Modern Australian

Eden Espresso

121 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern 9509 9119

Olive Bread Benedict

Middle Eastern Eggs

Thoughts:

Olive Bread Benedict – 2 slightly overcooked poached eggs served on Noisette’s Kalamatta Olive Sourdough with a slice of fresh tomato, baby spinach, crispy grilled bacon and drizzled with a lovely home-made hollandaise sauce. I probably would not have ordered this had it not been for the olive sourdough which definitely made this dish extra yummy. I love olive sourdough = Good

Middle Eastern Eggs – 2 poached eggs served in quite a spicy tomato concasse, topped with squeaky pan-fried haloumi, chorizo, spring onions and a side of crusty Turkish bread = Not bad

Overall:

A nice place for breakfast if you happen to be in the area. The service is quick and there is heaps of seating room (tables and couches inside, a small back room as well as an outside courtyard).

Hobba

428 Malvern Road, Prahran 9510 8336

Bubble and Squeak

Smashed Avocado (with a side of smoked trout)

Thoughts:

Bubble and Squeak – comes with half a roasted tomato, a fried egg, a thick slab of bacon, sourdough toast and some enticing brown butter hollandaise sauce = Not bad

Smashed Avocado – a huge serving of creamy, lemony avocado with Yarra Valley fetta that comes with a free range 63˚C slow poached egg on some delightful pumpkin grain toast = Good

Overall:

I’m slowly working my way through the Herald Sun’s list of Melbourne’s 25 best breakfasts and came here to try out their Bubble and Squeak (which disappointingly turned out to be just okay). The service here was average, but what made this place stand out for me was the actual building and its decor. This cafe used to be an old warehouse and still has an industrial feel to it with its exposed brick walls, super high ceilings, wooden beams and concrete floors. This all just added to the charm of this place and made for a really funky dining atmosphere.

Two Brothers

558 Mitcham Road, Mitcham 8838 8145

Breakfast tortilla

Ando’s baked beans

Pina colada pancakes

Thoughts:

Breakfast tortilla – pulled pork and beans in soft mini gluten free tortillas topped with a poached egg, a tiny amount of avocado salsa, chilli oil and mint. This was my first time eating a gluten free tortilla and I must say that I am not a big fan. Although they were soft, they still tasted dry and not quite right = Not bad

Ando’s baked beans – baked beans with goats cheese, baby herb mix and a poached egg served with multigrain bread = Not bad

Pina colada pancakes – light, fluffy coconut pancakes served with a deliciously tart yet sweet lemon and lime curd, grilled pineapple, a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, coconut flakes and macadamia nuts = Good

Overall:

A bright welcoming atmosphere, friendly service, delicious pancakes. Note that this place is closed on Sundays.

Hotel Windsor

111 Spring St, Melbourne 9633 6004

Afternoon Tea

Seven Fairies (Glorious Blooming Tea)

Overall:

When I found out that they were going to increase their afternoon tea prices as of November 1st 2013, I thought to myself that now was a good time to go and try this place out. The service was professional, the atmosphere relaxed and the decor classy and elegant. The afternoon tea food however was rather ordinary, with nothing in particular standing out.

The sandwiches included:

smoked salmon, creamy avocado, dill
chicken, apple, mayonnaise
egg, mayonnaise, snow pea sprouts
virginia ham, dijon mustard
cucumber, sour cream

These unfortunately tasted like they had been sitting in the fridge for a while = Not bad

The pastries included:

lemon meringue pie
mille feuille
sacher torte
lamington eclairs
caramel eclair

The lemon meringue pie was yummy, I found the pastry of the mille feuille and eclairs to be quite tough, and the sachet torte was exceptionally rich = Not bad

Scones:

Traditional and sultana scones that are baked daily, served with jam and double cream. These scones were warm, buttery and slightly crumbly = Good

Seven Fairies Tea:

I find blooming teas (or flowering teas) really fun to watch. They are essentially a bundle of dried tea leaves wrapped around one or more flowers into a tight ball. When this is steeped, the leaves and flowers unfurl in a process that mimics a flower blooming, with the tea leaves forming the petals and the flowers inside unfolding as the centrepiece. With the combination of green tea leaves and fragrant young jasmine flowers, this tea tasted clean and refreshing = Good

Lolo and Wren

484 Albion St, Brunswick West

Crispy Croque Monsieur

Sweetcorn and Zucchini fritters

Brioche french toast (half serve)

Thoughts:

Crispy Croque Monsieur – I didn’t realise it at the time, but this was listed in The Age’s guide to Melbourne’s best sandwiches. It consists of shaved leg ham, swisse cheese, cheese and chive cream, coated in crisp breadcrumbs and fried, served with homemade tomato relish. Crispy, greasy and deliciously cheesy; this sandwich was awesome = Excellent

Sweetcorn and Zucchini fritters – crispy light fritters that contained more corn than zucchini, served with peperonata (stewed sweet peppers), Meredith soft goats feta, pebre salsa (Chilean chili salsa), chilli jam and avocado = Good

Brioche french toast – served with lemon curd, fresh orange, ricotta, candied zest, raspberry compote, baby basil and burnt orange syrup = Good

Overall:

Located on a suburban street underneath some modern green apartments, parking is close and plentiful. The decor is simple and the service varies from average to fantastic depending on who is serving you. The menu here is fresh and interesting, and bookings can be made before 10am and after 1pm.

