When you walk into mall of the south, you don’t exactly expect to find one of the most, well, darling brunch spots in Jozi – Just Darling. Oozing a French country feel with a modern twist, this quant spot boasts its own roastery as well as decor available for purchase, just in case you want to bring any of the beautiful rustic accessories into your own home.
We treated Connor’s mom, Lynn, to a breakfast as it is understandably one of her favourite eateries in the area. While it is advisable to book a table for weekends or public holidays, due to their small scale, we managed to snag a table early in the morning.
To start, Lynn had a cafe latte, Connor had the home roasted cappuccino and I had a sparkling water. Listen, I might get crucified for the following statement, but it had to come out eventually – I do not like coffee. Try as I might, I just have an innate aversion to bitter things, especially coffee. So, while Connor searches for the best coffee, I’ll search for everything else! According to Lynn and Connor, the coffee is splendid and flavourful.
With that out of the way, we can continue with the actual review! Their menu comes displayed attractively on a clipboard with a large variety of breakfast and lunch options. There is also an ample amount of healthier options, suiting everyone’s taste buds.
Connor ordered the Darling breakfast (fitting, don’t you think?) and Lynn and I ordered the Avo Lover’s. Our food arrived without any hiccups or delays, and was pretty damn good, if you ask me.
Connor’s meal featured toasted slices of ciabatta with savoury mince and poached eggs. When I eventually managed to snag a bite, it was yummy. The eggs were poached just to his liking (soft) and the mince was flavourful.
The Avo Lovers, while deceptively simple, were well executed. It had toasted ciabatta, with two poached eggs, half an avo and Danish feta. It basically sounds like a list of my favourite things.
While it only requires you to poach the eggs (which can be tricky, I even struggle with it) and toast the ciabatta, it isn’t entirely technically challenging, it’s a well thought out dish that is delicious and full of protein. Both Lynn and mines eggs were poached perfectly, and we enjoyed our meals.
When we were full and content, we decided to try some of their gourmet shakes. Connor, true to his lemon meringue loving self, ordered the lemon meringue which came with biscuit, toasted meringue and lemon. I, true to my candy loving self, ordered the candy cane shake, a bubblegum shake extravagantly topped with cream, popping candy, speckled eggs and bubblegum syrup.
After you get through the initial bought of toothache, these shakes are super delicious and fit the trend of freak/monster shakes. I know quite a few people don’t like these, but I think they’re fun and yummy!
That being said, however, my sweet tooth has been satisfied for the next month. What's important with freak-shakes is that they’re not just show – they taste good too. And Just Darling got them just right.
Our overall experience at Just Darling was, as usual, very positive. With friendly and vibrant staff, a pleasant atmosphere, large and plentiful menu, and just darn delicious food, Just Darling is the perfect little spot for brunch, or any other meal, really. They live up to their namesake and exude a charming, rustic feel. They also have killer milkshakes, so if you haven't been convinced by this point, I don't know what will.
Stay hungry for adventure, friends.
Steph & Connor
5/5 Darlings