A. Baker

I haven’t been to A. Baker for quite a while, so when I had to pick a venue to meet a friend about to move overseas, I took a risk and went for it. Luckily, the standards at A. Baker have remained high, leaving my foodie reputation in tact. We both ordered the slow cooked eggs, served with local mushrooms, smoked ricotta, soldiers and lemon ($17), and I added avocado ($5). Firstly, the bread here is fantastic, and the three soldiers were an utter delight to eat – they were also quite filling. This dish is all about the mushrooms, which were plump, fresh and full of flavour. I kept getting these hits of saltiness from what I presume was the pan juices from the mushroom, which went perfectly with the creamy ricotta, although I found the smoked flavour a bit subtle. I had expected the eggs to remain runny when slw cooked, but the yolks were soft but not runny. The crumb on top added great texture, and I really enjoyed the added avocado. I also ordered a fresh orange and apple juice, which was exactly what I wanted at the start of the day. A perfect setting to wish my friend bonne chance.

A. Baker, Unit 2, 15 Edinburgh Avenue, Acton ACT, http://abaker.com.au/

Hash Specialty Coffee

I must admit, we did come to eat here after seeing how silly the line was at Hardware Societe, but this was one of the best ‘happy accident’ discoveries we had in Melbourne! Hash has friendly, welcoming staff who went out of their way to make us comfortable. Craving something lighter, I ordered the Sauteed Mushrooms ($17.5), served on toasted multigrain with pumpkin puree, chevre and smoked aioli. You guys, this would definitely be my breakfast pick of the year! The mushrooms were so cute and plump, keeping all their juiciness with the added thyme from the saute pan. The bread was delicious and absolutely slathered in pumpkin puree, which is now my new ultimate comfort food. But the real winner for me was that smoked aioli. Seriously, get onto it, it’s good stuff. A mouthful with all of the elements, including the lovely strong chevre, was breakfast heaven. They also avoided my pet peeve (inadequate toast-cutting knife) and had appropriate cutlery so I didn’t leave having undertaken an arm workout to eat my food. Unusually, their menu also lists the local provenance of their ingredients – this could definitely be a new trend to keep an eye on.

Hash Specialty Coffee and Roasters, 113 Hardware Street, Melbourne VIC, no website