Hawker Hall

Hawker Hall – Windsor

Hawker Hall is the latest edition to Ben Cooper’s restaurant empire and it’s located in Windsor. It’s a happening place with a big open dining space. Good food and good vibes is what keeps this place so busy. It embraces the bold casualness of hawker style food from Singapore and Malaysia and the flavours pack a punch.

Hawker Hall – Housemade soda

They make homemade soda, raspberry and mint was refreshing. They also have a range of alcoholic beverages including beer, wine and cocktails.

Hawker Hall – Nyonya style fried popcorn chicken

The Nyonya style fried popcorn chicken is a good beer snack. Bite size fried chicken pieces w chilli mayo.

Hawker Hall – Panfried braised oxtail dumplings

I know the words ox-tail can be a bit frightening when you see it on the menu but rest assure these pan-fried ox-tail dumplings were anything but. The dumpling skin was thin and the filling had a meaty beef flavour with fresh herbs. They were nice.

Hawker Hall – Beef rendang

The Malay coconut beef rending is their signature dish and it only takes one mouthful to understand why. The flavours are big, bold, intense and balanced to perfection. The meat is tender, the curry is incredibly flavoursome and I love the touch of toasted coconut on top. I first encountered this dish when it debuted at the night noodle market as per the photo. Totally recommend this dish.

Hawker Hall – Salmon in banana leaf

The Otak Otak came in a little wrapped banana leaf parcel. It was salmon with a fragrant indian curry and coconut. The salmon melted in you mouth, the texture was amazing. The aromatic flavours with the soft salmon were beautiful.

Hawker Hall – CKT

The char kway teow a.k.a CKT was yum. It wasn’t the thick flat rice noodles I’m used to in a CKT but it was still hella tasty. It had a smokey soy flavour and was mixed up with prawns, bean shoots and lup cheong (chinese sausage). I loved that it had chinese sausage.

Hawker Hall – Penang duck curry

The Penang duck curry was yum. The shredded duck was moist and it had a nice flavour. It had those mini eggplants that are so super cute and was topped with chopped peanuts.

Hawker Hall – Red sticky date pudding

The sticky red date pudding with coconut caramel was delish. It was soft and pudding like with a sweet, sticky coconut caramel poured over it. It was accompanied by the softest, creamiest coconut ice-cream ever. It had a really lovely texture. We ordered an extra bowl of ice-cream because it was so good.

Hawker hall is very popular like the other Lucas Group establishments, so just a heads up if you’re planning a dinner I suggest to go early otherwise you may have to wait an hour or two.

I heart Hawker Hall!

Olives x

Hawker Hall
Address: 98 Chapel St, Windsor VIC 3181
Website: www.hawkerhall.com.au
Phone: 03 8560 0090
Trading Hours: Mon-Sun: 11am-1am (everyday)

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Long Story Short

Long Story Short – Street view

When you’re looking for a place to brunch, Richmond has plenty on offer. And Long Story Short has a relaxed space with an exciting menu to satisfy your brunching needs. Did I mention they have awesome hot chocolate spheres with marshmallows inside. Yep, that alone is a pretty good reason to visit.

Long Story Short – Venue

The venue has a relaxed vibe with modern wooden furniture and low hanging lights.

Long Story Short – Hot chocolate sphere

Hot chocolate at Long Story Short is quite the experience.

Long Story Short – Mmm chocolate

You pour the hot chocolate over the sisko chocolate sphere and it melts down and surprise marshmallows pop up. It’s heaps of fun and delicious too. But a heads up for the photo enthusiasts, eventually the hot chocolate will go cold so make your photo session a quick one.

Long Story Short – Matcha maiden white hot chocolate

There were two flavours, a milk hot chocolate and a matcha maiden white hot chocolate.

Long Story Short – Soft shell crab burger

The soft shell crab was crunchy and the burger bun was covered in seeds (sesame, pumpkin), which added a nice texture. It was filled with fresh herbs and slaw.

Long Story Short – Soft shell crab on slaw

If buns are too carby for you, they also do a soft shell crab salad which is the crispy fried soft shell on top of a fresh and crunchy slaw.

Long Story Short – Pork ribs and watermelon salad

The pork ribs were tasty and tender. It was served with a savoury salad with watermelon pieces. I loved the watermelon it was fresh and went well with the ribs. Yum.

Long Story Short – Chilli scramble

Can’t go wrong with chilli scramble.

Long Story Short – Smashed avo

A brunch staple, smashed avo with poachies.

Long Story Short – Pan fried salmon

Salmon with crispy skin and grain salad with lots of texture. Quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, barley, dried grapes, almonds and fresh herbs.

Long Story Short – Buttermilk pancakes

The Pepe Saya buttermilk pancakes were thick and fluffy (very filling) and had layers of caramalised banana and peanut butter in between. It was topped with a sour cream and vanilla ice cream.

Long Story Short – Cold drip coffee

They have cold drip coffee with different drop times so you can decide how strong you want it. It starts from 10 seconds and goes up to a 60 second drop. The longer the time between drops, the stronger the coffee.

In short, the coffee is strong, the hot chocolates are awesome and it’s a great place to enjoy some tasty food for brunch.

I heart Long Story Short!

Olives x

Long Story Short
Address:10/53 Coppin St, Richmond VIC 3121
Phone: 03 9421 6221
Website: http://www.longstoryshortcafe.com.au/
Trading hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun: 8am-4pm

Note: Olive Sundays was invited as a guest to Long Story Short.

Axil Coffee Roasters

Axil coffee roasters – Street view

Axil coffee roasters is a café in Hawthorn where they serve great food and are passionate about the bean. They source specialty coffees from around the globe and bring it home to serve and sell in their store. They do breakfast and lunch and have a good variety of items on the menu including a lot of vegetarian and gluten free meals.

Axil coffee roasters – Venue

Inside is a big open plan warehouse type space with greenery and industrial lighting. Great atmosphere for brunch dates.

Axil coffee roasters – Axil shop

They have a little store inside the café where they sell specialty coffee along with other coffee related bits and pieces.

Axil coffee roasters – Iced latte

And as expected their coffee is delish. Iced coffee’s are my new fave thing for spring.

Axil coffee roasters – Red fruit smoothie w coconut milk

The red fruit smoothie with coconut milk was berry nice.

Axil coffee roasters – Manchengo cheese croquettes

The Manchengo cheese croquettes were smooth and had a sharp almost smokey cheese flavour. It was served with paprika fried eggs, thin slices of jamon Serrano a corn puree, pickled chilli salsa and fresh coriander. There was a combination of fried elements and fresh elements that created a good balance of textures and flavour.

