Rhubarb

The Diplomat

Rolled oats, almond and mixed seed granola with chai panna cotta, berries, lychee, coconut yogurt and a mocha infused quinoa

Seriously good. Although a bit more yogurt would have made this even better.

★★★★☆

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Potato rosti with smoked salmon, yuzu mayonnaise, grilled asparagus spears, avocado and wasabi cream and a Japanese boiled egg

The yuzu mayonnaise and the avocado and wasabi cream really brought this dish to the next level.

★★★★☆

Green tea and mango smoothie

★★☆☆☆

Pear, honeydew and rhubarb mixed juice

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Comfortable bright open space, easy-going staff, colourful and well presented food. The menu here is unique in that every item (aside from the toast) has its own interesting and delicious twist. I must return soon to try their other dishes.

The Diplomat

4 Railway Parade, Highett, VIC

(03) 9939 6289

The Kettle Black

50 Albert Rd, South Melbourne 9088 0721

House-made coconut yogurt with gluten-free grains, seeds and nuts, Toorak Station prickly pear, rhubarb, citrus powders, fruits and flowers

This beautifully presented dish was fresh, healthy and surprisingly filling

= ★★★

Hotcakes with house-made ricotta, blueberries, pure maple, double cream and seeds

I’ve previously had this dish at Top Paddock and was looking forward to ricotta hotcake heaven.

Regrettably I didn’t find the hotcake here to be as good as the ones I’ve had at Top Paddock. Don’t get me wrong, this hotcake was still sweet, fluffy and delicious. It’s just that comparatively the edges weren’t crispy, the centre was a little bit soggy and the strawberries still had their stems on (which I know you can eat, but I just prefer my strawberries to be stemless).

= ★★★

Overall:

Half located on the ground floor of a modern apartment building and half in a classic Victorian terrance, the decor here is a stylish combination of modern and homely. A noteworthy team of people own the place including Jesse McTavish (chef from Top Paddock), Nathan Coleman (Top Paddock owner), Ben Clark and Diamond Rozakeas (also from Top Paddock), Tim James (former manager of Two Birds One Stone) and Sam King (ex-Seven Seeds and Place Holder). The menu here is fresh and innovative and the staff are very welcoming. While I don’t think this place rivals Top Paddock, it is still worth stopping by if you happen to be in the area.

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!