Melbourne: Brunches of 2014 (Breakfast Thieves)

Breakfast Thieves, Fitzroy

With my homies arriving from Perth, it was definitely time to reach out to more interesting places around Melbourne.  After a mediocre experience at Hammer & Tong, I was in not in anyway keen to return in the limited time I had.  But fret not, hipster suburb Fitzroy had plenty more on offer.  For today’s brunch, Breakfast Thieves situated just off Smith Street on the leafy Gore Street was our host.

Brunch at the Breakfast Thieves on cool Friday morning could not get any better.   Considering that it was a quiet day, the service was gratuitous and prompt.  The hot chocolate here was quality but not as stellar as the one I had at Architect & Heroes.  In saying that though, I could do with the $3.50 price tag any day!  For breakfast we had:

THE LEGEND: Spicy baked eggs with spanish chorizo, mushrooms, green peas, corn & feta served with herbed garlic toast

The cliché, with a little more swag is the right way to describe the Breakfast Thieves version of baked eggs.  The herbed garlic toast that came with it was a good enough reason to order this dish.  It has been a long time since someone served me an interesting carbohydrate on the side!  The smokey chorizo flavours through the goey yolk and tomato base paired well with the creamy, almost neutral feta.  Yummy!

LEPRECHAUN: Corn fritters on roasted fennel puree, burnt butter brussel sprouts, avocado mousse, pomegranate and raisin with poached eggs.

The highlight of the brunch at the Breakfast Thieves was probably the fritters.  Mildly crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, really there was nothing to hate.  Its fennel puree was seasoned well and every thing just seemed to complement each other really well.  Oh, do I even need to mention its picturesque plating too? Probably too obvious.    I do not normally harshly compare restaurants, but this really shames the fritters at Hammer & Tong big time.  Sorry bud.

THE BREAKFAST CHAIN: Quince & apple, almond crumble with triffle berry yoghurt, side of soft-boiled eggs & English cheddar melted soldiers.

A green chain with what I would consider a decadent vegan option is something AC ordered.  Needless to say, I was impressed and never would I imagine that something like that could be vegetarian!  Tasty soldiers for dipping were so good I ate it on its own!  However, the eggs here were a bit of a 50-50 as one was perfect whilst the other was overcooked.  But with two other sweet options  on the side, it was hard to stay disappointed for long!

The name Breakfast Thieves is definitely not representative of its prices but rather, how I would be willing to let this establishment play thief to my mornings if I become a Melbournian.  Its barely secluded location on a leafy street means that there was a lot of value in just the ambience itself.  Its food is far from the modern breakfast gastronome but what it does, it does well.  Really well in fact.  I would not like to talk this up because after all, hype kills.  Breakfast spot in Fitzroy?  Done.

Operator 25, CBD

Hardware Société, CBD

Hammer & Tong, Fitzroy

Seven Seeds, Carlton

LE MIEL et la lune, Carlton

WenY

Melbourne: Brunches of 2014 (LE MIEL et la lune)

LE MIEL et la lune, Carlton

A short track through the Carlton hills for a morning walk with my little girl Daisy means I was ready for a good breakfast.  Today’s brunch was at LE MIEL et la lune, a French sounding cafe situated just a few steps away from the busy Lygon Street.

At 9am, the venue was not overly crowded allowing a prompt yet welcoming service from the  LE MIEL et la lune breakfast crew.  Add that to a menu that is long and elaborate, it looked to be a promising morning.  But coming here solo means my choices are limited to one.  I learned the hard way when I ordered a pad thai and a beef salad all for myself just a day earlier at Ying Thai 2!

That morning, I wanted something special so I went for an extravagant French toast.  The one at LE MIEL et la lune came topped with bacon caramelised bananas, crushed pistachio and butter scotch.  Absolutely scrumptious.

