and put our order in, whilst the three of us frantically fake tanned and debated the merits of false eye lashes.
(Tricky to apply, worth it for the look in case you’re wondering)
But when the doorbell rang a relatively short time later, all manner of beauty tools were cast aside in favor of food.
The Food
I have a ferociously sweet tooth, and selected French Toast with cinnamon, bacon and Biscoff spread.
Emily selected a pancake stack with Nutella and mixed berries, whilst fellow bridesmaid Kristin kept things classic with pancakes, bacon and syrup.
Had we been eating in the cafe, I’m almost certain I would have ordered an open croissant, with smoked salmon and dill creme fraiche.
I was also really tempted by the sound of the breakfast waffles, which came complete with Scotch Bonnet ketchup.
Time waits for no hen however, and we happily tucked into our food.
It had been carefully packaged in cardboard boxes, a big tick for being environmentally friendly.
We decanted the goods onto plates and noted that everything was still warm and very well presented.
Orange juice with perhaps a hint of bubbles as an accompaniment, before we dug in.
I don’t eat Biscoff spread very often, a mistake which I now plan to rectify at once.
There was an excellent dollop of it on my dish, which had gone wonderfully oozy and melty.
I wish I had specified that I prefer my bacon crispy, I’m pretty sure the wonderful staff at Corner Tree are not mind readers though.
Bacon preferences aside, it was the French toast which really had me stumped.
I expected the dish to be sweet, which was the reason I ordered it in the first place, alongside the fact that last time I tried to make French toast our smoke alarm was not happy.
Although certainly not unpleasant by any stretch, this had far more of a savory taste and resembled eggy bread.
Had I been in the cafe, I might have mentioned this to the staff, but I must stress that it didn’t prevent me from enjoying a mighty fine breakfast.
The cinnamon added a delicious flavor, and eggy bread drama aside, I still cleared my plate.
Both Kristin and Emily were making noises of approval from across the table, pancakes are always a winner.
Clearly cooked fresh, each dish featured an impressive stack as opposed to a measly selection.
Golden brown in color, the bridesmaids assured me that the texture was spot on.
Light, fluffy, everything a pancake should be.
As with my generous slather of Biscoff, they hadn’t scrimped on the Nutella helping.
Emily’s portion of fresh fruit was also plentiful, and boasted a winning combination of strawberries and raspberries.
Corner Tree are famed for using local produce, so I have every faith that the berries were no doubt grown locally.
Last to finish was Kristin, who has accompanied me on many a food review.
Not only is she one of my favorite people in the entire world, she’s very much a foodie.
There’s not much she doesn’t know about cooking, and her baking is to be rivalled.
So when it comes to the nod from Kristin, well that’s proof that the dish is excellent.
She loved the pancake texture, alongside the winning combination of bacon and syrup.
The syrup was drizzled to perfection, without being overly sticky or lumpy.
It proves that sometimes old classics can be just as satisfying, and all three of us finished our portions.
And better yet, we didn’t feel like a food coma was imminent.
The Verdict
From presentation to packaging alongside temperature of the dishes, we felt like it was a job well done.
To truly enjoy Corner Tree Cafe, I think like most things in life – it proves better in person.
From friendly staff to dishes which don’t have to endure the wrath of a bumpy bike ride, Corner Tree offers the ideal brunch spot and is also in a great location.
If you are on the hunt for delicious food delivered straight to your door, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend however.
As for the French toast versus eggy bread, well… nobody’s perfect.
Venue: Corner Tree Cafe
Cost: £26.70
Address: 3 Whitehall Road, Aberdeen, Ab25 2PP
Contact: 01224 642442, or visit cornertreecafe.co.uk
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