The Mess Hall

Wandering along Bourke Street in search of brunch, the buzz of people outside The Mess Hall caught my eye. It’s a welcoming space, stretching back to the kitchen and decorated with climbing plants on a wire mesh, soaking up the natural light pouring in from upstairs. The menu is fairly short, so I started with an orange juice, served in a generous sized glass, and ordered the green scrambled eggs. It came out quite quickly, and I was intruiged by the flavour combinations. Not your average scrambled eggs, this version had finely-sliced asparagus, pesto and truffle oil mixed in. Yep, truffle oil. Yum-o. The overall effect was fantastic – the pesto had a subtle flavour but the asparagus was crisp and juicy, and the truffle oil flavour lifted everything to a new level of deliciousness. The bread was a bit too toasted for my taste, but on balance this was made up for by the fluffy eggs. The staff happily left me to my book while they set up for lunch, and I appreciated not being rushed. I’ll be back to try their pasta and sit in the cozy upstairs room!

The Mess Hall, 51 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC           http://www.themesshallmelbourne.com

Hammer & Tong

Whilst visiting Melbourne I mentioned that I was keen to visit Hammer & Tong – luckily my friends were keen too, so off we went to try their adventurous menu. There is definitely an industrial/Soviet-style feel about the cafe, with plenty of unpolished metal and bare walls, which is also reflected in their communist flag-inspired logo. The menu draws mostly on Asian cuisines, with the unusual option of ‘breakfast ramen’ offered – I was so tempted but it was just too early. Instead, I picked the spanner crab egg crepe served with cucumber ketchup and charocal brioche, and the mango, passionfruit and pineapple juice. The juice menu said fresh but when the juice came out it had none of the hallmarks of a fresh juice (there was no froth and it had a watery texture), but was nonetheless delicious – the passionfruit’s tart flavour was a great wake-up aid! The crepe was heavenly – light and fluffy with plenty of crab inside, each mouthful was delightful with the cucumber ketchup, which tasted more like a cucumber pickle in liquid form. It matched perfectly with the charcoal brioche which was also quite light. The flavours and textures worked together so well – next time maybe I’ll be brave and try the ramen!

Hammer & Tong, 412a Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC       http://www.hammerandtong.com.au

Two for Joy

My friend and I tried to go to Penny University for a brunch catch up on Mother’s Day, but not having booked ahead, they were packed out. Instead we wandered up to Two for Joy, which neither of us had tried before, and we managed to get a table right away. It was particularly chilly so I started out with a soy hot chocolate – it had great flavour (i.e. it actually tasted like hot chocolate, not hot soy), and our food came out quite quickly, considering how busy they were. I ordered the Shakshouka – baked eggs in a tomato ragu with sausage, yoghurt and za’atar, plus flat bread for dipping. It was beautifully presented and when I cut into the eggs the yolks were deliciously runny = heaven! The whole dish was warming – the rich ragu had capsicum and onion along with tomato, but it wasn’t too rich. The spinach added some texture while the yoghurt mixed in with the ragu and egg yolk to make a beautiful sauce, perfect for mopping up with the flat bread. The sausages were really tasty and the whole meal was just the right amount to leave full but not bloated. Thanks Penny University – not fitting us in has led to the discovery of a new favourite!

Two for Joy, 27-29 Eyre Street, Kingston ACT

Local Press

An important part of Local Press is its emphasis on wholefoods, and this is reflected in their menu choices. The first item on their menu encapsulates this philosophy, and having tried the majority of other items, on this visit I decided to dive right in and try the ‘green breaky plate’. My only reservation was that it might not be filling enough – I shouldn’t have worried. The portions at Local Press are just right and I enjoyed walking away from breakfast without feeling bloated. The plate included hard boiled eggs coated in za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice mix), which were still steaming when the plate was served. The asparagus was beautifully soft and brought to life by the dill yoghurt and avocado. I haven’t jumped on board the quinoa bandwagon, but the quinoa tabouleh provided a great contrast of textures, complemented by the fresh kale. But the highlight of the dish had to be the almonds. Yep, nothing more than incredibly good quality, flavoursome almonds, which served simply on the kale showcased what the wholefood philosophy can do in the taste department.  There might just be something to this trend after all.

Local Press, 128 Trevellian Quay, Kingston ACT     http://www.localpresscafe.com.au/

Elemental

After reading a couple of fellow blogger reviews, I was excited to try the bone broth at Elemental. I know it won’t appeal to everyone, but being a noodle soup/broth nut, I figured this beverage would be perfect for me. Sadly, on arrival, it was the first thing we were told wasn’t available from the menu. Cue sad face. Instead, I ordered an earl grey tea and the brisket sub, with sweet potato, shaved fennel and lemon aioli. The tea was loose leaf and a bit more fragrant than I like my earl grey, but you could remove the infuser to stop overbrewing. My dish was served on a giant stoneware plate, the fennel and beef piled high atop a roasted half-sweet potato with a rocket and tomato salad on the side. The naked burger and the quesedilla my friends ordered looked a bit dwarfed on the large plates, but they assured me both were filling and delicious. Whilst the brisket wasn’t as tender as others I’ve had, there was a lot of it, and a mouthful with all of the elements (beef, aioli, sweet potato and fennel) was perfection. I guess I’ll just have to come back to try the bone broth!

Elemental, Ori building, 30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT                                  elementalcafe.wix.com/elementalcafe

Green Park

Friends of mine suggested Green Park as a brunch venue and I happily went along – the place was packed on a Sunday mid-morning and for good reason. The decor is, of course, a gorgeous green with plenty of plants and old books on shelves, making it feel welcoming and homely. We ordered a juice to start with, and whilst they’d run out of oranges, they offered us a detox juice. The waiter couldn’t tell us what was in it apart from ‘fruits and vegetables’ (what else is there?) but when it arrived beetroot was the obvious one. It was both mysterious and tasty! For brunch I had the smoked salmon hash, which was nicely presented with the salmon in a rosette, two hash browns and pickled beetroot. The menu had said it came with a poached egg but I didn’t get one, although what was on the plate was more than enough for me. The salmon had a lovely smoky flavour and there was plenty of it. It went well with the horseradish creme fraishe and the delicately shreded hash browns. All in all a tasty brunch in a relaxed but elegant setting.

Green Park, 815 Nicholson Street, Carlton North VIC.              www.greenparkdining.com.au

The Roastery Cafe

Brisbane has some really lovely little cafes, and the Roastery is definitely one of the lovely ones. I was amazed to see the huge coffee roasting/grinding? machine housed in the warehouse next door – obviously the source of the cafe’s name – and a funky mural on the long corridor wall leading out into the courtyard. The space is cozy and the tables have succulents on them (my favourite!). The breakfast menu is pretty extensive, so I went simple and ordered the eggs benedict – a standard test of the quality of a cafe. I also had their juice of the day, which was watermelon, apple, pear and passionfruit – such a great combination! The juice was served in a mason jar with a handle and it was a beautiful sunset colour. The meal itself was a little disappointing – the eggs had been overcooked and had pretty much solid yolks, and the hollandaise was a little chemically, but the bacon was beautiful and the bread was nicely toasted (my usual bugbear avoided). The cafe had a nice atmosphere with friendly staff, and despite its failings, was a nice change to the work-provided breakfasts we’d eaten all week.

The Roastery Cafe, 25 Glenelg Street, South Brisbane      http://www.rougecoffee.com.au