A high-profile Aussie restaurant came to town this year, aiming to please but falling flat with an international fusion menu that registered more like a nonsensical mash-up. Trying too hard can be a curse.

Why mess with a good thing? Sure, the Aussies appear to be contradictory gastronomes bent on exploring culinary extremes of hearty barbie fare on the one hand and holier-than-thou healthy goods on the other, but one tiny local startup has been deftly bringing the two worlds together over at Tucker and Bevvy (Australian slang for "food and drink").

Tucker & Bevvy Picnic Food opened last fall in the Park Shore Hotel, 2586 Kala­kaua Ave. (between Kapa­hulu and Paoa­ka­lani avenues, call 922-0099), and last month, owners Tony and Cecily Ho Sargent opened a breakfast branch in the Hee Hing Plaza. The couple spent 17 years running a trio of eateries, including Hono­lulu Grill, in the beach suburb of Manly outside of Sydney, before returning here, where Cecily grew up. Their focus was on breakfast and sandwiches, and they hoped to repeat their success here.

The picnic food shop amounted to sticking their toes in local waters and, as a convenience snack bar, offers a hint as to what the landscape could look like if fast food ever goes healthy. It offers an endless summer and Fourth of July-ready menu with convenience the key for Wai­kiki visitors who want to grab a bite for the road, as well as locals looking for variety in sandwiches, wraps, salads and other to-go fare.

You don’t even need an intention to picnic. Stocking the fridge with such sides as white bean and sage hummus ($5), red pepper and cashew hummus ($5), quinoa tabbouleh ($5.50) and lemon couscous ($5.50) means guilt-free meals and midnight snacking.

Available are a dozen sandwiches, from turkey cranberry ($6) and pastrami Reuben ($8.50) to the Veggie Stack ($8.50) featuring grilled eggplant, zucchini, a thin slice of sweet potato, provolone and basil pesto. A smoked ahi wrap ($7) features a crunchy layer of arugula that might not appeal to those who don’t appreciate the bitter greens.

For those who like their vitamins in liquid form, signature juices include the C Holiday ($6.50) combination of orange, pineapple and mint; the Bevvy Quench ($6.50) featuring watermelon, green and red apples; Aunti Oxi ($6.50) with beets, carrot, cabbage, red apple and grape; and Mean Green ($6.50) with kale, green apple, broccoli, cucumber, celery, parsley, cilantro, lemon and ginger.

It’s not all so serious. For dessert there’s an array of La Gela­te­ria sorbets and gelatos, as well as cheery Ono Pops flavors such as Pepper Pitt (mango habanero-lime) and Pedro Xocatl (Mexican chocolate).

But the real excitement is the opening of Tucker & Bevvy Breakfast, the couple’s first sit-down establishment in Hono­lulu. For the gluten- and carb-averse, breakfast can feel like a minefield of waffles and pancakes. Sure, Tucker & Bevvy has both of those, but I’ll get to them later. More important, it’s a source of more gluten-free alternatives to the classic American breakfast.

Watching the sales in Wai­kiki, Cecily said she was surprised to find patrons here "like the same foods people liked in Sydney. We have a healthy edge to our menu, and I think that is what is setting us apart. People want to eat healthier."

You probably never thought of starting the day with a warm lentil and chicken sausage salad ($12.50) topped with two poached eggs, but it works, as does a kale and quinoa salad ($12.50) topped with slices of roasted kabocha with the nutty crunch of tamari-toasted sunflower seeds.

A roasted veggie omelet ($10.50) offers a garden of eggplant, peppers, sweet potato, zucchini and mozzarella, painted a verdant green with pesto.

Even a burger "with the lot" ($12.50) tastes less sinful when the pork-and-beef patty is piled with grilled onions and beets to counter the effects of additional layers of a fried egg, cheddar, bacon and chili mayonnaise.

If you love hash browns, the mushroom rosti ($12.50) is a plate-size potato cake topped with balsamic sauteed mushrooms and spinach, and two eggs over easy.

Roast beef hash ($14.50) has proved popular, though it’s less hash and more like a stir-fry, featuring cubes of prime rib roast, sliced fingerling potatoes and red onions, with two eggs over easy.

And the Aussie "brekkie" ($10.50) has some things in common with the traditional American breakfast, with its combo of bacon, two eggs your way and toast. The tomato and sauteed mushrooms are a Down Under attraction.

As a side dish or stand-alone, you might also want to try the chicken fried rice ($9.50), with its flavorful morsels of garlic-pepper chicken.

The highlight for those with a sweet tooth will be the ricotta pancakes ($9.50) with strawberry compote ($3 for a single with syrup), so fluffy and light you’ll be surprised by how much you can eat. A slight bitter aftertaste may be the result of too much baking powder in the mix.

Usually, I don’t care for waffles because they’re often dry and cardboardy. I’ll make an exception for Tucker & Bevvy’s waffle topped with ice cream and crumbled and whole Tim Tams, a chocolate malt biscuit by the Australian brand Arnott’s. The waffle itself is light and airy, and disappears in no time.

So what could possibly be next? Tucker & Bevvy Late Night, Tucker & Bevvy Barbie, Tucker & Bevvy Juice Bar? There are many ways for this brand to expand, and if past predicts the future, each one would be a jewel.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.