Breakfast/Brunch

The Pour Kids

1e Winter St, Malvern 9077 3847

Duck for cover – Italian-style pork sausage, burnt butter gnocchi, fried egg and swiss chard

Stacks on – Grilled chorizo sausage, hash brown, guacamole, sour cream and roasted corn relish

Thoughts:

Duck for cover – don’t be fooled like I was, contains no duck. The gnocchi was soft, had good texture but was covered with large salt granules making them slightly crunchy which was a bit strange = Not bad

Stacks on – the chorizo sausage was overcooked and thus was dry, chewy and extremely salty. The hash brown however was terrific! = Not bad

Overall:

A bright and friendly looking place (think lots of primary colours) that has good service and a small menu of quirky named dishes (eg. Leeky coq, Bck-bck-begerk). Just note that portions are on the small side and that the chai lattes here have no sweetness to them whatsoever.

The Last Piece

7/2 Stadium Circuit, Mulgrave 9545 3040

Spiced school prawns with saffron aioli

Chunky chips with aioli

Hunter & collectors pizza – tomato, roasted chicken, peppers, flor di latte, olives and mushroom

I like italian sausage pizza – tomato, fior di latte, pork & fennel salsiccia, broccollini, cherry tomato and oregano

Penne grande with pork & fennel sausage, broccolini, cherry tomatoes, fresh chilli and white wine

Chocolate fondant with salted caramel ice cream

Flourless orange cake with blood orange sorbet

Spanish doughnuts with vanilla custard and nutella

Thoughts:

Prawns – the batter was unfortunately too hard and was difficult to cut, but the saffron aioli was nice = Not bad

Chips – regular chunky chips = Not bad

Hunters and collectors/I like italian sausage pizza – freshly made thin pizza bases with a decent amount of topping = Not bad

Penne – pasta was a bit undercooked = Not bad

Chocolate fondant – dense and tasted quite eggy, while the salted caramel ice cream was overly salty = Not bad

Orange cake – extremely moist and left a distinct orange peel aftertaste, while the sorbet was sweet and citrusy (tasted just like blood orange soft drink) = Not bad

Spanish doughnuts – are a different shape and are slightly more dense than regular doughnuts, but otherwise taste pretty much the same = Not bad

Overall:

An average pizza and pasta place located in a newly developed residential area that happens to overlook Waverley Park oval (where the Hawthorn football club train). Service was good (although our waitress wanted to clear our plates time and time again before we had even finished eating), and the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed.

Green Refectory

115 Sydney Rd, Brunswick 9387 1150

Breakfast stack

The big breakfast

Pavlova

Black forest cake

Thoughts:

Breakfast stack – a potato pattie, bacon, grilled tomato, spinach, haloumi cheese, basil and a poached or fried egg = Good

The big breakfast – eggs, toast, bacon, spinach, tomato, onion, haloumi, sausage, avocado, mushroom and homemade baked beans. One of the best ‘big breakfasts’ that I have ever laid eyes on; huge variety of food (no need to order anything extra), huge servings and is great value for money! = Good

Pavlova – light and fluffy meringue (that wasn’t overly sweet) with a generous layer of fresh cream and fruit, just amazing! = Excellent

Black forest cake – a typically tasty black forest cake = Good

Overall:

This hipster-filled place is always busy for good reason: the food is is fantastic, the portions are generous, there is a huge variety to choose from, the prices are great, and the service is quick and efficient. Just note that you need to go up to the counter to order and that this is a cash only place.

Auction Rooms

103-107 Errol St, North Melbourne 9326 7749

Flat white

“Shady deal” – shakshuka of stewed spiced tomato, eggplant, peppers, chickpeas, merguez sausage with meredith goats’ feta, dukkah, poached eggs and grilled flatbread

Twice cooked kurobuta pork belly with kohlrabi kimchi, fried egg and chicharron

Poached eggs on sourdough with quinoa potato hash and avocado

Tea-smoked salmon on quinoa potato hash with braised greens, poached egg and bernaise sauce

Chestnut and roasted garlic ricotta gnocchi with bacon, baby peas, seasonal mushrooms and shaved grana padano

House-made banana and walnut bread with espresso butter and maple syrup

Thoughts:

Coffee – I have to confess that I am not a coffee drinker so the thoughts to this are those of my friends. They found the coffee to be fresh, aromatic, well balanced, and of a high standard that never fails to impress = Excellent

Shady deal – rich tomato intense dish that was full of flavour = Good

Pork belly – Super crispy pork belly that came with a unbelievably thick layer of fat = Not bad

Poached eggs on sourdough – generous serving of sourdough and avocado, delicious quinoa potato hash = Good

Salmon – enjoyable salmon, eggs, buttered kale, creamy bernaise sauce, delicious quinoa potato hash = Good

Gnocchi – Amazingly fluffy gnocchi, a very tasty sauce, the chestnuts however seemed a bit out of place = Excellent

Banana and walnut bread – Best banana bread that I’ve had so far! I liked how it was soft and fluffy but was also slightly crunchy around the edges. It was fantastic on its own so it didn’t even need the espresso butter or the maple syrup. This is something best shared, as the sweetness of it could overwhelm you if you were to eat it all on your own = Excellent

Overall:

A popular place that is worth the wait in line . Good service, great ambience and layout (especially the funky open courtyard that they have at the back), and most importantly amazing food and coffee!

Gourmet Girl

21 Salisbury Ave, Blackburn 9894 8417

Country Style Breakfast

Norwegian Breakfast

Waffles with strawberries, ice cream and chocolate drizzle

Thoughts:

Country Style Breakfast – The egg and bacon frittata was too heavy on the bacon for my liking = Not bad

Norwegian Breakfast – Hearty and filling = Not bad

Waffles – Bit on the doughy side in the middle = Not bad

Chai Latte – Perfect mix of sweet, spicy and creamy = Excellent

Hot Chocolate – Rich and creamy = Excellent

Overall:

A comfortable place located on a quiet street that is great for catching up with friends, especially on a nice day as there is ample outdoor seating. Service can sometimes be a bit slow (as they seem understaffed) but the staff are friendly. Portions are generous and this is one of the few breakfast places where you can actually reserve a table!