It's a stifling 30 degrees and after losing a large portion of my body weight during a short jog, I'm too hungry to cook breakfast.

Hence we ourselves at the 'other' option nearby. Clover in Annandale is colourful, quirky and a little capricious in style. It's all a distraction from what really matters.

Clover on Booth Street, Annandale

There's some seriously bulletproof customer feedback on the wall:

"Q: What could we do better, A: Not much all all"

Surprisingly it is not too busy at 10am, a bad sign (I think).

Moderately busy inside.

Baked eggs in multiples disguises populates the menu. I discover the chalkboard baked eggs ($12) is a poor man's version of the beans hotpot ($16) - smaller without beans.

'Small' and 'no beans' are two unacceptable words for a guy whose emotional state so precariously depends on a hearty feed of eggs to jump start the weekend. My hotpot with mushroom and capsicum is marched out within 10 minutes.

Rustic board underlying the dish - always a nice aesthetic.

Hotpot with mushrooms and capsicum - $16

Just like an abandoned child outside a casino, three sandwich-thin white bread slices were untouched on the side.

Lorie only wanted bacon and bacon she got at significant cost. $19.50 for two poached eggs, bread, salty haloumi and some veggies.

Poached eggs on quinoa toast with mushroom and added bacon - $16 + $3.50

I do like the juiciness of the mushrooms, plus quinoa toast with some pesto is nicely predictable.

Eggs were over-poached and bacon was bacon. After not finishing either dish, we stood up paid in hard cash and left.

Because my expectations were so high, I left quite sad. The last time I was this upset was when I let my wife's dog out, only to have it tragically run over by a car.

If food poisoning is a culinary head-on collision, tasteless baked-eggs from a specialty baked-eggs house is a side-on at a T intersection. The high price but small serve is realising you don't have health insurance.

I also proved it possible to walk away hangrier after a meal.

The true twisting of the knife? Dish of the day being awarded to Bunnings, 10 minutes later.

With a sizzling sausage first in bun, then in mouth, it was $2.50 well spent...

The road not taken ... Bunnings sausage sizzle - $2.50

Food - 5/10 - good concept in baked eggs, not many other choices. No seasoning.
Value - 4/10 - overpiced for what you get (or don't get).
Other - 5/10 - just like a screaming kid on a plane, car noise from Booth St is music to the ears.
Overall - 5/10 - a real disappoint that warrants little praise.

Most baffling is the lack of opinion provided by Good Food Guide. I will not be returning to Clover not would I recommend anyone does.

I still find myself still searching for THE legendary baked eggs dish in Sydney...

... the one that culminates with a fist full of rustic bread swiped carefully along the base of an iron pan, just to salvage that precious last splash of slowly roasted tomato.

Annandale baked eggs head to head - Clover (top) vs. Revolver (bottom)