Eggs

Polish Rye Crust Bakery

Breakfast Bagel

(hard boiled eggs, cheese, mayonnaise, tomato, beetroot, spinach, capsicum)

The freshly baked bagel was simply outstanding.

★★★★☆

Salt stick with cream cheese and cucumber

This may not look or sound very special but out of everything we sampled, this was actually my favourite. The lightly salted bread was perfect and worked fabulously with the cream cheese and cucumber.

★★★★★

Vegetarian Pierogi

(Polish dumplings that contained potato, cheese, spinach)

These smelt delicious and were pleasantly crispy on the outside, however the filling was somewhat lacking. If only these dumplings were served with some kind of sauce.

★★★☆☆

Cherry Cheesecake

The light cheesecake and the decadent chocolate cherry layer were nice separately but sensational together.

★★★★☆

Orange Zest Babka

I’m not an expert in babka, so I wasn’t sure if the dry crumbly texture was intentional or not.

★★★☆☆

European doughnut with plum jam

Wonderfully soft and fluffy with a slight yeasty taste.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The bread here is AMAZING! And with more than 50 types of Polish and European breads available, there is something suitable for everyone! With so many menu items on offer and such friendly service, I can see myself returning over and over again.

Polish Rye Crust Bakery

101-103 Foster St, Dandenong, VIC

(03) 9706 9194

http://www.polishryecrustbakery.com.au/

Cheerio

Baked eggs with spicy beans and lentils, fresh herb salad, lemon labne and dukkah served with toasted sourdough

The fresh chilli gave this dish a nice kick!

★★★☆☆

Quinoa, charred corn and zucchini fritters, shaved fennel, watercress, fresh herbs, sumac dressing, dukkah, poached egg

The fritters were good but the real highlight was the amazing salad and dressing.

★★★★☆

Sticky ham hock, fresh Asian herbs, chilli, black vinegar, tamarind hollandaise, and poached eggs on toasted sourdough

The ham hock was fall-apart-tender and the hollandaise extremely delectable, however this was quite a heavy dish and was a struggle to finish.

★★★★☆

One quarter of the brioche french toast special

We were too full to order individual desserts so we decided to share the french toast amongst the four of us. What came as a surprise was that the chef took the time and effort to divide up the dish and had plated it up on four separate plates! Thoughtful service aside, this dish was delicious!

★★★★☆

Overall:

A delightful gem of a place that stood out not only because of the food, but also the terrific service. The staff were super friendly and we felt very welcome right from the get-go. The only downside about Cheerio is its tiny size and limited seating, so there may be a bit of a wait during peak times.

Cheerio

323 Lennox St, Richmond, VIC

0456 925 659

Daniel Son

Corn Fritters with Chilli Con Carne aka ‘Mariachi El Brunch’

(two deep fried corn fritters with con carne, cheese, two fried eggs, guacamole, sour cream)

Good simple flavours, portions could have been a bit more generous.

★★★☆☆

The Inglorious Bastard Sandwich

(pulled pork fritters, ‘slaw, house made BBQ sauce)

I wasn’t a fan of these fritters as the pork was somewhat dry and insipid. I also didn’t like the fact that you had to deconstruct this sandwich in order to eat it.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

I have never watched The Karate Kid and would not have made the connection between the name of this place and the film had it not been for the pictures of Mr Miyagi that were on our menus. Daniel Son is a bustling suburban cafe that offers a small menu and friendly service within a comfortable space. The dishes I sampled weren’t particularly amazing but perhaps some of their other menu items are.

Daniel Son

471-473 Neerim Rd, Murrumbeena, VIC

0497 690 628

5 Lire

Ricotta Hotcakes

(buttermilk hotcakes topped with Nutella inspired semifreddo, Pariya Persian chocolate fairy floss and scattered with chocolate cacao and orange crumble)

The fairy floss reminded me of a bad toupee but I really liked it as it wasn’t overly sweet. The hotcakes themselves were average but the Nutella, the crumble and the fairy floss brought this dish up to the next level, making it overall enjoyable.

★★★☆☆

Riso con Latte

(warm creamy arborio rice topped with amaretto baked peaches and an amaretto biscuit crumble)

Warm and hearty.

★★★☆☆

Italian Style Croque Monsieur

(brioche loaf toastie spread with ‘Nduja, stracchino cheese, peppered fig jam, Lyonnaise onions and a fried egg)

Perhaps it was the combination of the ingredients or perhaps it was the ‘nduja (spreadable salami) itself, but there was a peculiar alcohol-like taste to this croque monsieur that no one was fond of.

★☆☆☆☆

Deconstructed Tiramisu Waffles

(waffle jolie topped with a whipped vanilla mascarpone, coffee jelly, crushed cookies, chocolate balls and coffee gel)

Every part of this was delicious!

★★★★☆

Overall:

Tasty food (mostly), friendly staff, and a long wait for our food to arrive (likely due to the small kitchen that they have).

5 Lire

116 Errol St, North Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9329 2249

http://www.5lire.com.au/

Demitri’s Feast

European style thick hot chocolate

Thick and decadent without being overly sweet.

★★★★☆

Latte

Strong and aromatic.

★★★☆☆

Ouzo Cured Salmon with dill, crème fraiche, spinach & poached free range eggs

Well poached eggs, tasty salmon, however the bread was extremely hard and difficult to cut through.

