Tag: brunch

by Davin Lee

Good Times Milk Bar

If this is not the most feel good name ever, then I don’t know what is! I used to live right near a milk bar and the happiness I felt buying lollies and ice cream from them was indescribable. It’s a shame to see them slowly close down one by one, but Good Times Milk Bar reminds me that they were indeed good times back then! I was deeply attracted to the name of this cafe, and with the help of a sneaky Zomato rating look up, Helen and I made the lovely trek to Bentleigh to pay them a visit.

They’ve done a fantastic job with the interior of this place! There’s a cool modern vintage theme happening. I loved the polka dots against the pink background on the front of the benchtops. Even the tables had an interesting shade of blue, a food photographers dream. They even had merchandise which you can purchase such as T-shirts and tote bags, now that’s thinking outside the box! The whole place just had a real positive and uplifting vibe to it, not a bad feeling to have before the food comes out.

It was a warm day so Helen and I started with some iced coffees to cool our precious little bodies down… the coffee was smooth, delicate and the bitterness was balanced. I think the vanilla ice cream went really well with it, coffee snobs would probably roll their eyes but I thoroughly enjoyed every last drop.

Helen ordered the famous ‘Dippy Eggs’ while I couldn’t resist the sardines dish. Such an underappreciated fish needs support sometimes, and eating sardines since I was young certainly helps with giving it the support it needs. I was disappointed to find out that they had now taken the sardines off the menu, and have replaced it with a smoked trout omelette. The poor humble sardine goes back to being neglected! I can understand that this was probably a business decision, I guess if it’s not selling well then it’s gotta go.

The Dippy Eggs felt like a tailor made dish for Helen as she likes picking at different foods. It came with rustic sourdough bread with Italian Pecorino cheese grated over it, 2 runny eggs with shell intact, avo-cream, relish, and hemp seed dukka. We opted for the optional bacon crumbs which turned out to be a great decision. The eggs were cooked perfectly with runny yolks. There were no rules on how to eat this dish, anything goes! I like how it’s served with the shell, to see an egg in its pure form at a cafe is very special indeed. Everything went really well together, and along with the contrast in textures made it extremely appetising.

My sardine dish featured sardines from Port Phillip Bay on a piece of toast. The sardines were very tasty and had wonderful sea flavours. The toast itself was a bit hard, and I really struggled to cut through it. I think they were expecting the tomato and basil puree to soften it, but that wasn’t the case. I found the puree very strong and overpowering, and would have preferred a more mellow version. The peperonata was very nice, the sweetness of the peppers really shined through!

I enjoyed my time at Good Times Milk Bar, I felt very happy being here! The service was excellent, and it’s just a great place to come and chill. I also love the fact that the menu is so varied and I can get dishes here which are unavailable at other cafes! Here’s the thing… they can either make the same dishes as all the other places, or they can throw a sardine dish on the menu. It may have not paid off for them, but I applaud them for doing something different. We will definitely be returning to try some of their other dishes!

Good Times Milk Bar
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 83 Tucker Road, Bentleigh VIC 3204
Phone: +61 3 9557 4868
Website: goodtimesmilkbar.com.au

Good Times Milk Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Son of Tucci

We decided to look for a more local and suburban brunch place over the weekend and came across Son of Tucci in Mount Waverley which was rated extremely high on Zomato. So off we went to check it out!

The place was buzzing when we arrived with lots of people inside and even outside given it was a nice sunny day. The cafe itself was quite spacious and decked out like many of the modern brunch places these days, with wooden tables, brick walls and indoor plants scattered around. Staff were friendly and seated us right away at the window.

For drinks we both decided to order their fresh juices. I got the Rita which had apple, beetroot, lemon and ginger. Davin ordered the Nice melons juice which had watermelon, passionfruit and orange. Unfortunately when they brought out the drinks they served Davin with just a fresh OJ instead of the Nice melons so we had to let them know. They were kind enough however to let us keep the OJ and make the correct order so we appreciated that they fixed it up for us.

For food I ordered the Breaky Tasting Plate which had a mini Tucci bowl, Sriracha maple bacon, smashed avocado with a poached egg, and the cauliflower and ricotta fritter with carrot, honey and cumin hummus, dukkah and kale. It was basically a bit of a showcase of some of their main dishes.

