Though newbie Holly Raye’s is tucked down an unassuming Bassendean side street – you won’t be able to miss it with the stunning dog mural by my favourite artist – Anya Brock. You can see some of her beautiful work at Ootong & Lincoln in Freo too. But anyhoo – I’m digressing here. I was lunching with some of my favourites Kim and Kez. Kez had mentioned to me recently that a friend of her’s, Holly, had opened a new café. I was very keen to try it – especially when I found out that Holly’s mum is in the kitchen – she used to work at the fabulous Sherbet cake and bake shop.
The café is fairly small inside and with two prams in tow, we opted to sit at a table out on the pathway. First, we ordered drinks. As a big fan of chai, I went for the creamy chocolate chai, which made a really nice change and it felt a little bit decedent.
We were sat at our table for a good 20 minutes or so before the cups and plates of the previous customer were cleared – but meh – no biggie. It was quite obvious the waitresses are new and they were run off their feet. I’m happy to give them the benefit of the doubt, given that Holly Rayes has only been open a few weeks.
The menu is an all day breakfast type – which suited us all just fine. I chose the Karri smoked bacon, with free range egg, sharp aged cheddar and tomato relish on a buttery brioche bun, $18. To my delight, the egg was runny *fist-pump*. It’s a tasty dish and the sweet relish really married all the ingredients together well. 
Kim chose her staple brunch dish – Eggs benedict, $20. Holly’s version came with lashings of meaty pulled pork and hollandaise sauce. I’m not alone in my love for a runny egg – Kim confessed that she feels a little bit sad if she orders an egg dish and the yolk is hard boiled. I’m so glad I’m not the only one!! We’re happy to report that these eggs were perfectly gooey. 
The use of mismatched retro plates is cute and these plates really reminded me of my childhood in the 80’s!! Kez enjoyed the super fresh breakfast guacamole with black beans and jalapeño cornbread, $18. She also ordered a side of potato hash, $4, which looked scrummy.
The girls treated themselves to some freshly baked sweet treats. As tempting a they looked – I’m TRYING to be good. An impossible mission for a food blogger and frankly, no one wants to read about a salad – though please do correct me if you do!
All in all I really enjoyed my first trip to Holly Raye’s. The food is well cooked and very tasty. It’s priced well too. I’m sure the service will catch up to the good standard once the new wait staff have found their feet.
