Catch 122 Cafe & Bistro – Hot Chocolate and Croque Madame

For some reason or another, I’m always finding that I’m out and about early in the morning and looking for somewhere to eat.

Catch 122 is located in the gentrified area of Gastown, directly across from London Drugs. When I visited around 8am on a weekday, the place was rather dead. I’m surprised given how good the food is here. The interior is mainly brick walls and wood tables with a large wooden bar.

I started off my breakfast with a truly remarkable Belgian Hot Chocolate ($3.95). I dare say that it was the best hot chocolate that I’ve had being creamy, frothy, and chocolatey. The pretty leaf on top was just the kicker.

There was no question in my mind what I was going to order… the Croque Madame ($12) served open-faced with poached eggs, house-smoked ham, gruyère cheese, cherry tomatoes, béchamel sauce, and Yukon nugget potato hash. The potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and I found that the saltiness from the grilled ham offset well with the fresh greens. Melted gruyère – check. Runny yolks – check.

Service was friendly and the portions were hearty… think I found a new favourite place for breakfast.

122 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC

www.catch122.ca