Axil coffee roasters – Pulled pork tacos

The pulled pork tacos tasted authentic. Each taco had black beans, salsa, a generous amount of smokey pulled pork, pickled cactus, lime, coriander and sprinkled cheese on top. The tacos were blue. They used blue corn tortillas. Did you know there was such a thing? There are actual corn on the cobs out there that are blue. This was news to me. I like the tacos they were tasty and I especially liked that they prompted my discovery of blue corn.

Axil coffee roasters – Fava bean falafels

The fava bean falafels were tasty and had legumes, pea blossoms and zucchini on top. They were sitting in a creamy goats yoghurt labna that tasted fresh and livened the dish. Lots of fresh elements and textures.

Axil coffee roasters – Salted caramel milkshake

The salted caramel milkshake tasted just as I imagined…delicious.

Axil coffee roasters – Ferrero Rocher waffles

I love Ferrero Rochers! So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw Ferrero Rocher waffles on the menu. And they did not disappoint. They were omg amazing. The waffles were chocolate with a chocolate sauce and had a good crisp waffle crunch and were soft and fluffy in the middle. There were two big scoops of hazelnut parfait, curls of Gianduja (sweet hazelnut) chocolate, chopped hazelnuts and crushed wafer biscuit on top. The choc hazelnut elements and wafer crunch really made this dessert resemble a Ferrero Rocher. Delicious.

Axil coffee roasters – Red velvet pancakes

The red velvet pancakes were soft and fluffy and was sitting on cream cheese ganache (so good) and raspberry sauce. It was topped with black sesame icecream, chocolate brownie soil and fresh raspberries. It had a lot going on but the flavours balanced out well. The sweetness of the ganache, the bitterness of the black sesame, and the tartness of the raspberry. Yum.

Axil coffee roasters – Yumness!

Axil coffee roasters has a nice green feel to it and is a great place to have some delicious food and enjoy some lovely coffee. And don’t forget the awesome waffles!

I heart Axil Coffee Roasters!

Olives x

Axil Coffee Roasters
Address: 322 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Phone: 03 9819 0091
Website: http://axilcoffee.com.au/
Trading Hours: Mon-Sun: 7am-4pm (everyday)

Hash Specialty Coffee and Roasters

Hash Specialty Coffee & Roasters – Melbourne

Hash Specialty Coffee and Roasters is a restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. They have an exciting menu and pride themselves on using top quality ingredients. The food is creative and they do a great coffee. They also do a great hot chocolate. Fairy floss in my hot chocolate? Yes please! Oh the theatre.

Hash Specialty Coffee & Roasters – Venue

It has a relaxed and modern atmosphere with a bar in the middle and a big illuminating hashtag light on the wall.

Hash Specialty Coffee & Roasters – Coffee

They specialise in specialty coffees.

Hash Specialty Coffee & Roasters – Signature hot chocolate w fairy floss

Hash is known for it’s signature hot chocolate. It is a cup filled with a mountain of fairy floss accompanied by a beaker of hot chocolate. You pour the hot chocolate over the fairy floss and it slowly dissolves and at the same time effectively sweetens your hot chocolate. However if I am to be completely honest it didn’t happen so smoothly for me. When I saw people doing it around me it looked so easy but unfortunately my poor pouring skills resulted in a last second panic, where I had to quickly grab my teaspoon and hold up mount fairy floss before it collapsed outside of my cup. It all got into the cup though and that’s the important part right? I thought it would be super sweet with what looked like a whole fairy floss in the cup, but the hot chocolate was dark cocao (85%) so the bitterness balanced the candy-like sweetness perfectly. It was rich, full flavoured and delicious. And it still had a slight dark cocao bitterness to it. Loved it.

Hash Specialty Coffee & Roasters – Pork belly w goats cheese & textures of apple

The rosted pork belly was amazing. It was soft and juicy with a crispy top. There was a piece of puffed pork crackling (I know it as chicharron) which added a nice crunch element. There was an apple puree, thin slithers of baked apple and juicy poached apple pieces. And we all know how well apple goes with pork. And then it was topped with some goat’s cheese, pickled mustard seeds and hazelnuts, which added a whole new level to pork and apple. It was a clever dish and very delicious.

Hash Specialty Coffee & Roasters – Leek & cheddar croquettes w ham hock

The leek and cheddar croquettes were tasty. They had a crunch on the outside and were smooth and creamy on the inside. The cauliflower puree was so good and the ham hock was melt-in-your-mouth. The cavolo nero (kind of like kale) had a tangy bitter sort of taste, which was nice when eaten with the other elements. And there was a yellow stained turmeric poched egg in the middle that brought it all together.

Hash Specialty Coffee & Roasters – Banana & pecan loaf

The grilled banana and pecan loaf was insanely delicious. For some reason I thought it would be a little dense (maybe the word loaf) but I was completely wrong. It was quite sponge like and soft and fluffy. The banana peacan flavour was delicious. It was filled with white chocolate custard and topped with burnt honey mascarpone (omg!). The combination was heavenly. It had all these bits and pieces that made it even better like whole macadamias, a milk crumb and fresh blueberries. Lovely.

This is a cool space to hang out and have brunch. They have a great menu and the dishes are well executed. Not to mention the coffee and the fairy floss hot chocolate. Fairy. Floss. Hot. Chocolate. Nuff said.

I heart Hash Specialty Coffee and Roasters!

Olives x

Hash Specialty Coffee and Roasters
Address:113 Hardware St, Melbourne VIC
Phone: 03 8529 0284
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hashcoffeeroasters
Trading Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm Sat-Sun: 8am-5pm

Rustica Canteen

Rustica Canteen – Street view

Rustica Canteen opened in the city 2 minutes away from my work huzzah! They opened in Guildford lane just this week and it is definitely something to be excited about. Similar to their Fitzroy store (Rustica Sourdough), the restaurant is part bakery part dining space. Behind the counter are shelves of fresh loaves of bread and across the front bench there is a display of delectable French pastries. It’s a beautiful open space with modern décor and delicious dining for breakfast and lunch.

Rustica Canteen – Venue

It’s a really nice inside.

Rustica Canteen – We got what you knead

This sign was so cute. We got what you knead haha.

Rustica Canteen – Coffee

Mmm coffee.

Rustica Canteen – Breakfast salad w a fried egg

I had a breakfast salad because I knew I was going to spend a morning eating indulgent pastries so I though it would be good to get some greens in. This salad was delicious. It was full of flavour and had great texture. Full of super foods too. It had a combination of freekah, wild rice, kale, rocket, chai soaked raisins, toasted almonds, minted yoghurt and a fried egg on top (runny yolk of course). Amazing.

Rustica Canteen – Croissant w chilli scramble & jamon

The croissant with chilli scramble was tasty. The croissant was buttery and toasted and there was a generous mountain of scrambled egg with mild chilli, Serrano jamon and manchengo cheese. It had lots of Spanish flavours, it was yum.

Rustica Canteen – Brekky burgers 

Yum breakfast burgers.