The Sriracha maple bacon was delicious and I loved the cauliflower and ricotta fritter. It went well with the crunchiness of the kale and the hummus. The only thing I felt was missing was perhaps a piece of toast because it didn’t feel filling enough without it. The mini Tucci bowl had pineapple, pear, mango and banana smoothie topped with berries and granola. It was okay and was very strong in banana flavours. That probably overpowered all the other fruits.

Davin ordered the Poke Bowl with cured salmon for extra. This is where things went a bit sour. The poke bowl had sushi rice, red slaw, cucumber, avocado, edamame, grilled corn, golden beetroot, carrot, cashews and crispy shallots. Presentation wise it was fine but it was the sushi rice that was most disappointing. It was probably the worst rice we’ve ever had. Davin took the first bite and looked at me and said the rice didn’t taste right. When I tried it, I was really surprised. It tasted so old I was worried the rice had gone bad. Now being Asian ourselves and growing up with eating rice daily we know that for certain dishes like fried rice it’s recommended you use overnight rice. However this tasted more like a week old rice. There was a sourness to it but we couldn’t tell if that was the vinegar because there was just a hint and not enough of it, or if it was from it being so old. Not to mention that sushi rice is generally cooked fresh and should be full of moisture. This rice was so old and dry. It was hard to eat and unfortunately put a damper on the whole dish. Davin ended up just picking out the salmon to eat and left the rest.

Given the circumstances, overall it was a pretty average experience for us. The dishes didn’t wow us either so I guess it may not be one we may visit again anytime soon.

Son of Tucci
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 5 Hamilton Walk, Mount Waverley VIC 3149
Phone: +61 3 9807 0709

Son of Tucci Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Davin Lee

Le Clec

Insert [fancy French name] and watch them roll through the doors! Don’t all eateries wish it was that easy, the fact and the matter is these guys work their butts off to get where they are. This was exactly what crossed our minds when we saw the high ratings for Le Clec, and we were eager to see whether these ratings was justified.

We rolled up and got positive vibes right off the bat. The place was bright, warm from the wooden setting, and they even had Scandinavian style chairs, everybody loves Scandi chairs right? We were escorted to the enclosed back area which had plenty of natural light, without the bothersome bees. I seem to be a bee magnet, they always find me when I’m sitting outside!

There were 4 things which I loved about this menu, normally I don’t have 4 things to love about any menu.

1) They list their kitchen closing time (2:45PM). YES YES YES! Everyone could learn from this, especially the brunch cafes. Most cafes don’t serve food till their closing time, so let’s be transparent and put it on the menu.
2) There’s a ‘must try’ logo on their signature dishes. This is advertising the dishes they do best, takes the guesswork out.
3) Creative dishes – plenty of ways to skin a cat, all their dishes have their own special twist to it and it looked very promising indeed.
4) Reasonable prices! All the dishes on the menu were priced very well. To give you an example, my crispy salmon was $22 and a glass of wine to go with it was $6. A salmon and wine for under $30 presents exceptional value.

Well anyway, enough with the menu admiration, let’s move onto the food! My crispy salmon was out of this world! The skin was as promised – CRISPY, but the highlight was without a doubt the lemongrass, chilli broth. The broth complimented the perfectly cooked salmon beautifully. It was sour with a little chilli kick, very appetising! I was not expecting to be getting flavours like this for my first meal of the day, but I certainly wasn’t complaining. Being a huge mushroom fan, to get King Oyster mushrooms with this dish was just the cherry on top.

I looked across the table at Helen to get a glimpse of her reaction with her truffle scrambled eggs. I asked her how the eggs were, she responded with “It’s salty”. At this point sweat is building up on my forehead and I could feel my body shivering. She eats so much saltier than me, and for Helen to say something is salty, it must be pretty bad! I tried some of the scrambled eggs and my jaw just dropped, gasping for water. This was way over my salt tolerance threshold, and in this case Helen’s as well. She didn’t end up finishing it, and when the waiter come around we told him about it. To our surprise, his response was along the lines of ‘I’m sorry about that, however next time you should ask the chef to put less salt if you prefer to eat more plain’, suggesting that Helen was being particular. I just looked at him as if to say ‘Are you serious dude? Did you just apologise, but not apologise?’ I know for a fact that Helen eats really salty, and for him to just make this assumption without tasting the food was completely absurd! I didn’t feel like he was being intentionally rude, but he just sounded a little condescending. I never knew it was our responsibility to control the salt levels from their kitchen, otherwise it would work like bubble tea right? (No salt, 25% salt, 50% salt, etc.)

