Coffee

Two Birds One Stone

12 Claremont Street, South Yarra 9827 1228

Two birds – eggs on toast with mushroom, spinach, heirloom tomatoes, haloumi, avocado, house made sausage and bacon

Black Angus steak sandwich with bacon, beetroot chutney, horseradish cream, rocket and cheese

Corn fritters with house smoked salmon, avocado and snow pea tendrils

House smoked salmon omelette with beetroot relish, goats cheese and chervil on toast

Thoughts:

Two birds – a typical big breakfast dish = Not bad

Steak sandwich – the sweet beetroot chutney combined with the tangy horseradish made this a satisfying steak sandwich even though the steak was slightly overcooked = Not bad

Corn fritters – somewhat dry but the snow pea tendrils gave the fritters a fresh and unusual taste = Not bad

Salmon omelette – the omelette itself was nice however the toast that it came on was really thin and dry = Not bad

Overall:

Good atmosphere, average service and so-so food. Probably not a place that I would be rushing to go back to.

Stokers Coffee Lounge

1033 Heidelberg Rd, Ivanhoe 9497 4488

Raspberry and white chocolate pancakes

(All the pancakes here look pretty much the same hence the one photo)

Overall:

The pancakes themselves were quite thin (almost crepe-like), made fresh to order and had a variety of fillings available (both savoury and sweet). The atmosphere was dim and cozy with wooden tables and benches scattered around, an old wooden upright piano sitting in a corner waiting to be played and an open fireplace in the middle of the room. Although the food and the service here is average, this place is open until 2am (except on Sundays when it is until midnight), making it a great place for a late night nibble.

The Grain Store

517 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 9972 6993

Apple, rhubarb & ricotta pancakes

Chilli & fennel sausage, winter vegetable hash

Lemon meringue pie

Thoughts:

Pancakes – Extraordinary! The combination of tangy rhubarb curd, sweet apple puree, crunchy oat and honeycomb crumble and the fluffy ricotta pancakes was simply fantastic = Excellent

Chilli & fennel sausage – the egg was perfectly poached and sat upon the winter vegetable hash which was a mix of potato and sweet potato chunks. The chilli and fennel sausage was ordinary but the pear and cider relish was quite tasty = Good

Lemon meringue pie – lemon curd, marshmallow, tamarillo salsa, basil and two squares of buttery pastry made up this deconstructed pie. Despite having all the right ingredients there on the plate, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing = Not bad

Overall:

A wonderful brunch place that is hidden among dull office buildings found at the west end of Melbourne’s CBD. The food here is fresh, local, organic, and not to mention beautifully presented. The staff are friendly and there is a relaxed country kitchen feel here with its light open space and naturally colourful decor (fruit, vegetables, plants, flowers) that can be seen throughout the dining area. Best of all, this place takes reservations!

Luxbite

38 Toorak Road, South Yarra 9867 5888

Meringue Monster

(green tea sponge, pistachio, watermelon yoghurt, sour strawberry mousse, meringue)

Passionfruit Tart

(Passionfruit curd, meringue, kaffir lime sherbet)

Endless Love

(lychee ganache, rose cream, lychee, fresh raspberries)

Lolly Bag Cake

Thoughts:

Meringue Monster – terrific combination of flavours! The only thing that could have made this cake even more delectable was having a less dry and powdery green tea sponge (which is only noticeable if you eat this layer alone) = Excellent

Passionfruit Tart – the tangy passionfruit curd together with the sweet meringue and hint of kaffir lime resulted in a very refreshing tart. Just note that the pastry is quite solid and takes a bit of muscle to cut through = Good

Endless Love – fresh and delicate with a hint of tanginess from the raspberries = Good

Lolly Bag Cake – made famous by Masterchef, this cake is made up of seven layers that include: 2 layers of joconde almond sponge brushed with banana sweet syrup (banana lollies), freckles crunch with popping candy (chocolate freckles), spearmint leaf buttercream (spearmint leaves), mandarin Jaffa ganache (jaffas), musk stick marshmallow (musk sticks), topped with a delightful redskin glaze (redskins). A very sweet and unique creation, the best part about eating this was trying to determine which layer was which lolly = Good

Overall:

The desserts on offer here are pretty amazing: well presented and of course taste fantastic! There is a curious Asian influence with some their flavours; their macaron selection includes pandan, green tea pistachio, rose and lychee, and bamboo oolong tea. The decor here is modern with high ceilings, striped walls and a long marble communal table. Service is quick and friendly although seating is limited so expect a wait or grab a takeaway instead.

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.

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!