Rustica Canteen – Assortment of pastries

It’s hard not to leave the place without a box full of pastries and a couple of loaves of fresh bread because they are on display and they look fabulous. I was like I want that and that and maybe that and also that and I wanna try that too.

Rustica Canteen – Pear danish

The pear danish was incredible. It was simple but the flavours really stood out. The poached pear had a subtle fragrant rosewater flavour the cream cheese frosting was light and delicate and then the danish pastry was crisp around the edges and super buttery. The flavours together were remarkable.

Rustica Canteen – Cronut

The milo cronut was pretty special. It was shaped and fried like a donut but had the crisp buttery layers of a croissant. Then if that wasn’t enough, it was filled with chocolate milo custard and topped with cream, chocolate and a milo crisp.

Rustica Canteen – Lemon meringue tart

The lemon meringue tart in this photo got a bit mangled in transit. The meringue was so delicate and soft and the on the inside it had a sweet creamy lemon curd in the centre and a crumbly shortcrust pastry base.

Rustica Canteen – Creme brulee donut

The creme brûlée brioche donut was delicious. It had a hard toffee top with a crème brulee filling. There was a thick layer of toffee on top but it was easy to bite into it kind of had a lolly candy kind of flavour. Then there was a creme brûlée filling inside the soft fluffy donut. Yum!

Rustica Canteen – Twice cooked Ispahan croissant and choc peanut butter croissant

The chocolate and peanut butter croissant was pretty amazing. It was a twice baked croissant filled with a peanut frangipane, it had chunks of dark Belgian chocolate and was topped with chocolate ganache and chopped roasted peanuts. It was delicious and not too sweet. The bitterness of the dark chocolate balanced out the sweetness. It was really good.

Rustica Canteen – Salted caramel choux bomb, Ispahan croissant & choc honeycomb brioche donut

The twice baked Ispahan croissant was delicious. It was filled with rose, lychee, almond and raspberry. It had the tartness of the raspberries, the sweetness of the lychee, the traditional almond filling and a floral hum of rose in the background. It had a perfect balance of flavours, it was lovely. and very pretty too.

The salted caramel choux bomb was awesome. The choux pastry was delightfully crisp and crumbly and filled with a smooth and creamy salted caramel chantilly cream. Yum!

This restaurant is a great place for brunch and they use high quality ingredients. They have a range of delicious sandwiches for lunch and they bake their own bread so it doesn’t get fresher than that. It will satisfy the sweet toots, the bread lovers and the brunchers. Come one come all. It’s open. Yay!

I heart Rustica Canteen!

Olives x

Rustica Canteen
Address:33 Guildford Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: http://www.rusticacanteen.com/
Phone: 03 9642 2203
Trading Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm Sat-Sun: 8am-4pm

Supernormal

Supernormal – Street view

Supernormal is an Asian inspired menu created by the talented Andrew McConnell who is known for his highly successful restaurants, others including Cumulus Inc. and Cutler & Co. The menu offers bold flavours that work in complete harmony and create the perfect balance of flavour and texture. Ah-mazing!

Supernormal – Everybody loves ramen

This sign was cute. The venue is a large open space with simple contemporary deco.

Supernormal – New England lobster roll

The New England lobster roll was a winner. It was thin slices of perfectly cooked lobster, creamy herb mayo, a bit of watercress on a lightly toasted, soft buttery bun. It was sensational.

Supernormal – Sauteed mushrooms w rice cakes & sweet soy

The sautéed mushrooms with rice cakes was tasty. There was a range of beautifully sautéed mushrooms and the rice cakes were deep-fried cubes of ginger flavoured rice. It was all sitting on top of a creamy (parsnip i think) puree. Love!

Supernormal – Vegetarian dumplings

The vegetable dumplings were great. They had spinach, tofu and spring onions and were sitting in a delicate vinegar sauce.

Supernormal – Prawn & chicken dumplings w chilli, vinegar sauce

The prawn and chicken dumplings had a great kick of chilli. They were sitting in a chiili oil and vinegar sauce and were topped with dried chilli and fresh spring onions. Delish!

Supernormal – DIY duck bao

We had the twice-cooked duck bao, which was sort of like peking duck pancakes, minus the pancakes plus a few baos. The duck had a crispy coating and the meat was tender. What you do is: you shred the duck, pop some meat in the super soft bao with a piece of cucumber and add some plum sauce. Yum!

Supernormal – Duck bao

Then you dip the bao in the vinegar and eat. It was so delicious and fun putting them together yourself because you can make it just the way you like it.

Supernormal – Salad of brocollini, tofu, candied walnut & toasted seaweed

The salad of brocollini was one of the salads you do make friends with. It had a great balance of flavours and textures. There was a combination of broccoli and brocollini, soft tofu, candied walnuts, crunchy rice puffs and toasted seaweed scattered on top.

Supernormal – Beef cheeks w eggplant, crispy tripe and pepper sauce

Braised beef cheeks are a great winter meal. The beef fell apart easily and was in a sticky pepper sauce with eggplant. The tripe I was unsure about at first. Who in the world knew tripe could be so delicious. It was little deep-fried bits of crispy, that sort of tasted like crackling. It was delish.

Supernormal – Fried custurd w ginger syrup

The fried custard was incredible. It was cubes of vanilla and ginger custard, battered and deep-fried with ginger syrup poured over the top with bits of candied ginger. I love ginger, custard and fried food so I had a slight inkling that I would fall head of heels for this one. Loved it. The custard is piping hot so try to eat it slowly at first, but I completely understand if you can’t help yourself.

Supernormal – Baked meringue w jasmine, raspberry & lychee sorbet

The baked meringue was lovely. It had a nice shell and was soft inside. It was topped with cream, a dehydrated raspberry crumb and a scoop of lychee sorbet, which we though was an actual lychee at first glance. The lychee sorbet had an intense lychee flavour it was awesome and brought all the flavours together. There were little jellies around the plate and a raspberry jasmine coulis underneath the meringue.

Supernormal – Peanut butter parfait w salted caramel soft chocolate

The peanut butter parfait is popular for a reason. It was incredibly indulgent and reminds me of a snickers bar. The peanut butter parfait was super smooth and had a great peanut flavour. It was covered in a dark salted caramel with roasted peanuts on top. It had a layer of crushed peanuts as a base and a quenelle of soft chocolate on top. It was very rich and super delicious.

I really enjoyed everything we ate. All of the meals were modern and creative. Our waitress Sue was so lovely and very knowledgeable about the food and the company. She was also telling us about some of the exciting new ventures Andrew McConnell has in the pipeworks so be sure to keep an eye out.

I heart Supernormal!

Olives x

Address: 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: http://supernormal.net.au/
Phone: 03 9650 8688
Trading Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-midnight

 

Dead man espresso

Dead man espresso – Venue

If you’re on the hunt for amazing coffee in South Melbourne, dead man espresso is one of the best. They make a killer coffee and a delicious meal to go with.

