Treasury Deli & Cafe

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

I'll keep this text lite and let the amazing salads at Treasury Deli & Cafe do all the talking.  Treasury Cafe is situated within the Department of Treasury and Finance.  It is open to the public and has a spacious al fresco area over looking city greenery.  Their salads are officially, da bombe.  Continue reading...

Miss Frank - Revisit

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

Miss Frank is a short stroll from home and it's a handy place to have around the corner for catch up with friends as it does decent coffee and filling brunches/lunches.  Please see here for previous Miss Frank's post.

For brunch today I ordered the Schnitz Panini and it did not disappoint.  The lemony crumbed chicken breast came with a refreshing fennel slaw.  It was pleasingly jaw dislocatingly huge ($17.50)

And the thick cut chips that came with were seasoned with sea salt and yummy aioli.

My friend M and her little D, shared the Big Breakfast ($19).  It too came in a generous serve with the eggs separate (due to D's egg allergy).  It was a heaping helping of spinach, thick cut bacon, Italian sausage, toast and two sunny side ups.

The above was washed down with coffees and a freshly squeezed OJ for little D.

Whilst the muffins and sweets looked ever so tempting, I had absolutely no tummy real estate left after that ginormous panini.  So for next time...

Let Me Be Frank

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

I was very lucky to be invited out to brunch at a very family and community orientated cafe, Let Me Be Frank.  It had a very relaxed atmosphere with an al fresco area out the front for the kiddies with their trikes.  Inside there was a library where you can borrow a few books to read while enjoying your coffee.  Books and small produce can also be purchased.  What really sealed the deal with the community mindedness was a barrel of chokos at the front door - free to a good home.  The chokos were excess from the cafe's back garden.  

We kicked off with a few beverages:  spiced chai, coffees and a little hot chocolate for kiddo.

The breakfast burger (adult version) came with organic eggs and thick cut bacon and house relish.  A very substantial serve for $8.50

Kiddo had the kiddie's sized version of the breakfast burger.  It was the first time she deigned to eat a fried egg.  Kudos to the chef.

My Mum and Dad ordered the Hungry Frank to share.  This behemoth came with chorizo, hash browns, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, spinach baked beans and bacon.  Yum!  This was $22.50

This was the Avocado and Feta Mash with a corn and quinoa salsa.  We upsized and got it with two poached eggs for $16.  I didn't order this one but the eater was happy.

Lastly, my order.  It was the Healthy Frank:  spinach, fresh tomatoes, herbed cottage cheese and poached eggs.  It was too virtuous for me and I could not resist adding on the rashers of bacon.  These were the thick cut bacon - love!  I also requested for sourdough bread.  It was a healthy (probably not so much the bacon) brunch and very decent serve.

I washed it down with a cup of Earl Grey.

Exterior of Let Me Be Frank

Let Me Be Frank is a wonderful establishment with a good ethos.  Looking forward to going back.



Until next time...

Sasa's Cafe and Fine Food

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

Sasa's was disappointing at best.  We rocked up for lunch on a public holiday, being one of the few places opened and given the steady stream of people coming and going, it looked like it would be a safe bet.  *sigh*

It started off promisingly. The wee macchiato was so cute:

The decaf latte was fine.  No objections there.

The spiced chai was stock standard.

The menu itself was exhaustive.  I estimated there was at least 40 odd menu items taking you through from the breakfast offerings to main affairs along the lines of slow roast meats, and with a side trip of pasta and baked goods along the way.  Maybe Sasa's was trying to be too many things to too many different people that it ended up serving nothing really well.

Case in point, the seafood skewers I ordered.  They were $20 and on paper, it sounded really good.  It also looked pretty appealing when it came to the table.  But too bad on closer inspection, the mussels were still bearded and very very chewy.  I ate it because I didn't want it to go to waste but I did not really enjoy the taste of it.  It didn't really have any taste and it was slightly disconcerting to have my seafood skewer padded out with bits of pineapple and zucchini.  It was not something which I would pay $20 for again.

My sister ordered the salt and pepper calamari with aioli in the entree size.  Once again, it sounded good in theory but the execution left a lot to be desired.  The calamari was so oily that the batter was no longer crispy because it was so grease-sodden.  It was also missing the salt and pepper component.  She left most of it.

My cousin ordered the vegetarian breakfast with gluten free bread.  It was probably the pick of the bunch but that is not saying much.  The feedback was that the beans were homemade and tasted reasonable.  The hash brown which is that sorry piece of fried thing between the tomato and the beans was purply-black in the interior.  When my cousin queried the waitress as to the origin of a purply-black blob within her hash brown, the waitress disappeared into the kitchen to ask the chef.  She came back to advise the purply-black thing was 'some ingredient they put in with the potato'.  So we were none the wiser and I'm guessing the kitchen staff had no idea what ended up in the hash brown mixture either.  

