Noshwellmenu

[rating:2]

Marulilu Cafe is a Japanese restaurant that serves breakfast all day. Situated along the Broadway corridor just East of Cambie, this casual cafe offers an unusual mix of Western and Japanese dishes like waffles and Miso soup (although not necessarily together).

Inside, a rainbow of chalk scribbles outline the menu on a blackboard hanging overhead. You make your oder and pay up front before seating yourself. Although full meals are served, the patrons of Marulilu resemble coffee shop customers with their eyes fixated on laptops and iPads, taking full advantage of the free Wi-Fi.

(Above: Waffles served with syrup and chocolate and vanilla whipped cream.)

I ordered the waffle breakfast plate which came with the usual eggs, choice of breakfast meat (I had pork sausage) and hasbrowns. The waffle was light and crispy, and the chocolate and vanilla whipped cream were a nice compliment. Although my eggs appeared overcooked, they were remarkably over easy. The hashbrowns and sausages, however, looked disappointingly from a frozen package.

Case decided on the Japanese style breakfast of rice, grilled salmon, plain omelette, miso soup and a choice of tofu or natto (unless you really know what you’re getting into, we’d strongly suggest the tofu). The breakfast arrived in a beautiful arrangement, but the grilled salmon proved under seasoned and severely overcooked. The tofu and omelette were similarly under seasoned, although both were otherwise nicely cooked. The miso soup was a warming welcome with a sweet tinge accompanying the familiar saltiness.

(Clockwisee: 1. Breakfast plate with pork sausages, two hasbrown patties, eggs over easy and two slices of tomatoes. 2. Japanese style plain omelette, 3. Miso Soup.)

Our meal, including two cups of coffee (which were weak) was $24, which isn’t too bad given the area. We really want to like this place — the staff is friendly and the dining room relaxed, but the execution on many of the items were off enough to throw a wrench into the whole deal. I’d recommend sticking to the waffles for now.

Perfect for: Waffle with some World of Warcraft.

The Details

451 West Broadway, Vancouver
604.568.4211

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