Dead man espresso – Coffee

The coffee is incredible. And the venue is located on a corner covered in wooden decking. Inside it has wooden walls and has a warm cosy cabin sort of feel which was nice considering the cold Melbourne weather at the moment.

They have a variety of dishes on the menu but you can tell by this post we were in a fried chicken kinda mood. You know it happens.

Dead man espresso – Deadman chicken burger

When the chicken burger came out I was like whoa! It was mammoth. I took a few seconds to contemplate on how best to eat it and then before you knew it, I had picked it up with my bare hands and devoured the gigantic thing in a matter of minutes. It was delish. I was concerned about the vegemite mayo because I thought it would overpower the dish. But no it was subtle and just added an interesting salty bitterness to the burger. The slaw was nice and crunchy and the Buttermilk fried chicken was moist and delicious. Buttermilk does wonders for chicken. And the house-made pickles were sliced thinly and placed on top of the multiple layers of fried chicken. Loved it.

Dead man espresso – Roscoes chicken & waffles

Roscoes chicken and waffles were tasty. Good American soul food. Fried chicken! It was boneless chicken cut into pieces, which were tasty and crunchy on the outside and moist in the middle. The chunks of chicken sat on top of a soft waffle (more sort of the texture of a pancake) and drizzled with maple syrup. Together it was a great combination. My bf got a hash brown on the side, which was a big wheel of fried potato, how could you go wrong.

Dead man espresso – Orange & tonka bean doughnut

They had some amazing sweets sitting at the counter and I couldn’t walk away without trying one. We tried the doughnut filled with orange and tonka bean custard. Yum! Tonka bean is similar to vanilla but a little more complex. It was delicious.

Dead man espresso – Max knows good coffee

Max can smell a good coffee from a mile away.

For a great coffee and a tasty meal, Deadman espresso is definitely one to visit. The staff were lovely and it has a really cosy atmosphere.

I heart Dead man espresso!

Olives x

Dead man espresso
Address: 35 Market St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Website: http://www.deadmanespresso.com.au/
Phone: 03 9696 3912
Trading Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun: 8am-4pm

 

Industry Beans

Industry Beans – Street view

Industry beans is one of those great coffee/brunch places in Fitzroy that make you go wowza! They specialise in coffee and cook up a delicious meal too. It has a really cool garden/industrial feel going on, really cute atmosphere for a brunching day out.

Industry Beans – Coffee

They roast a mean bean, the coffee was yummy.

Industry Beans – Wild mushrooms

The wild mushrooms were amazing! They were plump, juicy and delicious. There were a few different textured mushroom elements and it was served with these fat crunchy polenta chips, which had lots of flavour and were smooth and creamy in the middle. It complimented the mushrooms well. Then there was some scattered watercress and a mushroom foam and poached egg dusted with porcini powder. It was sensational.

Industry Beans – Fried Creole chicken burger

The fried Creole chicken burger was served in a buttery brioche bun with pickled tomato and corn aioli. The chicken was packed with flavour. The heirloom tomato salad was a delicious side to the dish. It had quinoa and a beetroot puree with beetroot chips. Delish!

Industry Beans – Green papaya & peanut crusted egg

The peanut crusted egg was beautifully crunchy on the outside with the soft egg in the middle. It was served with a green papaya salad with carrots, been shoots, green mango, coriander & nahm jim. Yummy and fresh.

Industry Beans – Warm pandan custard

We had the warm pandan custard, which had a lovely light pandan flavour. It was poured over the torn pieces of black sesame cake. The bright green pears were poached in pandan. So delicious! And then there were sweet pineapple pieces and a delicious pineapple mango coulis. It was absolutely delightful.

Industry Beans – mmm pouring

Mmm pouring.

Industry Beans – Coffee garden

The ‘coffee garden’ was pretty as a picture. It looked like a little garden of delciousness. It was colourful and inviting. The pistachio sponge was light and crumbly, the coffee custard pudding had that lovely unsweetened coffee bitterness, which went perfectly with the beautifully poached pear, the buttery tuille, spots of raspberry jam and the sweet chocolate soil. The cold drip coffee caviar on top was delicious, little pops of coffee.

Industry Beans – Max and the jam donut muffin

They had some sweet yummies up at the counter. One of which was a jam donut muffin. We took one home and Max was immediately plotting ways on how he could get his paws on it.

Industry beans has a unique style, like an industrial space meets a veggie patch or something. It was really cute, loved the open outdoor area. The staff were super friendly which is always a plus and our meals were delish. Not to mention great coffee.

I heart Industry Beans!

Olives x

Industry Beans
Address: Warehouse 3, 62 Rose Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Facebook: http://industrybeans.com/
Phone: 03 9417 1034
Trading Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm Sat-Sun: 8am-4pm

Merchants Guild

Merchants Guild – Street view

On a weekend Merchants Guild has people out the door queuing to eat and while it doesn’t take too long to be seated, the quality of food is completely worth the wait. This breakfast/lunch eatery is located in Bentleigh East and has some real winners on the menu. Whenever I leave I am already planning on when to come back. They do a great coffee, and for those chai tea lovers out there, they do a really amazing chai. The food is just yum, yummy yumness on a plate.

Merchants Guild – Venue

The décor has a modern and environmental feel about it. Open kitchen, open space, micro herbs growing in a big fridge. It has a positive, busy, vibey ambience.

Merchants Guild – Prana chai

The first time I visited I tried the Prana chai because I had heard great things about it. I was not disappointed. It was full of flavour, really creamy, really spicy, really balanced. Delish sums it up well. Not to mention adorable, it came out in a little metal pouring pot with a strainer.

Merchants Guild – English breakfast tea

They have a good variety of different teas. Even their English breakfast tea is really good. And again adorable! It comes out with a teapot, a glass, a little strainer, a little milk bottle and a three little hour glasses. When the last hour-glass runs out of sand it means the tea has sufficiently brewed and is ready for drinking. Too cute.

Merchants Guild – Coffee

They do a really good coffee too. Delish! And they also do fresh juices. My friend got a cold pressed super juice, which had apple, beetroot, silverbeet and grape she said was nice.

Merchants Guild – Water (plain water and sparkling)

They provide everyone with a bottle of plain water and sparkling water which I think is a cute idea.

Merchants Guild – Eggs Panzanella

The eggs panzanella was delicious. I hadn’t had panzanella before but OMFG these flavours go together like peas in a pod, like butter on bread, like burgers on brioche, like bacon and egg, like presents on christmas. It was sensational! The jamon, the basil, the dehydrated cherry tomatoes and the marinated white anchovies were incredible all together. Then there were torn pieces of bread fried up like giant rustic croutons, which were crunchy and toasty and soaked up all of the flavour and the egg yolk (eggs were poached perfectly btw). It was delicious!

