St Ali

Note to self: the South Melbourne markets aren’t open on a Monday. Luckily St Ali is – in fact they’re open 365 days, so you can’t get it wrong (like I did with the markets). Instead of wandering through the markets a friend and I settled in at St Ali for afternoon tea, soaking up the sunshine from their outdoor seating which looks out onto the street. We were both tempted by the cake display and I caved first and ordered the fruit danish and a ‘hydrate’ juice, while my friend picked the lemon and marshmallow tart and a ‘detox’ juice. The juices were served in large, tall glasses and didn’t have much foam – mine had watermelon, apple and mint, although I could still taste the carrot from the detox juice which must have gone through the juicer first. The danish was lovely and crisp, with the pastry flaking off in large pieces to enjoy. The fresh blueberries, apricot and strawberries sat on a bed of custard which brought the whole sweet to life.  I could have happily eaten another if it hadn’t been so filling! Definitely a great place to while away an afternoon.

St Ali Coffee Roasters, 12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne VIC  www.stali.com.au

SAD:Cafe

Sure, the name is odd, but when put in context next to sister store DAS boutique, calling your cafe ‘SAD’ makes some kid of sense. Luckily, this place is anything but sad, located on the revitalised Ebenezer Place that is becoming a bit of a foodie haunt. My friend and I snagged an outdoor table, but I did spend some time admiring the simple decor inside when ordering – pleasant mint-coloured walls, presumably upcycled wooden furniture and cute art in matching frames. I ordered the poached eggs with sweet potato and caper hash, and the iced tea from the specials board. Both came out promptly – the iced tea was served in a jar with a straw and was lovely and refreshing, made from lemon, cinamon, ginger and honey. The eggs were perfectly poached and oozed all over the three lightly toasted buns (heaven). Whilst not what I expected from a hash, the fried sweet potato triangles were lovely, and the avocado hollandaise was a delicious luxury. Surprisingly, the spring onion and capers really brought the dish to life, and there were plenty to include in each mouthful. I definitely left this place perfectly happy.

Sad:Cafe, 10 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide, SA                    http://www.sadcafe.com.au/

Exchange

I’ve been following Exchange’s instagram account for a while and was sucked in by the incredible photos of dounts that they keep posting. Sadly when we went they didn’t have any donuts, but the brunch menu beckoned. Exchange has a light and airy location off Rundle Street, which is enhanced by its simple decor. Cyclist-friendly, we found a table amongst the lycra-clad patrons and read through the short menu. I started with a local orange juice made in Lobethal (a bit disappointing that they don’t offer fresh juice, but good to support local) and ordered the Gloria plus bacon. I was impressed by the presentation when it arrived, everything beautifully stacked and dusted in dukkah and basil. The avocado was spread generously on both pieces of the toasted Turkish bread, which was crisp to perfection and topped with rashers of honey-glazed bacon. Mmm. I struggled to finish my dish, as did Mum, who had the fig and hazelnut french toast – also beautifully presented with fresh strawberries and orange segments; I suffered some serious order envy. If you’re in the city stop in at Exchange and have some donuts and/or french toast for me!

Exchange Specialty Coffee, Shops 1&2 12-18 Vardon Avenue, Adelaide SA       http://www.exchangecoffee.com.au

Chatterbox

I have a friend who is a dedicated Chatterbox convert – it’s her favourite brunch place and she always recommends it to people. When I had to pick somewhere to take my Dad for brunch then, this was one of the first places that came to mind. Walking in, the staff were welcoming and showed us to a table quickly, while we took in the indoor plant wall and yellow decor. I ordered us fresh juices to start – you can put as many different fruits as you like in your juice, so I went for orange, apple, banana and strawberry. When it came out, it was in a large takeaway cup, so no problems if you can’t finish it over your meal. Dad had a long black and commented on how good the coffee was. For brunch, I picked the truffled eggs – poached eggs served on a potato rosti with peccorino, rocket and truffle oil. The eggs were perfectly poached and the rosti was crisp and filling. The truffle oil added an earthy flavour to the meal, which I couldn’t quite finish. I can see why my friend recommends it, and now I do too.

Chatterbox Espresso Bar, 40 Cameron Ave, Belconnen ACT                     http://www.chatterbox-catering.com.au/

Lonsdale Street Roasters

I have been a Canberran for a few years now, and until recently I had to admit that I’d never been to Lonsdale Street Roasters. Shock, horror. To rectify this, I met my Braddon-residing friends in the upstairs seating area of the original LSR (#7 Lonsdale St, not to be confused with #23 down the road) for breakfast. The space is surprisingly big and decorated with homely quirks – a TV set, a tricycle and big stripes of fluro pink paint. The breakfast menu is simple but has a good mix – I chose the eggs benedict, and both of my friends picked the ricotta hotcakes. I’ve said before that eggs benny is my test dish for a new place, and LSR’s interpretation passed with flying colours. Served on a savoury dill scone and topped with Pialligo bacon, the real highlight of this meal was the dollop? pile? of bacon jam on the side. I promise you, it’s not weird, it’s freaking delicious! The eggs were perfectly poached and whilst the scone base was a bit heavy, the dill cut through the creamy hollandaise.  From all accounts the hotcakes were a good bite too. As a real Canberran now, I expect to be back soon!

Lonsdale Street Roasters, 7 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT                 http://lonsdalestreetroasters.com/

Candy Cafe

I like cafes that have some kind of theme going or some definitive character to them. Candy Cafe is one such place. The first thing that strikes you is the decor – chandeliers, plastic hedges and a huge mural of fairytale stories on the long wall. Kitsch, but in a way that works. Looking at the breakfast/brunch menu, I was drawn to ‘the Usual’, which includes poached eggs. fried mushrooms, roasted tomatos, bacon and… black pudding! Order decided. I also had a ‘Citrus Sunshine’ juice of orange, pineapple and lime, which delivered on its name, both in terms of citrus deliciousness and sunshine in helping me to wake up!  Brunch came out in good time, and when I cut into the eggs they were perfectly poached, the yolk running onto the muffin and softening it up. The greens were a bonus not mentioned on the menu, but a nice addition to cut through the richness of the bacon and black pudding. The tomatos kept their shape when cut and the mushrooms were full of earthy flavour. Every mouthful was delicious, and in such beautiful surrounds, who could resist?

Candy Cafe, 70 Grafton Street, Cairns QLD, no website

Manchester Press

This is exactly the kind of place I wanted to eat at on my visit to Melbourne – a little place hiding on a narrow laneway, but full of life, funky decor and good food. I actually stumbled across it by accident on my laneway wanderings, and quickly decided to come back for breakfast the next day. The cafe is large and airy, with huge communal tables and lovely indoor plants dotted around the place. Whilst Manchester Press is mostly about the coffee, their food menu is all about the bagels. After much consideration, I opted for the fruit and nut bagel, which was served with mixed berry marscapone, fresh strawberries and crushed pistachios. After ordering, I was given a letterpress wood cut out ‘U’ as my table number, which was a nice touch to the Press theme. When the bagel came out I was amazed by the generous amount of marscapone and pistachio – the bagel was dense and nicely toasted, and the texture of the pistachios contrasted the smooth marscapone and the juicy strawberries perfectly. It was a great way to start the day, and the kind of place that sums up all the good things about Melbourne.

Manchester Press, 8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne VIC, no website