Breakfast/Brunch

Baba Sus

Hong Kong Egg Waffles

(vanilla custard, green tea ice cream, berry compote, pistachio praline)

Although these were not like the egg waffles I’ve eaten in Hong Kong (which were distinctively crispy on the outside and very light on the inside), they were still undeniably good. These tasted more like pancakes…really delicious pancakes.

★★★★☆

Corn and Zucchini Croquettes

(house cured salmon, herb aioli, asparagus, frisee, poached egg)

★★★☆☆

Crispy and creamy croquettes, perfectly poached egg, not a lot of salmon.

Overall:

Deciding what to order here was no easy task. Every menu item sounded delicious with most of them having Asian influences. I really like places that have a unique menu, and when you add good food and good service onto that, Baba Sus makes for a place that is worth visiting over and over again.

Baba Sus

15-17 Bardolph St, Glen Iris

9939 6141

Servery & Spoon

Morning Super Salad

with kale, broccoli rice, toasted quinoa, beetroot, avocado, super seeds and a poached egg

Tasted healthy but lacked flavour and texture.

= ★★

Buttermilk French Toast

with quince, lemon curd labna, sugared pecans and date maple

= ★★★

Eggs

Crispy Dukkah Crusted Eggs

with smashed avocado, crumbled feta and grilled orange on sourdough

Not sure if the grilled orange was necessary but the rest of the dish was delicious!

= ★★★★

Overall:

Well presented food, friendly service, open inviting space. Be sure to try the Crispy Dukkah Crusted Eggs.

Servery & Spoon

137 Waverley Rd, Malvern East

9571 7495

The Baker’s Wife

The Lamb

(crisp spiced lamb shoulder, pumpkin hummus, fried chickpeas, beetroot relish, paprika yogurt, cucumber and mint salad)

= ★★★

The Bubble and Squeak

(Bubble and squeak croquette, Italian sausage, roast tomato, fried egg, sourdough, house relish and house BBQ sauce)

I really enjoyed the croquette but the sourdough and the sausages were simply tough and dry.

= ★★

The French Toast

(The Baker’s Challah, rhubarb and strawberry compote, spiced ricotta and Canadian maple syrup)

= ★★

The Cheeseburger

(150g beef patty, Swiss cheese, brioche bun, pickled cucumbers, American mustard, lettuce, tomato and chips)

= ★★★

The Barramundi Roll

(crumbed barramundi fillet, brioche bun, fennel, apple and celery slaw, fried capers, dill aioli and chips)

Delicious combination of ingredients. Plus the barramundi fillet was very tasty and had great crunch.

= ★★★★

Nutella Donut, Hot Jam Donut, Raspberry and Custard Cruffin, Chocolate Cruffin

I definitely liked the cruffins more than the donuts…

= ★★★

Nutella Donut

…although the donut fillings were delightfully bounteous!

Overall:

Warm inviting atmosphere, average service, good selection of pastries and muffins (which are baked fresh on the premises).

The Baker’s Wife

414-418 Burke Rd, Camberwell

9809 1133

Fandango

French toast with bacon, cinnamon baked apple, maple butter and maple syrup

= ★★

Curried Eggs (fried eggs, Indian spiced chickpeas, brinjal vegetable pickle, minted yogurt cheese and roti)

Each bite needed a bit of yogurt with it otherwise it would have been a tad dry.

= ★★★

Beetroot Eggs (poached eggs, beetroot and feta relish, spinach, sourdough)

Simple and delicious!

= ★★★★

Overall:

Great portions, friendly service, and a homely retro vibe. There are only 12 seats in this small cafe but there are also seats available in their courtyard (which is only accessible through the alleyway behind the cafe). So if you ever feel that the wait is too long at Auction Rooms, travel a few metres down the street and give this charming place a go.

Fandango

97 Errol St, North Melbourne

9329 0693

http://www.fandangocafe.com.au

Vincent the Dog

Green Tea Latte

★★☆☆☆

Poached eggs, smoked salmon, goats cheese and avocado on sourdough

First thing I noticed about the eggs were the cling wrap marks on them. Nothing wrong with that as long as the eggs are properly poached (which they were).

★★☆☆☆

Pulled pork shoulder open waffle sandwich with pickled red cabbage, coleslaw and chipotle aioli

Generous amount of pulled pork piled on top of a crispy waffle.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

This cosy little place offers more than your typical brunch menu items. Not only did they offer waffles and bagels, they also offered dishes such as Shanghai-style braised pork belly and Chinese donuts filled with melted cheese. The service and atmosphere were easy going however the limited seating deters me from coming here during the weekend. Note that this place is closed on Tuesdays.

Vincent the Dog

348 Drummond St, Carlton

(03) 9348 2068

Journeyman

Latte

Aromatic, noticeably milky.

★★★☆☆

Almond and cornflake crispy chicken with red cabbage slaw, coriander, lime, corn and tomato salsa on a brioche bun

Talk about a good burger! The chicken was satisfyingly crunchy and the slaw was delicious. Plus it was decently sized and very filling. I can totally picture myself ordering this again.

