I was planning to go to this cafe and made a booking online (slowly accumulating those Dimmi points), and coincidentally a day later, this place was awarded 1 hat in the Good Food Guide. I think what really differs this cafe from others is the whole sustainability idea of food, and organic food whilst minimising waste. The whole farm to table thing would be amazing in an ideal world, but realistically, food does travel quite a bit before you even buy it in shops. I loved how they also try to plant stuff in their little garden out the back, even in an eastern suburbs area where land/property is expensive, and not many people even have yards (unless you live in those multi million dollar houses with beach front views). Sort of ironic how they don't serve any duck here though.
food spread
Dark chocolate, coconut & berry shake (diary free)-$8
Sticky chai pot-$4.50
The shake tasted really healthy, especially because it was diary free so not creamy or heavy. So it was a bit watery when you drink it but the texture of it wasn't too thin. I liked how it wasn't sweet soyou could taste the subtle blend of the dark choc and berries. Probably the most opposite drink to a milkshake.
Roast lamb rump: charred herb salsa, kasundi pumpkin, Dutch carrot & coriander-$32
This dish is small considering the price, but then it's really quality over quantity when you're eating 'healthy' food. Lamb was cooked medium rare, and you could really taste the lamb flavour. Even the pumpkin was small, but all the veggies went well with the rest. The flavour mainly came from the salsa, but in comparison to other dishes I've had, this one has flavours coming more from the ingredients rather than adding salt/butter.
#yolkporn
Even the yolk looks more organic. I don't know if it's a psychological thing but it also tasted more organic as well. The corn fritter were cooked very well without an oily residue, and tasted really healthy despite being fried. I could actually appreciate the little bit of a spicy kick from the jalapeño, and the labneh was a nice, healthier alternative as a sauce for the fritters. The avo helped bring some creaminess to the dish, and the salad and acidity from the cabbage helped keep this dish light.
garden-they even have a few fat chickens
reminds me of those 'hipster' melbourne alleyways with a brick wall and graffiti
Came back here for dinner after our research presentations. Only one taking photos, but #noshame.
Bronte Beach
Tumeric and ginger kombucha-$8
I feel like Kombucha is one of those 'clean eats' type of drinks, and super healthy but only if you're more well off can you actually afford this sort of stuff. Decided to get this instead of any alcohol. It had a nice kick of both numeric and ginger without being overly too strong. It's definitely not sweet at all. I don't mind tumeric/ginger flavour drinks, but I think this is definitely an acquired taste.
Sweet potato hummus, charred onions, black sesame & sourdough-$14
This hummus was so delicious, with a bit of sweetness from the sweet potato, and topped with onions and black sesame. Wish there was more bread to eat the hummus with, although I did end up finishing the plate without any bread.
Burrata, heirloom tomato, grilled veg & preserved lemon-$19
Burrata is a funny cheese with a bit of a skin, so had to break it first to scoop and eat the cheese. Loved the variety of veggies in this entree and it went well with the fresh cheese.
Roast barramundi, pumpkin, kale & chickpea salad, harissa-$31
I hardly order fish when I eat out, because there's always a nicer meat option available. Since I tried the lamb for lunch before, had steak for dinner the night before, and the chicken had a Thai sauce with some chilli, decided to go for the fish. The skin had a decent crisp but could be crispier. The seasoning was all on the skin, so best to eat the skin with some fish. The barra was relatively fresh, and paired well with the sauce, and I could actually appreciate the slight chilli kick to it. My pumpkin was the smallest piece compared to the other dishes though, I guess when they use locally sourced produce, stuff won't be the same size...At least it was plated on a white plate so made taking photos a bit easier compared to on a dark plate.
Lemon tart w/ coconut ice cream-$12
The coconut ice cream was really fragrant and went well with the lemon tart. The acidity balance well with the sweetness, and it wasn't overly sweet. The pastry was quite light and not very buttery, definitely healthier than your average pastry. Still haven't figured out how to make tart pastries/short crust bases without using tons of butter or even tasting the butter at all like this one. Something to figure out in my holidays, but I feel like my holidays are already ending with uni starting soon ish...guess baking adventures will have to wait, and in the meantime I'll keep going on more food adventures (even though they probably take the same amount of time...)
My sister says the key to a hipster style cafe is wooden decor and pot plants.
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