Buttery brioche, silky thin butterscotch, and perfectly caramelised bananas sets the standard for the most orgasmic first bite.  The addition of the bacon can be likened to adding salt in a chocolate cake. It enhances the flavour.  Here it played the same role.  Textural wise though, I was not overly impressed.  Too damn soft =/.  Soft bananas, silky butterscotch, and airy toast was perfect but all that was missing was a few slices of extremely crispy streaky bacon.  I would have preferred that over the pieces of lean and limp ones! A personal preference I guess?  

So pretty!  This easily rivals or betters the one served at Gusto Food in South Perth. 

LE MIEL et la lune served me an indulgent meal today.  So many indulgences all on one plate, of which almost every element was done to perfection.  I was happy.  Very.  Any unhappiness would almost relate directly back to the fact that I was alone and could not sample the other awesome dishes like the pork hash, fritters and even the Korea inspire Gnocchi.  It was time to stop dreaming now.  

Operator 25, CBD

Hardware Société, CBD

Hammer & Tong, Fitzroy

Seven Seeds, Carlton

Breakfast Thieves, Fitzroy

WenY

Melbourne: Brunches of 2014 (Seven Seeds, Carlton)

Seven Seeds, Carlton

With a name more synonymous to that of an artisan coffee roaster, this was the last place I expected to find a brunch spot.  Last winter, I stumbled across this little institution about 200 steps from my friend’s abode in Carlton and had been keen to try it ever since.  Was their highly rated coffee as good as their brunch?  I headed there with XL’s housemate, KK to give the place a try.  He told me to expect a very healthy brunch which got me sort of concerned.  But without trying I would not know right?!

Housed in a refurbished warehouse, it was a busy place at 8am.  More interestingly,  diners are invited to see the Seven Seeds production line made in a room encased with glass.  More than half the space was dedicated to that whilst the kitchen felt no smaller than 10 squares max!  But hey, sometimes the smallest kitchens make the best food no?  Drinks here are fine, but the hot chocolate was not life changing one.  So duh right?  Its was a coffee place after all!

For my brunch, I decided to go for the WelshRarebit.  Imagine a toasted bread topped with a tasty cheese, and mildly pungent mustard mixture before being grilled momentarily to melt.  If you are a fan of both cheese and mustard alike, you would find that this was an absolute beauty.

Before I dug into the dish, I realised that Seven Seeds paid strong attention to detail.  On my dish, "fried poached eggs" sat on the rarebits with a refreshing mixed green leaf salad fixed atop. Altogether it looked sensational.  More importantly, this was not sickening in anyway as everything complemented each other well.  I am actually quite surprised that several greasy elements can come together without being cloying!  

While mine was not one of the healthier options, the Green Eggs was KK’s choice.

Whilst I had just a very little piece, it was yummy!   Nothing really outlandishly special but hard to dislike.  Perfectly poached eggs, well-presented and simple.   My only regret was perhaps not paying more attention to the sauce.  Was it a pesto?  Was it a chimichurri?  Or perhaps an avocado mix? 

Handmade crumpets with coffee-infused butter, toasted hazelnut crumb and coffee caramel was something I decided to share with KK to end our meals.

As a person who does not drink coffee, I actually enjoyed this sweet ending of mine for several reasons.  First off were the soft and fluffy crumpets which made eating a bliss. No knife or fork required here.  Additionally, the use of coffee gave this dish a lovely smell which made my senses tingle.  Lastly, its composition of which was sweet, salty, and fragrant altogether with the crunchiness of the crushed nuts was simply yummy!

Whilst I am unwilling to commit to saying that Seven Seeds is the best brunch in town, it would not be too far off.  Its casual yet relaxing environment makes this a likeable place to dine while still being conveniently located within walking distance from the city.  Add that to Seven Seed’s fair prices and well-prepared dishes like the green eggs, the Welsh Rarebit and coffee-infused crumpet, it was hard to say no!

Operator 25, CBD

Hardware Société, CBD

Hammer & Tong, Fitzroy

LE MIEL et la lune, Carlton

Breakfast Thieves, Fitzroy

WenY