Light Years Cafe

There are some Sundays I wake up and sigh a bit, thinking about the upcoming working week and already lamenting that the weekend is ending.

But all you can do, is pop onto Instagram, see that Nat’s discovered a new cafe in Camberwell with an amazing looking menu and get excited that you’re gonna head over right there and then...or at least once you've put some pants on. 

Light Years Cafe is located on Camberwell Road, just a couple of minutes away from the busy Camberwell junction, underneath a new apartment development. The team (from what I can figure out) were behind Journeyman cafe, along with Simon Ward (ex-Hammer and Tong) who’s looking after the flavours in the kitchen. 

The cafe is simple, but elegant, with beautiful marble looking counters and simply polished concrete floors. I love the great big, sci-fi style halo lights as well, which make you feel like you’re in a spaceship. The cafe is plenty spacious - I noticed on the day I was there they had a table set up as a reservation, but not sure if that will be an ongoing thing. 

Coffee looks good (and when it’s from the people from Journeyman - you’d hope so!) and the chai is sublime. Sweet, spicy - but just too small (but that’s me drinking too quickly I suppose…)

I also got the matcha, which is supplied by Zen Wonders, whilst not quite as rich as some of my favourite matcha lattes in town, I was still impressed with the execution, good dark colour, creamy texture and the bitterness of the matcha definitely showing. 

The menu…is the biggest tease ever. I love a menu that balances comforting flavours, but new and interesting at the same time. Expect the usuals like porridge, and slow cooked beans, which Brad got with tomato sugo, Yarra Valley Persian feta and sourdough toast, which he added an egg on top of. It’s a seriously meaty serve (but funnily enough there isn’t any meat…) and perfectly warming on a wintery morning. I’m actually impressed with how deep the bowl is, you better be hungry before you tuck into this one! 

But along with the usual, are the less usual, and with a bit of an Asian slant - the vegetarian ramen reemerges (you may remember a similar dish at Hammer and Tong), and miso scrambled eggs include shiitake mushrooms and nori. There’s also a matcha waffle which looks awesome, but I just still can’t bring myself to order totally sweet flavours for breakfast…yet.

Instead, I go for the seasonal dish - the winter bowl of jerusalem artichokes with baby dutch potatoes, sweet potato, cauliflower puree, onion soubise, mushroom and chestnut soil, kale, sorrel and comte cheese - with a side of black chorizo pudding. 

Oh, I am definitely a winter girl. All of these vegetables and tubers make my tastebuds so happy with their rich earthy and generous flavours. The comte brings that comforting richness, the kale chips a bit of crisp - it’s a beautifully constructed dish that I devour far too quickly. 

We also get a side, on the recommendation of Nat, the quinoa and broccoli balls with unagi mayo. Oh my goodness, the kewpie, the benito makes it all taste like takoyaki to me and it makes me so happy, but a little confused because I expect to be eating seafood but I know in my head they’re vegetables. The exterior of the balls is so crispy and crunchy, and I just can’t get enough of these. 

I definitely want to come back for sweet potato waffle chips and Kentucky fried haloumi (!!!)…and just about everything else on the menu. Although I fear I might have to come back quick because i have no doubt this will quickly become Camberwell’s new hot spot very soon…

Light Years Cafe

132 Camberwell Road

Hawthorn East 3123