Merchants Guild – Short cut bacon w avo & corn salsa on sourdough w eggs and jalapeno pesto

The short cut bacon with an avocado and charred corn salsa on sourdough with eggs and jalapeno pesto is popular and for good reason. The bacon is yum, it’s a delicious thick piece of short cut bacon. The avo and charred corn salsa is amazing and tastes really creamy and fresh it’s got a bit of zing. The jalapeno pesto is yum (not hot but tasty) and is spread over the sourdough with eggs on top. It’s a really fresh and tasty meal.

Merchants Guild – Eggs Benedict w smoked ham and seeded mustard hollandaise

With their eggs benedict they have a changing hollandaise, which is fun. When they bring the menu out they usually tell you the hollandaise of the day along with the soup of the day. I had the seeded mustard hollaindaise and it was absolutely scrumptious. It would definitely be up there in my top hollandaise sauces of all time. It was creamy and smooth and moreish and delicious. It was grand. And then with the eggs, the smoked ham hock and a bit of spinach, it was just heaven.

Merchants Guild – Raspberry pancake w maple mascarpone, gaytime dust and berries

The raspberry pancake looked really pretty, it had a big scoop of maple mascarpone in the middle and vibrant blue flowers, fresh berries and puffed rice scattered on top with a sprinkle of gaytime dust. The pancake was soft and fluffy and smothered with maple syrup so it was super sweet but if you eat a little bit of everything together it balances out the sweetness. The raspberry jam and fresh berries are tart and the mascarpone was creamy. The gaytime dust and the puffed rice added texture. It was yum but gosh it was filling.

Merchants Guild – Max and the salted caramel doughnut

Eyes on the prize. Max had his heart set on the salted caramel doughnut the moment he laid eyes on it. They also do a white chocolate cheesecake filled doughnut and a lemon curd one too. Yum!

At Merchants Guild everything is made with love and you can taste it. The quality produce and the care taken into creating the menu and presenting the dishes is nothing short of amazing. Weekends are really busy but it’s managed really well so you are seated pretty quickly. I’ve only ever waited about 10-15mins. And it is well worth the wait. Perfect place for brunch, it’s got a great atmosphere and the food is exceptional.

I heart Merchants Guild!

Olives x

Merchants Guild
Address: 680 Centre Road, Bentleigh East, VIC 3165
Website: www.themerchantsguild.com
Phone: 03 9579 0734
Trading hours: Mon-Sun: 7am-4pm

The Kettle Black

The Kettle Black – Melbourne

The same dudes that gave us Top Paddock created The Kettle Black, so I expected great things. And as expected this place had a great atmosphere, great service and above all else, great food. They use good quality fresh produce and create interesting dishes. It’s great place for brunch.

The Kettle Black – Street view

It’s quite a large space and they also have a seated outdoor area.

The Kettle Black – Coffee

The coffee is really good. And they have a little coffee stand out front if you’re just passing by for a quick takeaway coffee.

The Kettle Black – Orange juice in a jar so cute

And the OJ is freshly squeezed and comes in a little jar, very cute.

The Kettle Black – Fresh kingfish w potato crisps, tomato, avo & leaves

We tried the kingfish w potato crisps, tomato, avo & leaves. The Kingfish was cooked perfectly and was absolutely incredible. It was definitely melt in your mouth. And it was complimented by generous chunks of avocado, fresh cherry tomatoes and super thin crispy potato crisps. It was a really lovely combination. Loved it!

The Kettle Black – Ricotta hotcake (sigh.. my bf has it with no seeds)

The hotcake was made with house-made ricotta. It was thick and fluffy with bursts of ricotta it was absolutely divine. It was topped with pure maple, fresh blueberries, double cream, flowers and seeds. It’s one of my fave items from top paddock, so I was pleased to see it migrate to this menu.

The Kettle Black – House made coconut yoghurt

My eyes were popping out of my head when the coconut yoghurt came out. It looked like a work of art. It was beautiful. There was a combination of fresh fruit and dehydrated fruit. And also a variety of seeds and nuts layered on top of the yoghurt. There was a dehydrated citrus crumb around the edge and puffed rice. There were so many textures, flavours, in all different sizes, just amazing. Every bite was exciting and no bite was the same. The actual coconut yoghurt was made in-house and it was delicious. It was luxuriously smooth and had a creamy coconut milk flavour.

The Kettle Black – Yumness!

The quality of everything was outstanding and I was really impressed with all of the food we ate.  They also had some sweet desserts on display. There was a banana & caramalised popcorn cake, a baked rhubard cheesecake sandwich, chocolate caramel tart etc. They also had some doughboy doughnuts on offer. It’s a great place for brunch and a great place for coffee.

I heart The Kettle Black!

Olives x

The Kettle Black
Address: 50 Albert Road South Melbourne VIC
Website: www.thekettleblack.com.au
Phone: 03 9088 0721
Trading Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-5pm, Sat-Sun: 8am-4pm

Grand Trailer Park Taverna

Grand Trailer Park Taverna – Melbourne

Grand Trailer Park Taverna is a spin off from the ‘Dandenong Pavillion’ restaurant with a focus on their renowned beef burger. It recently opened in the city and the burgers are mouth-wateringly (is that a word?) delicious.

Grand Trailer Park Taverna – Caravan

The venue is a large open space with lots of park benches and open caravan booths (all indoor). Cute setup. There are crumpled paper menus scattered across the bar (trailer park style). You order at the bar, take a number and find somewhere to sit.

Grand Trailer Park Taverna – Outdoor area

We sat outside in the sunshine with the beautiful city view.

Grand Trailer Park Taverna – KSA burger minus the salad

We got the KSA burger (the dpavillon celebrity burger), which has a premium Aussie beef patty, cheddar cheese, tomato, butter lettuce, special burger sauce & American mustard on a toasted brioche bun. The actual burger (like the meat patty) is a real star. It’s grilled and juicy, just overall really tasty.

Grand Trailer Park Taverna – Francis Underwood burger

We also got the Francis Underwood burger, which is basically the same as the classic KSA burger but with a bonus mac and cheese croquette sandwiched in. Yum! The toasty brioche bun was buttery and had sesame seeds sprinkled on top, delish. The meat was juicy, the cheese was melty and the lettuce and tomato were fresh. The mac and cheese just made it that extra bit more indulgent and the sauces brought it all together. It was fantastic.

They also have a mushroom burger if you don’t feel like meat. And if you don’t feel like bread, you can order a no carb protein style burger, where they give you a lettuce bun in place of the bread (saw pics on instagram) and also you could probs request to have mac and cheese croquettes in place of the bun (also seen on instagram). Hmm not for me though, I like buttery buns and I cannot lie, these other burgers can’t deny. Hehe. Next time I’ll be getting the Atomic burger. It sounds amazing. It’s a beef pattie, cheddar cheese, chilli cheese kransky, crispy bacon, BBQ sauce and truffle cayenne mayo on brioche. Yum! All the burgers sound amazing!