★★★★☆

Pulled pork benedict with poached eggs, cider vinegar hollandaise, apple and spinach

Everything was tasty except for the hollandaise sauce. It was more like a butter sauce. It was so overpoweringly buttery that I had to scrape it all to one side in order to taste the rest of the dish.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Previously known as Dukes Coffee Roasters, Journeyman was renamed in 2014 to separate the cafe from their coffee roasting business. The menu as well as the decor have pretty much remained the same, and service was efficient. So give this place a go if you are after great coffee and/or a great chicken burger.

Journeyman

169 Chapel St, Windsor

9521 4884

http://www.journeymancafe.com.au/

Mazzitelli

Pan fried gnocchi with ricotta, napoli and mozzarella

The gnocchi itself was on the dense side however the sauce was light and full of flavour.

★★★☆☆

Risotto with roast duck, porcini mushrooms and red wine

Delicious flavours, well cooked rice, super crispy duck, fabulous comfort food.

★★★★☆

Layered eggplant lasagne with 24 month Grana Padano

I am a fan of eggplant and no doubt found this dish to be very tasty. If only there was a bit more eggplant and a bit less sauce.

★★★☆☆

Cheese Board – Mauri Gorgonzola, Tallegio and Grana Padano served with house made fig and walnut toast

★★☆☆☆

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with strawberry, basil and housemade biscotti

Light and creamy, slightly tart and yogurt-like from the buttermilk.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Fantastic service, warm intimate atmosphere, enjoyable Italian fare. Note that the pasta and risotto dishes here constantly change which means something new and exciting to try at every visit.

Mazzitelli

144 Bridge Rd, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9427 1887

http://www.mazzitelli.com.au/

Chez Dré

Duck Sandwich – confit pulled duck, onion jam, red cabbage, grated apple, truffle mayonnaise and panini

A delicious combination of ingredients (including a considerable amount of duck) sandwiched between crispy panini bread. Seriously one of the best sandwiches that I’ve had in a long time.

★★★★★

Salmon Rillettes – beetroot relish, caperberries, poached eggs, beetroot crisps and toasted sourdough

Perfectly poached eggs, tasty salmon, piquant beetroot, briny caperberries.

★★★★☆

Prana Chai – masala blend with honey, black ceylon tea, spices and ginger

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

It’s been a few years since I last visited Chez Dré and my only regret from this visit was being too full to fit in any of their amazing desserts. I have to get an eclair the next time I come here! And a cheesecake…and a tart…possibly a macaron. Either way I must come back soon.

Chez Dré

Rear of 285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9690 2688

http://www.chezdre.com.au/

Rudimentary

The Burger – soft shell crab, chili mayo, green apple, celery and mint

Flavoursome crab covered in crispy batter.

★★★☆☆

Organic Zeally Bay bun with smoked brisket, kimchi and asiago

Unexpected burger filling that would have been more enjoyable had the brisket been less salty.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Footscray is not the first suburb that springs to mind when it comes to coffee and brunch. The owners of Rudimentary have done an excellent job at creating this earthy hipster cafe that makes you forget that you are in Footscray (that is until you look up at the high steel fencing surrounding the place). The cafe itself is cheery and vibrant with large open windows and clean neutral tones. From inside you would never guess that the building is in fact a couple of shipping containers welded together. Service was very efficient and I loved the fact that we were able to leave a name and contact number and be called when our table was ready. The menu here is quite small and has clear Asian influences (crispy pig’s ear anyone?). Everyone on our table decided to get a burger and the first thing we noticed was how incredibly thick the burger buns were. Not only were they thick but they were also quite dense making it impossible to squish down and fit into your mouth. I don’t know about you, but a cut up burger to me doesn’t taste as good as a burger I am able to hold in my hands and bite into.

In any case Rudimentary is a great addition to Footscray and I really hope that they continue to do well.

Rudimentary

16-20 Leeds St, Footscray, VIC

0497 058 173

Breakfast Thieves

Spanish Gypsy Dance

Spanish morcilla (black pudding) served with crisp rosemary and parmesan polenta bars, Chilean pebre (salsa), cherry tomatoes, pickles, basil oil and perfectly poached eggs

★★★☆☆

The Legend

Spicy baked eggs with spinach hot chorizo, mushrooms, green peas, sweet corn and feta served with herbed garlic bread

★★★☆☆

Leprechaun

Crisp fried sweet corn fritters on puree of chipotle and grilled corn, pickled beetroot, yuzu-avocado mousse and perfectly poached eggs

★★★☆☆

Overall:

There were so many things I liked about Breakfast Thieves: the captivating menu, the well presented food, the charming decor and the efficient service (although our food did come out before our coffees which was a bit unusual). This place is definitely worth visiting.

Breakfast Thieves

Shop1, 420 Gore St, Fitzroy, VIC

(03) 9416 4884

http://www.breakfastthieves.com.au/