Breakfast

He Says She Says, Camberwell

~ culinaldi ~ Leave a comment

As I was about to move into the area, my friend Claire told me that there was a Leo’s Fine Food supermarket nearby, which was music to my ears. So on a barmy Friday evening and in need of groceries, I set off walking along Toorak Road towards Leo’s thinking that it was only a couple of blocks away from home. I get sucked in by Apple maps and its deceptive graphics every time. Still walking nearly 40 minutes later, I see a modern, busy restaurant which I recognise as “He Says, She Says” and think that it looks like a great place to have breakfast while I’m living in the neighbourhood and add it to my cafe list.

So on a rainy, grey Saturday morning, I walked into the cafe/bar/restaurant and was surprised to see that it was almost cavernous with several different dining areas to choose from – a communal dining table in one corner covered with the day’s newspapers and also banquette seating and booths by the windows. Light filled and modern with an open kitchen, artworks on the walls and ceilings, and sleek interior styling, my eyes were greedily absorbing all the colours, textures and elegant interior design.

He Says She Says, Camberwell
He Says She Says, Camberwell

I was warmly greeted and given water on arrival and the breakfast menu, however with only four people in the restaurant, it took another fifteen minutes for another member of staff to approach my table and take my coffee and breakfast order, which was almost excruciating when I had resolutely decided that I was having French Toast for breakfast and was desperate need of a coffee.

Ann's "fav" French Toast, caramelised banana, whipped ricotta, maple syrup and lemon - He Says She Says, Camberwell
Ann’s “fav” French Toast, caramelised banana, whipped ricotta, maple syrup and lemon – He Says She Says, Camberwell

When breakfast did arrive, it looked delicious although the presentation of the caramelised banana was open to interpretation, which several of my friends and family took the opportunity to provide their comments on Facebook. Looks aside, the first thing I gravitated towards was the whipped ricotta. Silky smooth, slightly sweetened, soft and creamy, this was definitely the highlight of the dish. It reminded me of the homemade quark my Baba used to make and use to create her beautiful baked cheesecakes and pastries that I used to devour when I was a little girl.

I have no idea who Ann is, but her French toast was beautifully cooked and the banana with the caramelised sauce and the whipped ricotta were a fabulous combination. Halfway through my breakfast, I was ready to order another cup of coffee. I finished my breakfast, and continued to read the Saturday morning paper and waited for one of the four staff on duty to visit my table and perhaps clear my plate. Eventually I got up and made my way to the register and paid the bill, deciding that I could get a skinny latte elsewhere.

Platform Espresso, Glen Iris

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When I moved into my new temporary residence, a friend of mine at work recommended that I should try Platform Espresso near Glen Iris train station, so I made note of it as a place to visit. That week, the local edition of The Weekly Review showcased Platform Espresso in their Barista column. It seemed logical that I should go and check it out for myself.

When I walked towards the cafe on Saturday morning, I had a brief sense of deja vu and remembered that I had been to a property inspection in exactly the same area, five years previously!

Walking up the hill, I found the cafe and was delighted to find that there were several tables available to be seated at and no queues. The interior of the cafe was slightly stark with plywood floors, table tops, counter and shelving almost resembling an Ikea catalogue, with minimal soft furnishings and clean lines.

Looking at the menu, I laughed to myself when I saw another poached egg dish with dukkah and came to the conclusion that the combination of dukkah and eggs must be the breakfast speciality of suburban Melbourne after ordering it for the past two weeks at Bella Sistas and Red Robyn. Although I was tempted to order more dukkah eggs, I love bagels so I decided to be adventurous and try the salmon bagel with truffle cream cheese and winter salad.

Salmon bagel with truffle cream cheese, capers & winter salad - Platform Espresso, Glen Iris
Salmon bagel with truffle cream cheese, capers & winter salad – Platform Espresso, Glen Iris

I love food served on wooden boards and this dish had a definitive wow factor with its stunning presentation and decoration. The winter salad was particularly intriguing but nothing I had imagined it to be. In my mind’s eye, I was picturing beetroot and roasted root vegetables but pleasantly surprised by the imaginative array of sweet corn kernels, pomegranate seeds, thinly sliced radish, fennel, chervil and iceberg lettuce. The highlight of the dish was the whipped, fluffy and light cream cheese on both the plate and bagel. Although I couldn’t quite detect the truffle in the cream cheese, it was delicious with the cured salmon and sprigs of dill.

Platform Espresso is a hidden gem and I’m glad that I got to experience its quirky decor and fabulous food.

 

Red Robyn, Camberwell

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Next on the shortlist of cafes to visit in my temporary new location in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne is Red Robyn. I read an article on Red Robyn last year in The Age and had taken note of it as a place to visit. I excitedly set off from home and after a quick ten minute walk through the beautiful tree lined streets, I found it amongst a nondescript strip of older shops in Camberwell Road, away from the traffic thoroughfare of the Junction.

Walking into a large, light filled room with white walls, high ceilings, industrial design lighting and sunshine from the shop front windows, it was difficult to know where to sit as both of the main dining areas were warm and inviting.

Red Robyn predominately caters for food intolerances and allergies, therefore the menu had variety and lots of interesting combinations of food to choose from. After a couple of read throughs, it was a toss up between the Sweet Potato Rosti and the Dukkah Eggs. The Dukkah Eggs won.

Dukkah Eggs - chickpea pattie, prosciutto, poached eggs, house-dried tomatoes, labna and pepita seed dukkah - Red Robyn, Camberwell
Dukkah Eggs – chickpea pattie, prosciutto, poached eggs, house-dried tomatoes, labna and pepita seed dukkah – Red Robyn, Camberwell

The presentation of the Dukkah Eggs dish was visually spectacular. So much so, that when my breakfast arrived, a couple who had just arrived and were seated near me, were staring at my plate and both ordered the same dish.

Looks aside, there were a lot of elements on this dish with varying degrees of distinctive flavours and according to my palate, not all of them blended well together. The large chickpea pattie dominated the plate, so that was where I started. Cooked well on the outside, the chickpea mixture was tough and dry on the outer layer, with a soft and mushy centre. The pattie didn’t seem to have any particular flavour or seasoning and at one point, it reminded me of eating sawdust. The labna would have made a nice accompaniment, but it was primarily served with the cooked tomatoes on another part of the plate. The labna was tart with a sharp natural yoghurt taste but was edible when eaten with either the pattie or the tomato. I presumed the prosciutto would be cooked, but sadly no. Trust me but cold, cured salted meat with labna and cooked chickpeas isn’t a new taste sensation. The dukkah, poached eggs and tomatoes were beautifully cooked and stopped me from abandoning breakfast altogether.

Coffee though was excellent, as is the service and ambience. Though I didn’t particularly appreciate what I ordered, I am thinking of going back to try the Sweet Potato Rosti with salmon and haloumi, and I did I mention that there are three different varieties of French Toast on the menu?