Credit where it’s due, the salmon was amazing but the truffled eggs + waiter, was not good at all. The saltiness could be a one off, and others may have had a different experience, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt here. They offered us a discount voucher as we were paying the bill, but whether that would entice us back is a different story. All in all, I wouldn’t rule out Le Clec as one of my recommendations to other people, it just may not be a place we’ll be returning to in the foreseeable future.

Le Clec
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 727 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Phone: +61 3 9818 8969
Website: leclec.com.au

Le Clec Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

The Foodstore Cafe

We were recently invited to The Foodstore Cafe, located on a large corner block in Hawthorn. As many of you know, we frequent Hawthorn quite a bit when it comes to food! The cafe itself is large, bright and spacious with wooden tones and white tiles along the walls and tables.

We were provided with an extensive menu and additional specials menu to peruse. We started off with a couple of lattes which were served at the right temperature. The coffee itself was great and had a decent strength to it. I do hate it when I am served coffees that are too weak and milky but this one was perfect.

I decided to order the Baked Shakshuka w/ Eggs which had aromatic spiced five beans with tomato, feta, capsicum, mixed veg stew, tahini yoghurt, crispy lemon kale with two poached eggs served with multigrain toast. The portion was very generous and it was delicious. It was also very filling! With all the ingredients in baked eggs, sometimes it can be on the salty side however this dish was flavoured perfectly.

Davin ordered the Salmon Benedict which had smoked salmon, crispy kale, avocado smash, fried capers and two poached eggs on multigrain toast topped with smoked paprika hollandaise. This dish was presented beautifully – I liked the bits of crispy kale sprinkled all over plate like a garnish. Taste wise it was also a very nice dish and the flavours complemented each other well.

We also ordered the Green Machine juice which included green apple, kale, celery, spinach, banana and coconut water. It was delicious and we finished the drink fairly quickly!

Overall the food was great and the service was also excellent. The staff were also very friendly and efficient.

The Foodstore Cafe
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 464 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Phone: +61 3 9819 3835

The Foodstore Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Clubhouse Malvern

Over the weekend we came across Clubhouse Malvern on Zomato for brunch. It was rated pretty highly so we were excited to see what it was all about.

We found parking near the cafe fairly quickly and entered a really modern, white, spacious cafe with concrete benches, polished floors, and wooden tables and chairs spaced out quite generously so it didn’t feel like you were too close to other people. There was also a courtyard at the back which you can hang out however on this occasion there seemed to be a function happening so we decided to sit inside.

I started off with a latte and Davin ordered a lemongrass and ginger tea. We’ve both been sick with a cold lately so the tea was soothing. The latte was so silky smooth and the perfect strength

For food I ordered the Mojo Benny which had Cuban pulled pork, cheddar cornbread waffle, guacamole, chipotle hollandaise, 2 poached eggs and mushrooms as an optional extra. The dish sounded like an exciting, tasty dish. However unfortunately it was far from it. The whole dish was so… bland. The pulled pork tasted really plain, the waffles was really doughy and I didn’t taste the cheddar at all. The chipotle hollandaise was also too light and didn’t add any flavour. It was a disappointing dish to say the least.

Davin ordered the salmon sashimi flora bowl which had salmon sashimi, avocado, pickled ginger, pickled red cabbage, edamame, pineapple kimchi, shichimi, wasabi peas, soy, carrot, sriracha mayo, black sesame and brown rice. The dish would have been nice if it wasn’t for the sauce being so salty! When you generally have these bowls the dressing is usually light, like a light soy sauce or sesame oil, however this was full blown salty soy sauce drenching the rice, and too much of it, making it quite unpleasant. The highlight was the pineapple kimchi, that was delicious!

Overall the dishes didn’t blow us away and were pretty average as it had some flaws. We have to say however that their service was great so kudos to them for that. Oh and the coffee was top notch!