★★☆☆☆

Maria’s Eggs Saganaki with confit cherry tomato sauce, basil, feta & chilli

Slightly sharp sauce but otherwise a nice dish.

★★☆☆☆

Baklava French Toast with walnut praline, sweet yoghurt & orange blossom syrup

Fantastic! I would have rated this as 5 stars however towards the end, the taste of egg took over this dish.

★★★★☆

Overall:

Relaxed atmosphere, good service, and an exciting Greek inspired menu. Note that this place does not take bookings.

Demitri’s Feast

141 Swan St, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9428 8659

http://www.demitrisfeast.com.au/

Raspberry Fool

Baked eggs (caramelised onion, ham and gruyere) with toast

★★☆☆☆

Scrambled free range eggs with chorizo and toast

★★☆☆☆

Poached free range eggs with sausage and toast

★★☆☆☆

Chocolate French toast with honey, yogurt and pear compote

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Small cafe with a small menu that offered friendly service and reasonable food.

Note this place is closed on Sundays

Raspberry Fool

85 Bathurst St, Hobart, TAS

(03) 6231 1274

Richmond Hill Café and Larder

RHCL grilled cheesy toast with eggplant & chilli pickle

I simply cannot describe how amazing this was! The toast was perfect, the cheese was unbelievable, while the eggplant and chilli pickle added delicious zing and was a fantastic contrast to the heavy cheese.

★★★★★

The Lot

(two eggs any way with toast, bacon, baked beans, mushrooms & roasted
tomatoes)

★★☆☆☆

Potato & spring onion rosti with smoked salmon, two poached eggs, spinach pistou sauce, Cantalet cheese fondue & grain mustard

The crispy rosti was tasty but could have been finished within two bites. Okay maybe three bites.

★★★☆☆

Baked Eggs

(two baked eggs with RHCL sausage ragu, toasted pinenuts, feta & fresh coriander)

The feta was fantastic! If only there had been more!

★★☆☆☆

Baghdad Eggs

(two fried eggs with lemon & garlic, sprinkled with cumin & mint on homemade flat bread)

Super simple, super marvellous!

★★★★★

Overall:

Terrific food, warm atmosphere, prompt service (although we did feel a bit rushed when our bill was presented as soon as we had finished eating and before we had even asked for it). Richmond Hill Café and Larder even have their very own cheese room which offers an impressive selection of local and imported cheeses, many of which they mature in-house. I am so looking forward to my next visit. I already have my eye on the cheese platter…

Note that this place takes bookings.

Richmond Hill Café and Larder

48-50 Bridge Rd, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9421 2808

http://rhcl.com.au/

Mocha Green Cafe

361 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield 9532 9333

Funky water bottle

Chai latte

Thick foam layer, not particularly sweet

= Not bad

Vanilla milkshake

Made with two scoops of ice cream, great consistency

= Good

Eggs Benedict

Turkish toast topped with salmon, two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce

= Not bad

Corn Fritters

Corn fritters served with an avocado salsa, two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce

= Not bad

Overall:

I came here with a Groupon voucher and although the staff were friendly and the atmosphere cosy, the food was not so great. The portions were small, the hollandaise sauce tasted old and the poached eggs were tough and rubbery.

Little Big Sugar Salt

Guilt Free Hot Mess

Soft fluffy gluten free almond and berry pancakes, dairy free coconut ice cream, sugar free date syrup and fresh fruit

★★★★☆

Glutenfreekakes

Millet+sweet potato+currant cakes with cashew cream, chilli jam, wilted kale and fried eggs

★★★☆☆

Rainbow Roots

Baked beetroot, quinoa, seeds, radish, herbs and a soft boiled egg (with a side of free range bacon)

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Inconspicuously located among Vietnamese dominated Victoria Street, LBSS is an ideal place for those who are health-conscious and are after dishes that don’t taste like cardboard but actually taste good. The menu is small and simple, and is divided in such a way that all you need to do is decide 1.whether you want a little or big dish and 2. whether you want a sweet or savoury dish (hence the name of this place). The atmosphere was cosy and inviting (it felt as though we were in someone’s house), the staff friendly and attentive, and the service a little bit slow (most likely due to the tiny kitchen that they have here).

Little Big Sugar Salt

385 Victoria St, Abbotsford, VIC

(03) 9427 8818

http://www.lbsscafe.com/

Trunk Diner

275 Exhibition St, Melbourne 9663 7994

Golden Gaytime Milkshake

I liked this creamy toffee/honeycomb/vanilla milkshake. But then again I find the Golden Gaytime Krushers available at KFC to be equally as likeable.

= Good

The Wagyu Burger
175 gram freshly ground Wagyu beef served medium-rare, grilled brioche, baby cos lettuce, purple onion, tomato and house-made pickles

A tiny ordinary tasting burger that needed self assembling? No thanks.

= Not bad

“Huevos Rancheros”

Two fried eggs, chorizo, Mexican mixed beans, goats fetta, salsa, avocado, jalapenos and toasted tortilla

= Not bad

Overall:

Average food, good variety of milkshakes (eg. Tim Tam, Lamington, Golden Gaytime), quick service, buzzing atmosphere.