I was one of those private school kids, now, now, no judging around here, who went to Methodist Ladies' College, just on the corner of Barkers and Glenferrie. So a fair bit of my life was spent on Glenferrie Road.
Back in the day, the cool thing to do, on my recess and lunch breaks, was stroll down to Boost juice, grab a smoothie and head back. So insanely awesome right? Cafes and lunch dates weren't such a bit thing when I was in high school (although I wasn't a popular kid)…but now? Not unsurprising to see MLC uniforms giggling together over a mocha or two. How fast we grow these days.
Though it's not too surprising why, Glenferrie Road is a perfect spot for a cute or cool little cafe or two…which it is seeing more of these days. Private school kids (which means private school mothers), heaps of residential property barely a stone throw away and students from Swinburne who are surely always needing a coffee fix…and maybe learning that Starbucks isn't actually their only option. There's a healthy market out there.
Crabapple Kitchen is one of the newer additions to the scene, and fits it like a glove.
Looking like a little white picket fence and bundle of joy from the outside, Crabapple Kitchen makes you feel at home in a heartbeat. It is incredibly cosy. I think it makes me think of a home most as it feels like there's a lot of stuff in there…I'm a bit of a hoarder, so I prefer homes that are just filled up with stuff (but not messy) and Crabapple Kitchen has packed a lot of cute in one space!
New cafes are always impossible to get to on the weekends, surely Brad and I would know this…but nope. We rock up to Crabapple Kitchen on a Saturday and the place is pumping. All the tables were taken, so we plopped ourselves on the marble counter, overlooking the kitchen.
I loved this spot, boasting a wonderful view of the adorable and rather French looking stove (it's yellow!) and of course, all the kitchen action. I'm always impressed by open kitchens…how do they keep them so clean?!
The cartoon drawings of charcuterie and meat on the tiled wall also brought a smile to my face. Next to the slicer…naturally.
I wasn't particularly well when I visited, and so was quite comforted by the smooth, and tasty soy chai I consumed.
The breakfast menu is extensive, and rather tempting all around. I loved the little section of the breakfast menu that featured breakfast dishes that the chefs experienced on their own travels. How fabulous!
I won't lie, I was pretty tempted to have 'Steak & Eggs' in the morning…with shoestring fries. Go hard or go home buddy.
But instead I went with a slightly more humble offering, the vegetarian 'Big Brekky', 2 free range eggs on sourdough with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and buttered spinach. Yum.
I will admit, big breakkies can be a bit boring, which is why I don't usually have them, but I just loved how well cooked and how bright Crabapple's offering was. That green, that red! It looked so fresh. The mushrooms were quite sinful. Sinfully delicious that is! And what a nice little mountain of them you get as well!
Brad ordered one of the travel breakfast experience dishes, originally had in Jalandhar City in India (one place I still have not yet been too…), two baked eggs in an aromatic Northern Indian style curry with lentils and caraway seeds, heirloom carrot, spiced yoghurt and wholemeal flat bread.
Wow. That flavour. Just amazing, much saucier than some baked eggs I've seen in town, but this just makes it perfect with the flat bread. It was kind of like eating curry eggs…which is as good as it sounds. Especially for brunch.
Do I love? Yes quite, there's not much to dislike here. With a lunch menu that also has some beautifully thought out and incredibly tempting offers such as four cheese ravioli, I only wish I was still in high school. Maybe I would have wagged maths a little bit more often to have crabapple sliders…or even just to nibble on the Italian chocolate coated figs that tempt me every time I get a takeaway chai...
659 Glenferrie Road
Hawthorn
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