Clubhouse Malvern
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 1290 Malvern Rd, Malvern VIC 3144
Phone: +61 3 9822 8268
Website: clubhousemalvern.com.au

Clubhouse Malvern Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Sardi

Located on Church St in Hawthorn, and away from the usual area we normally frequent for brunch, Sardi is situated on a corner with colourful graffiti painted on the side of the building like a beacon shouting out to us to come inside.

Inside, the cafe is cosy with white and timber wooden themes throughout. We were seated straight away and I ordered my usual latte to start off with.

The coffee was good and perfect temperature. Davin ordered the Green Goodness smoothie which had apple, carrot, banana, spinach and kale. It was pretty delicious.

For food I ordered the chilli folded eggs with cayenne chilli, bacon, chorizo, mushrooms, parmesan and rocket salad on sourdough. I found the eggs were overcooked. I like my eggs to be quite moist still and in this case it was quite dry. The presentation of the dish was average and with the exception of the chorizo being really nice and smokey, I didn’t find the dish special in any way. In fact, it was probably something I could whip up at home.

Davin ordered the Winter Rice Bowl which had cauliflower, mung sprouts, roast pumpkin, grilled zucchini, avocado, black rice, dukkah and smoked salmon as extra. Now this was a special dish. It was presented beautifully in a huge bowl with some dressing in a little glass jar. It tasted so HEALTHY. The salmon was not salty at all and complimented the overall dish. Certainly a place to think of if you are wanting a healthy bowl of goodness.

Sardi
Approx $30 AUD per person
Address: 111 Church St, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Phone: +61 3 9818 6140
Website: sardicafe.com.au

Sardi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Middletown

Middletown is a brunch cafe located on High Street in Prahran (yes once again we’ve been frequenting Prahran!). The cafe itself is a very modern, spacious yet welcoming place with large floor to ceiling windows allowing for ample of natural light. Think also lots of white and light timber colours with a splash of navy to add to the modern look.

Staff were super friendly and seated us right away. On this occasion Davin ordered the hot smoked salmon on rye toast with beetroot relish, dill creme fraiche, poached egg, pickled fennel and pea tendril salad. This was a really lovely dish with the exception of the rye toast itself being very burnt and charred. However a brief mention of this to one of the workers and they swiftly organised for another piece of toast plus an apology so all was well again.

I ordered the duck and waffles, because how often do you see duck and waffles on a menu?! I had no regrets with my decision because it was delicious! It was a crispy confit duck leg with herb and cheese waffles! The herb and cheese inside the waffles made it very special and I loved that the waffles stayed nice and crispy, just the way I like it. It also came with a perfectly fried egg on top and with oh so sweet and lovely orange infused maple syrup to dip, AND zucchini and pickled carrot slaw to add a refreshing touch to a complete dish. It was a very generous serving on the plate but I finished it all up because it was so good.

Overall, we will definitely consider coming back to dine here again. The food was great, the service was very good and I loved the ambience and decor of the cafe.

Middletown
Approx $30 AUD per prson
Address: 229 High St, Prahran VIC 3181
Phone +61 3 9530 2288
Website: middletown.com.au

Middletown Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Trei Cafe

If you’re looking for a bit of a detox after some days of heavy and unhealthy eating then look no further. Located on a quiet strip of shops on Blackburn Rd in Glen Waverley, Trei is a small cafe offering some very healthy options. For the vegans and vegetarians, the menu has a range of options such as curry lentils, acai smoothie bowls, nourish bowls and mushroom burgers.

On this occasion I ordered my usual latte which was quite good. Davin ordered the Matcha Madness which was DELICIOUS. It had spinach, banana, chia, lime, apple juice, mango and matcha. It had a nice thickness to it and tasted healthy but delicious. We’ve had super healthy juices and smoothies in the past which were healthy yes, but not so tasty and appealing to the taste buds because there was a lack in flavours. However Trei had this down pat here with this drink.

For food Davin ordered the Poke Bowl which had brown rice, sesame kale, pickled cabbage, edamame, carrot, avocado and chilli sesame dressing. He also added salmon as an extra option. Again the bowl came out looking so healthy for the body. One would think that something that healthy would not taste good but nah uh! That sesame dressing was amazing and added just the perfect amount of flavour to everything in the bowl to make it a really enjoyable dish!