In summary, I would not be going back.  Considering that everyone had elements of their meal that was inedible, it doesn't really have any redeeming qualities other than it is open on public holidays.  

Until next time...

Zouz Cafe

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

I cannot think of a better way to herald in a lazy Sunday morning than to stroll down to one of the many café strips in Melbourne for brunch. This time, we chose Zouz Café located on Toorak Rd in the Burwood Village strip for a morning catch up. 

As I was famished,  I ordered the Big Breakfast and my friend ordered the Zouz Eggs both with cappuccinos. The meals were huge, especially the Big Breakfast.  I was very happy with my selection and it would tide me over until dinner time very nicely.  The sunny side up eggs were cooked to perfection and I love me a crunchy hash brown to dunk into my yolk.  My friend reported his Zouz Eggs were done very well.  It was a take on the traditional Benedict.  

The bill was approximately $20 for a brekkie/brunch and coffee per person.  This place will definitely go down as a re-visit, particularly since it is a stone's throw from home.    

Until next time...

Shine

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

Kingsway, Glen Waverley is no longer the sleepy backstreet of the 'burbs.  I was surprised to see a jazz band setting up outside Shine Bar and Lounge on a lazy Sunday.  Curious, we decided to have lunch there and check out the scene.

Musos setting up

Shine does a the usual breakfast egg and bacon affair;  grilled meats and pizzas and pasta.  I would class it as bistro/pub food.  They also have a kids menu for $11.  Whilst waiting we ordered the following:

The skewered lamb with fattoush salad.  This one was my order.  The lamb was cooked to order.  It was juicy yet lean and coated with delicious zatar seasoning.  The Persian fetta in the fattoush was very creamy.  The dish also came with a choice of sauce (bernaise, red wine or mushroom).  I chose the mushroom sauce to have on the side.  Lucky I requested the sauce on the side as I found the dish perfect as is and it would have been too heavy smothered in an additional sauce.

Kiddo had her calamari and chips from the kid's menu.  The calamari's crummage was really crispy.  I think it was yum.  I can only surmise as she would not spare me a bit.  It came with tartare sauce and green salad.

The chicken parmagiana was not my order however I have been advised it was a very nicely done parma.  Juicy and substantial.  

We also ordered a few OJs which we did not take photos of.  The meal totaled to $65.  

The staff were really solicitious and kept checking to make sure we are happy, etc.  Shine has an upstairs lounge area which I have yet to explore but I have been told it gets pretty busy at nights.  

It was an enjoyable meal with some great live music.  Idyllic for a lazy Sunday.  

If you are looking for a feed joint on Kingsway Glen Waverley, you may also like to read our reviews on Waya;  Straits of Malacca;  Ajisen Ramen; The Grand Tofu and Taiwan Cafe.  Or the East Empress within walking distance. Some of the places we had a good dining experiences at and some we didn't.  I find the Kingsway strip is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of eateries.  

Until next time...

WFT?! (What's For Tea): Buttermilk Pancakes

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

As the old adage goes, the simple things in life are often the best.  This buttermilk pancake recipe is so simple,  it is a 1:1 ratio of practically all the ingredients with the exception of sugar which you add to taste. You can even knock this up in a sleep fog.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of self raising flour
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of raw sugar

Method:

• Mix together with wooden spoon.  Get most of the lumps out.  
• Melt a little knob of butter in a non stick pan and cook.  

Easy.  

Breakfast of champions

Santucci's

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

A miracle happened today.  I went for a 5km run.  The last and the only other time I did that was during the Howard administration (circa 1998).  I was a spring chicken back then (sigh).  Anyway I was rather bemused that I subconsciously ran towards the nearest strip of cafes in my area.  Somehow I ended up sitting in the garage-cum-dining-area at the back of Santucci's ordering a meal.  My legs just ran me there by their own volition. 

After that rather uncharacteristic bout of exercise, I could have ordered the maple syrup pancakes to refuel.  I could have ordered the pork belly focaccia.  Lord knows I deserved them both.  But I had all them feel good endorphins coursing through my system and I was feeling holier than thou.  So I ordered the most boring-est item on the menu.  Two poached eggs on toast, spinach on the side, hold the hollandaise.  And no beverages for me, just table water, thank you.  I was positively saintly.