Bent Espresso

2/385 Centre Rd, Bentleigh 9557 1339

Beetroot relish, avocado and goats cheese on toasted sourdough with poached eggs and dukkah

Sautéed garlic mushrooms, spinach and goats cheese on toasted sourdough with poached eggs and dukkah

Potato and herb cake topped with smoked salmon, asparagus, poached eggs, soft herbs and horseradish cream

Thoughts:

Beetroot relish – the combination of the sweet beetroot, the salty goats cheese and the creamy avocado made this dish quite enjoyable = Good

Sauteed garlic mushrooms – the fresh, buttery, garlic infused mushrooms were fantastic! The sourdough was a little bit over toasted but everything else on the plate was delicious = Excellent

Potato and herb cake – the potato cake itself was crispy and full of flavour while the horseradish cream added a mildly pungent element to the dish = Good

Overall:

I can’t imagine what this place would be like when it gets busy as they do not have a waiting list of any sort here. You simply loiter around and hope that the staff know who arrived first, or that the people who arrive after you follow the honour system and don’t jump the queue. The place itself is very small, with a funky huge mural along the back wall and bright red retro style chairs and tables. The staff are friendly and efficient, while the food here is delightful (perfectly poached eggs and all). On a side note, they do not have a toilet here so you have to use the public toilets located outside near Bentleigh Station (which were apparently revolting).

The Tree Of Us

71 Church St, Richmond 9077 3839

House onion rings

Ribs

Breakie burger

Stelios burger

Thoughts:

House onion rings – thinly sliced onion rings covered in a really nice crispy batter = Good

Ribs – average ribs covered in a sweet Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, served with mash potato (which tasted like it had been sitting around for a while) and some salad = Not bad

Breakie burger – bacon, chorizo sausage, egg, house hash, relish, rocket lettuce and mayo all combined into one delicious burger! = Good

Stelios burger – an epic burger made up of 2 x 140g beef patties, bacon, mushroom, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños, swisse cheese, mozzarella, tomato relish and truffle mayo. The beef patties were extremely juicy and the truffle mayo taste was quite distinct = Good

Overall:

A cozy little place that has friendly service and terrific burgers. The front dining area has a contemporary feel with lots of interesting artwork displayed, whereas the back courtyard has a very relaxed feel with its fake grass and colourful fairy lights (I can imagine it being a great place in summer for having after work drinks). Note that wednesday nights are their rib night and that on thursday nights the beers are only $2 with any food purchase. Bargain!

Dandenong Pavilion

61a Princes Hwy, Dandenong 9793 2133

Calamari, wild rocket and onion, tartare sauce

Chilli Prawns – Pan fried black tiger prawns, tomato, chilli, basil, finished off in white wine & parsley

Risotto Pescatore – Mixed seafood, pan fried with tomato, spring onion & garlic

Vegetable Risotto – Roasted mediterranean vegetables & baby spinach, finished with napoli, white wine, spring onion & garlic

Mediterranean Chicken – Chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese, semi dried tomato & spinach, served on scallop potatoes

BBQ Pork ribs – American back ribs with BBQ sauce, chips and salad

Chicken Florentine – Combination of diced chicken breast, creamed spinach and cheese, wrapped in puff pastry and oven baked, with mushroom sauce, served with chips and salad

Creme brûlée with mixed berries, berry sauce & chocolate flakes

Waffle Stack – Three waffles, layered with vanilla custard, chocolate fudge sauce, mixed berries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Thoughts:

Calamari – light and crispy, lemony and peppery, a great starter dish = Good

Chilli prawns – light tomato based dish that was mildly spicy = Not bad

Risotto Pescatore – strong tomato taste, generous serving size, came with lots of seafood = Not bad

Vegetable Risotto – strong tomato taste, generous serving size, very tasty roasted vegetables (this is one of the few vegetarian dishes that I actually sometimes crave) = Good

Mediterranean Chicken – chicken was slightly dry while everything else was fairy average. (note that you have to allow for 25 minutes if you decide to order this dish) = Not bad

BBQ Pork ribs – soft tender pork that tasted so-so = Not bad

Chicken Florentine – rich chicken filling, crisp buttery pastry, creamy mushroom sauce. Add these together for an amazing dish. (note that if you prefer your chips to be more crunchy than soft, ask to have them served on the side) = Excellent

Creme brûlée – the caramel surface did not crack properly which was disappointing, creme brûlée itself was average, mixed berries were sour and the chocolate flakes had lost their flavour and tasted old = Not bad

Waffle Stack – thick tantalising waffles that had a good balance between sweet and sour = Good

Overall:

A place that you would not expect to find in Dandenong. This restaurant attracts quite a crowd as the food is consistent, the atmosphere is very welcoming and the service is always great.

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!