I probably ordered the more unhealthy dish out of the two of us and got the eggs benedict with pulled pork, grilled asparagus, and apple cider hollandaise sauce on sourdough bread. The eggs were poached perfectly, the pulled pork was flavoured well but there was a lot of it. I probably could have done with less meat, they were very generous with it. I love hollandaise sauce in general but the apple cider made it very special and I quite liked it. Add the perfect crunchiness of the grilled asparagus to it and it was a pretty complete dish.

The service was overall quite good and the food came out fairly quickly. This is a place we will visit again and probably often because of their guilt free healthy yet tasty dishes!

Trei Cafe
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 232 Blackburn Rd, Glen Waverley VIC 3150
Phone +61 3 9802 0960

Trei Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Holla

Recently we were invited to dine at Holla for brunch. Located in Richmond, we were warmly welcomed and seated at a nice corner table at the front of the cafe giving us a view of the rest of the place. I instantly liked the decor. It looked modern with high ceilings with white wooden beams and an abundance of green plants and lights hanging from above. Wooden tables with black trimmings throughout the restaurant finished the touches of a lovely cafe.

We started off with a couple of cocktails. Davin ordered the Bramble which had gin, blackberry, lemon and crushed ice. I ordered the Lychee and Chilli Mojito which had bacardi, lychee, lemongrass, Thai basil, mint, lemon and fresh jalapeno. Davin’s cocktail was nice but we both agreed that the Lychee and Chilli Mojito was pretty special. How often do you get a chilli kick in your cocktail? And the lemongrass, basil and mint made it one refreshing drink.

For food we had The Szechuan Scallion which had Szechuan spiced brisket, tofu miso puree, Chinese leaves and shoots, scallion pancake and a fried egg. The flavours were good however we thought the brisket meat itself was quite tough. Perhaps it was the spices that toughened it up but we were expecting the texture to be a lot softer.

We also got the Crab Crumpets which had a whole crispy soft shell crab, kasundi, 2 poached eggs, hollandaise, bacon crumb and avocado crumpets. You have to give them kudos for their creativity and pushing for out of the norm. We thought this was a really nice dish. The crispiness of the soft shell crab was spot on, the kasundi sauce was delicious and we loved those bacon crumb bits.

We ended the meal with a sweet dish, the Croffle S’mores which were croissant waffles (yes you heard right!), with raspberry pistachio parfait, strawberry curd, fresh berries, pistachio crumbs and rose syrup. Croissant waffles are something I’ve been noticing quite a bit lately but I think this was the first time we’ve had a chance to try it. The pistachio parfait was sandwiched between the crispy croissant waffles and it balanced out the sweetness of the rose syrup and strawberry curd. It was a great dish to finish up with.

I also ordered a latte which was served at the right temperature and was strong and not too milky, just the way I like my coffee!

Overall we had a pretty good experience. Staff were super friendly and efficient, ambience was great, and the food and drinks were nice with unique elements incorporated which seemed to work.

Holla
Approx $30 AUD per person
Address: 284 Victoria St, Richmond VIC 3121
Phone: +61 3 8394 3487
Website: hollamelbourne.com.au

Holla Coffee Roasters Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Hobba

We’ve fallen in love with Prahran lately, probably because its market is one of the few that stays open until 5 PM which is perfect for us!

One weekend we decided to head to Hobba for brunch before we did our usual weekend shopping given it was on the way for us. We managed to find a parking spot right outside and entered the cafe. The cafe itself is quite a large space and reminds me of a warehouse turned restaurant with the brick walls, high ceilings with wooden beams and hanging plants. It was also PACKED! But surprisingly we were seated straight away.

We started off with some fresh juices. I ordered the Healthy Hawksburnian which had cucumber, apple, beetroot, carrot and ginger. Davin ordered the Detox Refresher with apple, cucumber and lemon. They were both super refreshing and quench thirsting.

For meals I zeroed in on the French Toast dish. Now I don’t normally order French Toast when we go out because this dish is generally served as a sweet breakfast and I always favour the savoury dishes. But on this occasion I noticed that this French Toast dish was served with cheese, bacon, asparagus, green romesco, pickled jalapenos, cheese foam and cured egg yolk. Yes please!

The dish was presented beautifully and tasted just as good as it looked! The bacon was cooked perfectly and not too overly salty, the cheese French toast was fluffy and flavoured, and the cheese foam and green romesco combined with the crunchy asparagus made each bite heaven.