It took a wee while to get the attention of the staff.  They were cheery and friendly enough but you need to make significant eye contact to engage them and then slowly make with the come hither look to entice them to your table to take the order.  But once ordered the food came quickly.  Which was a good thing because I was ravenous. 

The poached eggs were well executed - yolk cooked with a touch of runniness just the way I like it.  could have done with a bit more butter on the toast but I suppose most people have this with hollandaise so it would normally have enough emollient on it. 

My virtuous breakfast

View from the back dining area

The deets:

Location:
Santucci's
1392 Toorak Road, Camberwell
Ph: 98896335

Cost:
Between $10 - $20 for a meal + drinks

Ambience:
Casual dining

Nom again:
Yes but will book if more than 4 people as the place is usually packed. 



Until next time,
Nom Seeker, Glutt

Third Wave

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

I am a very lucky glutton.  Today I was the +1 guest to a complementary lunch at the Third Wave. Third Wave is an interesting sort of cafe as it does a mix of Russian cuisine, Texan BBQ and the standard breakfast/brunch menu.  With such an eclectic mix, you are bound to find something to suit your mood. What is really interesting is that all this diverse food is created by a Japanese chef.  His name is Riyo Kitahara and he is the protege to the Iron Chef Sakai.

We shared a Russian sharing plate which had ricotta pancakes, a meat and mushroom blintz, potato salad and dumplings.  Mmm, it was hearty good stuff.  The ricotta pancakes were delish with blueberry jam and sour cream.  I could easily eat at least three in one sitting.   The blintz were filled with savoury yumminess.  I had a mushroom filled one and my sister had a meat one.  The potato salad had gherkin, chicken and egg in it.  Anything featuring gherkin and hard boiled eggs is a winner with me.  The dumplings were cute little nuggets and I think were made with chicken mince(?) and served with sour cream and dill. They were nice but the stars of the show, I thought were the ricotta pancakes, the potato salad and the blintz.

From top right: blintz, jam, sour cream, potato salad, ricotta pancakes

Dumplings!

Glutt by name and glutton by nature, I convinced my sister to share a raspberry and mascarpone panini for dessert.  It was made with brioche.  I cannot walk pass a brioche without eating it.  It was a perfect ending.

Raspberry and mascarpone panini

The beverages were very well made.  We had green tea and earl grey tea and a latte.

The staff were friendly and there is an easy going relaxed feel which is what you want for a Sunday brunch.  It's refreshing to find a place which does more than the usual standard brunch / cafe options.  I was surprised to also find Paleo options as well.  I have tried the Paleo diet and lasted about a week.  Part of the reason was that it was so hard to find Paleo friendly options when dining out.  So good to see a whole page of Paleo friendly items on the menu.

The deets:

Location:
Third Wave
30 Cato St, Prahran

Cost:
Most main items under $20.

Ambience:
Casual dining

Nom again:
Yes most definately.  I would like to try the Paleo options or the Texan BBQ ribs.  Salivating thinking about it.



Until next time,
Nom Seeker, Glutt

Miss Frank

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

It feels like winter in Melbourne even though we are approaching summer.  It's dreary and miserable and wet.  Perfect weather to cup a warm well made latte in my frozen hands.  Which is why I headed to Miss Franks.  I have been curious to try their coffees as Through Road is often congested with people waltzing there for their coffee fix. 


A frozen hands warming latte

I am not normally a big coffee drinker as I usually find it too bitter or it makes my heart race.  But this was a lovely latte, went down silky smooth while it rained buckets outside. 

Miserable and wet outside Miss Frank's

Miss Frank also had a range of what I refer to as couture sugars to sweeten your drinks. 

Couture sugars

As it was nearing lunch time, I could not resist ordering something to eat.  The brioche with goats curd, slow roasted mushroom and fried egg was delightful - salty from the goats curd, sweet from the brioche and woodsy from the mushroom.  It was a pity it was so small.  I gobbled it down in a mouthful and had me hankering for more. 


A delightfully tasty brioch albeit a bit mingy

I loved the industrial chic vibe of the café.  It's kid friendly and pram friendly.  They even have a hydraulic lift for prams and wheelchairs so that they can access the mezzanine level. 

The deets:

Location:
Miss Frank
200 Through Road, Camberwell
ph: 90785351

Ambience:
Casual dining, takeaway

Cost:
A bit expensive for the quantity of food.  My brioche was $10 and I was still hungry.  But the quality of the food was spot on

Nom again:
I'll go back for the coffee and it is an ideal environment for a coffee catch up with friends avec kids.  But I won't necessarily go specifically to eat there again



Cheerio

Nom Seeker, Glutt