Grand Trailer Park Taverna – Hand cut chips

The hand-cut chips are delicious. They’re more soft than crunchy, sort of like roasted potatoes hand cut into chips and then sprinkled with sea salt flakes. Yum!

Grand Trailer Park Taverna – Kinder Surprise Milkshake

They have four awesome spiked milkshakes. We got the Kinder Surprise shake, and oh my it was so good. It was spiked with Frangelico and Baileys and it was super delicious. Definitely up there in my list of top milkshakes. It had an actual kinder surprise on top (yay) and the milkshake was amazing. They also do a Maker’s Mark bourbon, salted caramel, maple bacon shake, a marshmallow, blue-haven, vanilla vodka shake and a peanut butter and jelly shake with Captain Morgan’s Rum. Yum, yum and yum!

On the menu there is a range of desserts that I wanted to try (bananrama, wizz fizz ice-cream etc) but that double carb burger really stole all of my stomach space. I saw the chocolate waffle stack get placed on the table next to us. It looked so good. It was like a dessert burger. It was Nutella parfait, fresh cream and strawberries sandwiched between two house-made waffles drizzled with Nutella sauce. You can also get the waffle stack with peanut butter parfait and caramel sauce. Yum! Maybe next time.

The décor is cute, the staff is really nice and the burgers are great. A perfect place to hang out with your mates for a burger and some bevvies.

I heart Grand Trailer Park Taverna!

Olives x

Grand Trailer Park Taverna
Address: 87 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Facebook: http://www.grandtrailerpark.com.au
Phone: 03 9972 3699
Trading Hours: Tue–Sat: 11.30am til late (closed Mondays & Sundays)

 

 

Two Birds One Stone

Two Birds One Stone – Venue

Two birds one stone is a café in South Yarra with a super inspiring menu. They use good quality fresh ingredients, which make all the difference. The meals are delicious and you can tell someone has put their heart and soul into the food because every dish was well balanced and full of flavour, not to mention absolutely delicious. The food was memorable and the staff were friendly. A perfect place for breakfast or lunch or kill two birds with one stone and go for the double whammy…brunch.

Two Birds One Stone – Pork Belly Burger

We ordered the crispy pork belly w asian slaw and chilli caramel on a brioche bun.
Oh. Em. Gee. This is by far the best pork belly burger on earth. The crackling was crispy and the pork was melt-in-your-mouth soft…amazing! It was full of flavour, it was sticky, it was sweet, it was insanely delicious. This in combination with the toasted buttery brioche bun and the fresh asian slaw was a perfect ten for me. Plus it’s not high on the chilli side of things for those who don’t like the heat and prefer the sweet (see what I did there). It was so so yum! Someone sitting across from me ordered one too. So I was eating my pork belly burger, whilst salivating over their pork belly burger, and thinking of ordering another pork belly burger all at the same time. Whoa talk about multi-tasking.

Two Birds One Stone – Sauteed Pine Mushrooms w Trussed Cherry Tomatoes

We also ordered the sauteed pine mushrooms on brioche w trussed cherry tomatoes, goats cheese cream, roasted almonds and two poached eggs. And I added bacon what? It just goes with everything. The mushrooms were something else. The pine mushrooms were big and plump and juicy and delicious. There was also little bunches of enoki mushrooms sautéed. They were really good. I could have just had the mushrooms on their own and been happy but it got better. They sat on top of a piece of toasted brioche. I’m pretty sure they said they make their own in-house brioche. It was absolutely superb. I could eat it everyday. It’s makes everything so much better. It’s light and buttery and toasty crunchy. Then there were the truss cherry tomatoes. Some were red, some were yellow and all of them were deliciously sweet. The goats cheese cream was delish, the almonds added crunch, the poached eggs were cooked perfectly and the addition of bacon was a good idea. It had a perfect balance of flavours and textures. Every mouthful was different and I was impressed with how yummy it was.

Two Birds One Stone – Marmalade French Toast

For a sweet treat we ordered the twice-cooked marmalade french toast w oranges and vanilla panna cotta. Oh it was good. They used that delightful brioche I mentioned earlier but this time it was soft and pudding like. It was like French toast meets bread and butter pudding with fresh orange segments and a side of creamy vanilla panna cotta. It was divine. I really enjoyed it.

I can’t wait to go back and try everything else on the menu because everything we ate was exceptional. Our waitress was really sweet and thank goodness she suggested the chilli caramel pork belly because it really was something special. The place was open and had lots of sunlight, which was nice. And it had an industrial feel with contemporary design lighting going on which was really cool. I love lamp. The food was outstanding, the décor had some interesting pieces and the staff were all really lovely.

I heart Two Birds One Stone!

Olives x

Two Birds One Stone
Address: 12 Claremont Street, South Yarra
Website: http://twobirdsonestonecafe.com.au
Phone: 03 9827 1228
Trading Hours: Mon–Fri: 7.00am – 4.00pm, Sat-Sun: 8.00am-4.00pm

Coda

Coda – Street view

Coda is an amazing restaurant tucked beneath the hustle and bustle of the city. In a basement off Flinders lane, this hidden gem has a sensational menu and provides a memorable eating experience. The food is inventive, inspiring and undeniably delicious.

Coda – Bar

The venue was dimly lit and had an intimate feel and a great wine selection. The service was great, the staff were friendly and attentive.

Coda – Spanner crab, galangal, roasted chilli and lime betel leaf

The spanner crab was cold and fresh. It had galangal, roasted chilli, lime and fresh tomato. It was a perfect starter to the meal. You fold up the lime betel leaf and eat it like a little taco. The flavours were light and refreshing.

Coda – Eggplant and tofu lettuce delight, enoki mushroom, crispy garlic and black vinegar

The lettuce delight was nice, it was a san choi bao w eggplant, tofu, enoki mushroom, crispy garlic and black vinegar.

Coda – Hervey Bay scallop, pearl tapioca and Yarra Valley salmon caviar

The Hervey bay scallop was amazing. It was seared perfectly and the pearl tapioca was buttery and creamy and had a brilliant texture. It was topped with Yarra Valley salmon caviar. I don’t usually eat salmon caviar because it reminds me of the opening scene of ‘finding Nemo’ but I thought it would be a shame to set this aside because it looked really pretty. Turns out it is delicious! The caviar pops in your mouth with bursts of saltiness it was exciting and absolutely divine.

Coda – Tempura bugs with caramelised chilli

The tempura bugs were lightly battered and cooked to perfection. Simply amazing! I wanted to order more of these, they were so light, tasty and easy to eat. They were paired with a caramelised chilli sauce that had quite a kick and a side slaw. It was delicious! It was presented with the deep-fried bug shell, which was impressive and tasted similar to pork crackling. It was yum!