Davin ordered the Mushroom dish which consisted of potato galette, mushrooms, pistou and capsicum caviar. We loved the contrast of all the mushroom flavours and textures, but we especially liked the dehydrated enoki mushrooms which added a more robust flavour to the whole dish. The capsicum caviar was also quite interesting but worked!

Overall we had a great experience at Hobba and will certainly think about this place when we drop by Prahran again which no doubt will be in the very near future. We have yet to try their coffee so we’ll have to do that next time!

Hobba
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 428 Malvern Rd, Prahran VIC 3181
Phone: +61 3 9510 8336
Website: hobba.com.au

Hobba Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Shanklin Cafe

We’ve had Shanklin Cafe on our ‘to try’ list for a while now and finally got around to checking it out one weekend for brunch. Located in a more quiet area of Hawthorn where there isn’t as much competition with other eateries, Shanklin Cafe is a cute cafe embedded in with other residential houses, with the exception of the exterior of the building painted a dark grey so that it stands out as an invitation to come in and eat!

It was bustling and very busy when we walked inside however it wasn’t long before we were seated quite efficiently at a table. Davin and I ordered a couple of lattes to start off with and we were impressed already of the quality of the coffees. They were good strong lattes, something we don’t quite often get these days as we find they can be weak and too milky. But not these! They were strong and served at the perfect temperature.

For food I ordered the baked eggs shakshuka which included red peppers, cherry tomatoes, chorizo and goat cheese served with sourdough bread. This dish was SO good! I’ve had many baked eggs dishes during my brunch life and this one was top notch. I loved how it bursted with the flavours of the tomato and the saltiness of the chorizo, balanced out by the perfectly runny eggs. I was also surprised that for a dish that can generally be quite heavy, it was light and didn’t make me feel too overly stuffed. I certainly lapped up every last bit of the sauce with my bread.

Davin ordered the acai superbowl which was blended with banana and topped with seasonal fruits and granola. It was such a pretty dish and presented in a lovely bowl on a wooden serving board. It was also delicious! Davin gobbled it up pretty quickly and from the few bites I had, it was really refreshing and not too overly sweet.

I also ended up getting some freshly squeezed juice which consisted of apple, carrot, celery, ginger and orange. It was so thirst quenching and had the perfect balance of ingredients.

Overall we were very impressed with Shanklin cafe and will definitely be back to check out their other menu items and for their great coffee!

Shanklin Cafe
Address: 500 Tooronga Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3123
Phone: +61 3 9882 7549
Website: shanklincafe.com.au

Shanklin Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Light Years

We came across another great brunch place over the weekend! Light Years is located on the less busy end of Camberwell Rd in Hawthorn East so it was fairly easy to find parking on a Saturday.

The cafe is quite a large open and modern space with plenty of floor to ceiling windows right around, allowing lots of natural light to spill in. There are plenty of tables and chairs and we were seated right away.

I ordered a latte and Davin ordered a green juice for drinks. The latte was made just right, it wasn’t too hot and it was strong and not too milky.

For food I ordered the pork belly eggs benedict with poached eggs, spinach, apple, housemade bbq sauce and maple hollandaise on english muffins. The pork belly servings were generous and was really nice, the eggs were runny just the way I like them, and the sweetness of the apple made it a killer flavoured dish!

Davin ordered the miso scrambled eggs which had soy roasted mushrooms, seaweed, nori, spring onion, charred corn, and milk bread sticks. This was probably the highlight dish. The scrambled eggs were cooked so perfectly, they were soft and fluffy with lovely flavours. They were buttery and sweet with the right amount of saltiness. The sauce that went with it added to the flavours.

We found the overall portions to be quite generous and the food came out very quick considering how busy they were. The staff were also friendly and super efficient. A brunch place we’ll definitely be back again.

Light Years
Address: 132 Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn East VIC 3123
Phone: +61 3 9882 0181
Website: lightyearscafe.com.

Light Years Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Workshop Brothers

Glen Waverley is always brimming with cafes and restaurants, old and new, so it is hard to keep up with it sometimes when you’re out there! We finally decided to check out Workshop Brothers one weekend which is a fairly newish establishment right in the heart of it all.

Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was the colour and the interior. The theme was pink with rose gold trimmings! It was dramatic but it worked! I’ve never seen a place like it but it was done quite stylishly, and it was packed with people!

Although it was bustling, we got a table straight away and perused the menu. We both ordered some fresh pressed juices. I got the kale, spinach, celery, lemon and apple juice. It was really nice and refreshing, and the lemon in it worked. Davin got the watermelon juice which was also great. They both quenched our thirst.

For food Davin ordered the Workshop Migoreng. It was a dish he couldn’t say no to as it was so unique. It had pork belly, seasonal vegetables, balinese sauce, egg noodles and a fried egg. It was so delicious and flavoured that it took us back to Asia. Davin thought it was probably a tad on the salty side after a while, but it was fine for me.

I ordered the slow cooked beef cheeks with rosemary hash, spiced cabbage, apple slaw, bearnaise and poached eggs. I was drawn to it because it had ‘Urban List Top 50’ noted in brackets next to this menu item. And wow, what a dish! It was pretty amazing! The beef cheeks were so soft and tender, the rosemary hash was cooked and flavoured well, the spiced cabbage and the sweetness of the apple slaw balanced out the dish. The bearnaise sauce was nice and light and the eggs were poached perfectly. I couldn’t fault the dish! It looked heavy when it was brought out but it wasn’t at all and I gobbled it up pretty quickly.

One thing I regret not trying out was their coffee as they claim to have amazing coffee, so I’ll have to come back and try it out next time. I have to also mention that the service there was fantastic. Staff are super on the ball and even though it was fairly busy, the food and drinks came out pretty fast.

Overall it was a really great experience and we’ll definitely be back. They are also open for dinner so next time we’ll check out their dinner menu!

Workshop Brothers
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 97 Kingsway, Glen Waverley VIC 3150
Phone: +61 3 9017 3586
Website: workshopbrothers.com.au

Workshop Brothers Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Davin Lee

The Diplomat

The Diplomat was a cafe which Helen and I visited many years back, before we started blogging. One of the positives of food blogging is that it allows us to keep a record of all the places we’ve eaten, so they won’t be forgotten. The Diplomat was one of many places which fell off our radar, and you could say that it was by pure chance that I found these guys again! I went to Highett to buy some steaks for dinner, and just happened to be hungry (as usual). Walking along Highett Road, none of the places appealed to me. As I got closer to the train tracks, memories flooded back of this cafe which had really good food. Without a moment of hesitation, I got myself a seat at the communal table, and it wasn’t until I looked at the top of the menu that I actually remembered the name of this place!

It’s lovely inside, plenty of light coming in from the floor to ceiling windows, an abundance of indoor greenery, wooden furniture, edison bulbs, what’s not to like about this place! The setting is comfortable without trying too hard, a lot of other cafes could learn a thing or two. Another thing worth mentioning is that they are extremely kid friendly here. I was seeing colouring books and crayons flying out to the tables as fast as the food. It’s great to see that in an age full of technology, that they’re still trying to entertain the kids the old school way! From the looks on the kids faces, they appreciate the gesture. Prams were also not an inconvenience as they were parked neatly inside.

I decided to get a refreshing juice, instead of a latte. And refreshing it was indeed… one of the most balanced juices I’ve ever had! They’ve got the ratios down pat, the ingredients consisted of apple, kiwi, lime and coconut water. I do make some juices at home, but once there’s ingredients like kiwi and lime involved, I’ll just leave it to these guys. I only wish I got more of it! Or they could at least try to fool me with a tall and skinny glass!

There’s a lot of clean and healthy foods on the menu, which would appeal to health conscious people. I got the wood smoked salmon served with soba noodles, salad with brocollini, edamame, bean sprouts, spring onion and soy broth. The soy broth was full of flavour without being salty, and this transferred to the soba noodles, which was submerged in the broth. Never did I feel like the soba noodles were lacking in flavour. Same thing applied to the salmon also, I could taste the wood smoke but it was never overpowering. The salmon had a soft flakey texture and was very tender. I suspect that the salmon would have been cold smoked or a smoking gun was used. Overall a very enjoyable dish, and something I would order again.

It was nice to visit an old friend, and they were every bit as good as what I remembered them to be. The Diplomat serves some of the finest foods in the area, and their welcoming nature to families with kids is just an added bonus. The staff here are cheery and energetic. They also looked like they were enjoying each others company, this culture shines through to their service. I look forward to returning again with Helen, so I can eat some of her food too!