Coda – Fried cauliflower, pine nuts and pomegranate with goats cheese dressing

We had the fried cauliflower as a side. It was topped with pine nuts, pomegranate and covered in a goat’s cheese dressing. It was tasty. There were lots of different textures and flavours it was great.

Coda – That’s Amore Buffalo mozzarella, zucchini fritters, mint and pea salad

The zucchini fritters were delicious little croquettes, they were creamy and moreish, good comfort food. The simplicity of the smashed peas, pickled shavings of zucchini, mint and That’s amore buffalo mozzarella made this a very sophisticated dish. All the flavours went so well together.

Coda – Aperol cured Huon ocean trout, pickled beetroot, crème fraîche sorbet and carrot mousse

The Aperol cured Huon ocean trout looked like art. It had beautiful colours and textures scattered across the plate. The pickled beetroot was cut into tiny little cubes. They were so small that they created an interesting texture that really complimented the smooth silky trout. Then there was the perfect quenelle of crème fraiche sorbet and perfectly smooth carrot mousse. Yum! The flavours were amazing. The trout was delicious and the finesse of those tiny beetroot squares made this dish something remarkable.

Coda – Sweet corn parfait, caramel popcorn, passionfruit, strawberry and white chocolate

Then for dessert we ordered the sweet corn parfait. There were lots of different elements on the plate. There was caramel popcorn, passionfruit, a bright pink fresh strawberry sorbet and bits of strawberry fruit leather (like roll ups). There were sweet syrup cake balls and white chocolate bits. It was really fun to explore the dish and find surprises of deliciousness.

Coda – Dark chocolate ganache with chocolate crunch, aero, mandarin and liquorice

We also ordered the dark chocolate ganache w chocolate crunch, aero, mandarin and licorice. I was hesitant at first because I’m not a huge fan of licorice and it seemed strange to have chocolate, mandarin and licorice. I was wrong. It was delicious. I was going to just avoid the licorice areas if I didn’t like it, but it ended up being my favourite part of the dish. There were little parfait balls of licorice, which were creamy with a really subtle and delicious licorice flavour. I can’t believe I almost didn’t order it because of the word licorice. The licorice parfait was incredible. There was a bar of rich dark chocolate ganache in the middle with big rustic chunks of aerated chocolate sitting on topped, sprinkled with a chocolate crumb, dots of mandarin gel and dehydrated mandarin pieces. The mandarin balanced the sweetness of the chocolate and gave it a touch of citrus. It was sensational.

Coda – Toasted meringue, vanilla sponge, coconut, pineapple and yuzu

The toasted meringue looked beautiful. It was covered in this white snowy dust. There were big soft peaks of toasted meringue, which had a toasted outer and melted in your mouth. They tasted like camp-fire roasted marshmallows yum! There were also little crunchy meringues, fluffy vanilla sponge, coconut cream, pineapple and yuzu which was really citrusy to cut through all the sweet. It was fantastic.

Everything we ate was exciting and delicious. Each meal took you on an exciting journey where you became completely immersed in the dish you were currently eating until the next dish arrived and you became completely immersed in that one. The service was great, the venue had a good atmosphere and the food was outstanding. It was truly an inspiring experience.

I heart Coda!

Olives x

Coda
Address: Basement 141 Flinders Lane
Website: http://www.codarestaurant.com.au
Phone: 03 9650 3155
Trading Hours: Mon–Sun (7 days) Lunch 12pm-3pm, Dinner: 6pm – 10.30pm

8bit.

8bit – Footscray.

8bit is a burger joint inspired by 8bit games. At the counter they had a Mario stuffed toy, an old Nintendo control, a space invader tips jar and a one up mushroom figurine. A whole lot of nostalgia was going on. Then they had an American inspired menu with a range of burgers, franks, fries, soft serves and milkshakes. The reminiscence mixed with awesome food really makes this place a winner.

8bit – Venue.

The staff wore overalls, with the straps crossed at the back (Mario styles) and the girl at the counter was wearing awesome 8-bit pixel framed glasses. They all fit in with the theme. They had an open kitchen which was tiled with lots of squares just like 8bit games and had little tetris squares of colour which sort of looked like little hearts.

8bit – Princess Peach.

The burgers are named after games like double dragon, golden axe & altered beast. The mushroom burger is called the 1 up mushroom burger (very cute). The table numbers were characters from games, made out of those plastic beads that you iron to stick together. We got princess peach but they had all different ones. I saw astroboy, sonic and even yoda floating around.

<yum> 8bit – 8bit burger w cheese </yum>

I ordered the 8 bit with cheese, which was a juicy beef patty with tomato, lettuce, red onion, pickles, mustard, 8BIT sauce (which was like a tasty tangy tomato sauce) with melted cheese encased in a soft toasted buttery brioche bun. It was a good-sized burger and each bite was so tasty. It was full of flavour. It was delicious!

<yum> 8bit – Golden Axe burger </yum>

We also got the Golden axe, which had crispy fried chicken, cheese, sriracha mayo & slaw. That was yummy too. It had a big fillet of crispy chicken and went well with the brioche bun. They also had a range of hot dog options. I want to try the fatal fury, which is like a chilli cheese dog.

<yum> 8bit – 8bit burger and beer battered fries </yum>

As a side they had beer battered fries, onion rings and ye good ol’ potato gems aka tater tots. I do miss those little clouds of potato goodness.

<yum> 8bit – Cheese and bacon fries. YUM! </yum>

We ordered the cheese and bacon fries. Wow! These were so delicious I couldn’t believe how good they were. I’d suggest you order these fries with your burger. You won’t be disappointed. They were thick cut beer battered fries with cheese sauce, big chunky bits of bacon and fresh spring onions. They were delicious!! They also had chilli cheese fries and loaded fries, which I’m confident would be yummy too.

<yum> 8bit – Strawberry cheesecake soft serve </yum>

The soft serve of the day was strawberry cheesecake. It was soft, smooth and creamy and tasted just like a strawberry cheesecake. The flavour was spot on and the texture was just perfect. We loved the strawberry cheesecake soft serve so much that we ordered the strawberry cheesecake milkshake as well.

<yum> 8bit – Strawberry cheesecake milkshake </yum>

The strawberry cheesecake milkshake was delicious! The milk shake was thick, more like a thick-shake, which is what I prefer. And they even put biscuit crumbs in the milkshake and on top. It was so yum I wanted to try all the flavours. They had salted caramel, peanut butter and a chocolate bar shake.

This place brought back memories. It made me remember the days when I was inseparable from my SNES (16-bit same same). And also reminded me how much I love the simplicity of a classic burger, fries and milkshake (3-hit combo).

The staff were really friendly and informed us before we ordered that it might take 45mins for our meals to be ready because it was really busy, which is nice. It was worth the wait. the food is delicious and the diner style restaurant creates a cool and casual environment to catch up with friends and grab a byte to eat.

I heart 8bit!

Olives x

8bit
Address: 8 Droop Street, Footscray, VIC 3011
Website: http://www.eat8bit.com.au
Phone: 03 9687 8838
Trading Hours: Mon – Sun: 11am – 11pm

Mr. Brightside

Mr. Brightside – Caulfield.

Yesterday we celebrated my friends birthday with a big night out. Come morning and by morning I mean afternoon, we were in need of a good feed. Brunch was in order. We decided to go to Mr. Brightside. They had everything you could want for brunch and more. It was a really cute venue, they had bits and pieces around like picnic baskets, hanging plants, cages around the lights and pretty ceramic plates, which gave the place character and made it feel cosy.

Mr. Brightside – Morning coffee.

First stop, coffee. Well actually I ordered a fruit juice blend because I was in need of some nutrients and it went down a treat. It was freshly squeezed and delicious. I think I skulled the whole glass in one sip. Yum!

Mr. Brightside – Brightside Big Breakfast – fried eggs, bacon, tomatoes, sausages and hash browns.

This was one of those instances where my eyes were too big for my stomach. I ordered the Brightside Big Breakfast, which had eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns and tomatoes with two slices of sourdough bread (which I used to soak up the egg yolk yum!). I wanted to tack on mushrooms and spinach and avocado and smoked salmon and baked beans and basically all the sides. But with great restraint I resisted and thank goodness I did because it was already heaps of food. It was absolutely delicious and exactly as I had envisioned. So yum! I have to make a particular mention about the hash browns. They were incredible. They weren’t really oily (like hash browns usually are) and they were so tasty. They were seasoned with rosemary and they were crispy on the outside and mushy in the middle. Amazing!

Mr. Brightside – Muesli, yoghurt and rhubarb.

A friend ordered muesli and yoghurt w macadamia and rhubarb. The muesli had lots of texture and was packed with macadamias, nice and crunchy. Topped with yoghurt and cooked rhubarb.

Mr. Brightside – Smashed avocado and feta w cherry tomatoes, a poached egg and salmon.

There was the smashed avocado and feta with cherry tomatoes on whole meal toast with shallot dressing. Delish! My friend added extra proteins, a poached egg and some smoked salmon.

Mr. Brightside – Fluffy Omelette w spinach, mushrooms, tomato and French goats cheese.

The omelette was light and fluffy just as an omelette should be. It was filled with mushrooms, tomato, spinach and French goats cheese. It was really tasty.

Mr. Brightside – Eggs florentine – poached eggs w spinach, hollandaise & salmon on an english muffin.

And the eggs florentine was divine. It was poached eggs with spinach and hollandaise on an English muffin. My friend added salmon, avo and hashbrowns. The add-ons are great they give you flexibility so everyone can alter the dish to suit them.

Mr. Brightside – Muffins and slices and scones oh my!

They also had a range of sweets to order so you could just pop by for a coffee and cake. They had caramel and vanilla slice, chocolate hedgehog, a range of muffins and scones with jam and cream Yum. I had my eye on the vanilla slice but I was already very full. I decided I would just order it next time since I plan to be back often. Love this place, it was a great place for brunch and they have a variety of menu options that make you want to try everything.

We had about ten people brunching and everyone easily found a menu item that matched exactly what they felt like eating. Loved the flexibility in menu and the staff were friendly and accommodating. We were seated inside but if you want to sit outside they have heavy-duty heaters to shield you from the frosty chills of the winter weather. It was a great brunch with a bunch of great friends (try that one on for a tongue twister).

I heart Mr. Brightside!

Olives x

Mr. Brightside
Address: 189A Booran Road, Caulfield, VIC 3162
Website: http://misterbrightside.com
Phone: 03 9576 9588
Trading Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun: 7.30am-4pm.

 

 

Rue & Co Melbourne Pop-Up

Rue & Co – Melbourne Pop-Up.

We were wondering around for a place to eat for dinner and saw some astro-turf and bright lights, which captured our interest. We walked over and had inadvertently stumbled upon a Melbourne pop-up on Collins street. Surprise! Awesome food. It was great, they had three shipping containers turned into food stalls and heated seating areas. Eating, seating and heating, exactly what I wanted on this cold winters night.

Rue & Co – Melbourne Pop-Up (Kong, Jimmy Grants & St Ali)

Just when I thought it couldn’t get better, it got better. We were surrounded by some amazing artwork. There was a giant portrait of a woman on the wall and a digital installation projected on the other wall with a range of moving images. My fave part of the installation was the diamonds floating across the screen, they sort of moved like hot air balloons floating in the sky.

Rue & Co – Melbourne Pop-Up – St Ali beef burger.

There were three stalls. One was Salvatore Malatesta’s St Ali where you can get some amazing burgers. They serve yummy breakfast burgers in the morning and other delicious burgers during the day and night. They also serve quality coffee and some cheeky desserts. Delicious giant cookies yum! I had the beef burger with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and special sauce. It was classic and delicious. They had the mushroom trip burger with a pickled wild mushroom for the vegos, which sounded yum too.

Rue & Co – Melbourne Pop-Up – Jimmy Grants souva and chips.

The middle stall was George Calombaris’ Jimmy Grants. They had the Mr Papadopoulos (which is the lamb souva w chips mustard aioli, onions & parsley). The meat just falls apart, the bread is soft and fluffy and the chips are already in the souva. Love it. And the Homer, which is the veg option, has tasty falafels, greek yoghurt and helenic slaw. They also had some salads (the famous grain salad), jimmys dimmys (dim sims) and their chips with feta, garlic oil and oregano yum!!

Rue & Co – Melbourne Pop-Up – Kong Korean honey & garlic chicken wings.

The third stall was Chris Lucas’ Kong which had Korean chicken wings, steamed buns and some roti wraps. So many yummy things to choose from. I tried the chicken wings w honey, garlic and sesame seeds which was nice, they had spicy ones too. They had pork steamed buns and tofu ones that looked delicious. They were those open steamed buns, Gua Baos. They also had some roti wraps, which I want to go back and try. Pulled pork, slaw, kim chi, siracha mayo all rolled in a roti wrap. Sounds delish.

It was mostly exciting because I didn’t know the pop-up was there. I must have missed the memo but I’m glad I did because just finding this place accidentally gave it all the more charm. We had some restaurant ideas in mind but hadn’t decided on where to eat. We naively wondered right into the adventure we were looking for.  This pop-up came out of nowhere; I guess that’s what they do best. It was great! Sometimes when you are wondering through life, something unexpected throws all your ideas out the window and presents to you exactly what you are looking for.  If something great comes your way, don’t be scared to change your plans.

I heart Rue & Co!

Olives x

Rue & Co Pop-Up
Address: 80 Collins Street, Melbourne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RueandCo
Trading Hours: Open until 10pm daily (I think they open at 11am)