P.S. Quick shout out to Jules! I know you’re probably reading this review right now licking your lips… we’re expecting an email from you!

The Diplomat
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 4 Railway Parade, Highett VIC 3190
Phone: +61 3 9939 6289
Website: thediplomatcafe.com.au

The Diplomat Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Young and Foolish

So I’ve been telling people about this new brunch / lunch cafe in the local ‘burbs’ that just opened. Being food bloggers we’ve earned a bit of trust when it comes to suggestions for good eateries. But when I tell people that this new cafe is located at Brandon Park shopping centre, even I get doubtful looks and questionable wrinkled noses and frowns. Yes people, there is a pretty decent and modern cafe at Brandon Park! In fact, the last few times we’ve been, we’ve had to stalk other cars just to find parking. I feel like perhaps this cafe may be drawing more people to this place.

Anyway, located on the ground floor in a spacious spot where past failed restaurants have come and gone, Young and Foolish has recently opened up and taken the spotlight at this normally quiet shopping centre with its bright lights, bricks and wooden decor, leather booths and greenery throughout the cafe. It is a refreshing and welcoming change.

Staff were super friendly and seated us down straight away. They took our drinks orders and let us peruse the menu. Now I’ve been here twice now in a span of weeks so some of the dishes we ordered on both occasions included the wagyu cheese burger with crunchy fries, the vodka cured salmon, meatballs risoni and the Young and Foolish breakfast.

All the dishes were presented beautifully, particularly the vodka cured salmon. This was a really pretty and appetising dish. Davin felt like this was probably more of an entree for him and he wouldn’t be full on it but it was a perfect portion for me. The wagyu cheese burger was tasty and the brioche bun was not too sweet. It was a scoffable dish! The meatball risoni had veal and pork in it and it was slow cooked in tomato and basil with buttered risoni pasta. It was flavoured really well and a hearty dish. Our foodie friend ordered the Young and Foolish breakfast which had poached eggs, bacon, pork fennel sausage, swiss brown mushrooms, a hash brown and zucchini tomato relish, a clean dish! We also ordered some fresh juices in which they let you choose different combinations of ingredients and were pretty good.

Overall it was a great place to catch up with friends while enjoying some good food. Service was also great and staff were friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend if you’re in the area!

Young and Foolish
Approx $30 AUD per person
Brandon Park Shopping Centre, Corner of Springvale & Ferntree Gully Road,
Wheelers Hill, Melbourne, VIC 3150
Phone: +61 3 9560 2065

Young and Foolish Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Helen Le

Mr Foxx

So we’ve had a good run lately and found another great brunch place! Lucky us! Mr Foxx has been a cafe in which we’ve driven past a number of times and one where we often say we probably should check out and then just never get around to it. Well on this occasion we made that effort and boy did it pay off!

Located on Malvern Rd in Glen Iris, we found parking instantly and entered into a lovely spacious cafe with a feature wall of artwork of foxes hanging out on a tree. Very cool.

We started off with some coffees. I ordered a latte and Davin ordered an iced coffee. My latte was strong and just how I liked it. Davin seemed to thoroughly enjoy his iced coffee and didn’t think about sharing until I asked for a sip.

For mains, I ordered the Fricassee mushrooms with garlic and thyme butter, cauliflower puree, toasted brioche, poached egg and truffle oil. I also opted for the extra chorizo. The serving was SO generous! The portions were huge! There was like a whole forest on my plate because there were so many mushrooms, and they were truly delicious! The combination of that with the cauliflower puree, the crunchiness of the brioche and the poached egg was divine! It was one glorious dish.

Davin ordered the dill cured salmon fillets with fondant potato, asparagus and lemon salad and pea puree. Again the serving was super generous. The salmon was cooked to perfection and not overcooked at all. The puree was nicely flavoured and complemented the salmon really well.

I have to also mention how attentive, friendly and efficient the staff were there. Customer service is everything these days and we will certainly come back because of that, and of course the great food and coffee! We were very impressed!

Mr Foxx
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 1491 Malvern Rd, Glen Iris VIC 3146
Phone: +61 3 9821 0001
Website: mrfoxx.com.au

Mr Foxx Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato