Saint Thomas

I so love being surprised. I’m happy to admit - it’s easy to get swept on to the hype train and chase the new and the shiny - so finding a gem, that doesn’t get anywhere near the amount of love it could be is always a joy.

Brad and I visited Saint Thomas in Richmond back in September, as it was quite conveniently located in-between my house and a launch I was to attend later in the morning in Prahran. I had thought parking might not be too bad in the area as well - but it seems Church Street still isn’t that pleasant on Saturday’s. Fortunately - top tip - pop down one of the many side streets and there should be quite a bit of free parking!

Saint Thomas wasn’t super full when we arrived, but there as a nice buzz and hum of activity. It’s not a big space, but they’ve made sure it’s filled with colour, with bright wall murals, and lots of attractive  food options in the display fridges. 

Service was warm and friendly - which I know everyone says about everywhere, but even more so here especially. Small talk was easy, not awkward, and smiles were genuine. 

Chai and coffee were deep in colour, and full of flavour. 

Brad ordered the Kingston, which is a cheesy fried egg in a black brioche bun with bacon, tomato, baby cos lettuce and BBQ sauce, served with paprika french fries and housemate ketchup. Add jalapeño for your spicy pleasure for just an extra $2. This wasn’t the biggest burger in terms of size, but it walloped with flavour, and was still a good filling serve. I loved the cheesy fried egg with it’s crunchy edges - I almost just picked the edges off Brad’s egg to nibble on. Fries are the perfect shape, size and crunch too. 

I went for the Spring Fritters, tricolour quinoa with spinach, nutmeg, black bean fritters, pickled cucumber tagliatelle, lemon oil, poached egg, toasted capers and tuna aioli. This also was way tastier than I anticipated it being, I loved the texture of the black bean fritters and the sumptuous tuna aioli which added just the right amount of richness to an otherwise very clean dish. Delicious and would have more of and again.

I left Saint Thomas with a smile on my face, and high in spirits. Definitely keen to come back, the pork ribs have my name written all over them for next time!  

Saint Thomas 

533 Church Street

Richmond

 

Oneyada

Is brunch-fatigue a thing? It’s such a Melbourne problem to have, when Brad and I sometimes wake up and just don’t feel like the usual latte and runny poached eggs. I guess when you do it every weekend it can get a little old.

So we are quite lucky to live in a city where when we are hit with an onset of ‘brunch-fatigue’, we actually have options where we can just switch it up, do something a little different, and return to the usual program the following week. 

Oneyada, which opened on Victoria Street in Abbotsford (but most of us would probably just say Richmond), serves up Thai style breakfasts - which suited us just right. Run by the same people behind the well loved Jinda Thai, Oneyada is a cosy and relaxed space to start the day in. 

Brad started with a Thai coffee, with condensed milk, whilst I opted for the hot Thai milk tea which I absolutely loved. I had never had Thai milk tea hot before, but I would love to more often as it was so smooth, warming, aromatic and comforting. 

With Melbourne’s winter that never seems to be leaving, it was a fresh and sightly cool morning when we visited, so the jasmine rice soup with barramundi, ginger, spring onion and soybean nam-Jim was just the right type of comforting food that I needed. There’s just something about Asian style broths which are so wholesome and delightful. The flavours were familiar, but also light, and I loved the ginger and the soft rice that were lovely and soft in the soup. 

Brad went with the congee with pork balls which was gloriously thick and steaming hot. As he was feeling a little under the weather, this is exactly what he needed, especially loaded up with ginger and coriander. He also opted for a soft egg on the side, for a little extra protein kick. 

I also couldn’t resist giving the ‘Kao Jee’, egg coated stick rice cake, a go when I saw it on the menu - out of sheer curiosity and since it was only around $5. It’s a perfect little snacky item between two, but was a bit denser than I thought it might be. 

When I used to visit Asia as a kid, I thought it was weird when people would eat rice and noodles for breakfast, but now? I get it. I really do. Wholesome, hearty, and like a warm hug of flavour to get you started on your day - if you’re needing an Asian breakfast fix, or just want a break from eggs, Oneyada has got you sorted out. 

Oneyada Cafe

239 Victoria Street

Abbotsford

 

Frankie Says

Currently I live at home…with no immediate intentions to move out. Perhaps it comes from being in an Asian family, where it’s quite habitual to get multiple generations under one roof. And besides, mum and dad cook so well, why would I go anywhere?

When I eventually get around to moving though, I can only hope to have an eatery like Frankie Says at the base of my building or near my house (I feel like I would end up in an apartment though). 

Opened by Megan Phillies and James Meehan, who you know from Hoy Pinoy and the Meatball Company, Frankie Says is bright and welcoming, with windowed views out to the riverside it’s next to. I particularly love the basket of blankets next to the counter for when winter starts creeping around again. 

Although Frankie Says is open for breakfast and lunch, and therefore can easily be deemed a cafe, there’s an Italian slant to the menu, with antipasto plates to be shared and house-made stone oven pizzas mixed in with truffled eggs and quinoa salads. Something for everything, but overall an approachable and relaxed menu.

I simply adore the crockery, conspiring to steal my chai cup and Brad’s hug mug (although perhaps I shouldn’t broadcast my ideas via Instagram next time, because the staff were on to me!). My chai was lovely and warming, not super spicy, but good tea flavour. 

For brunch, I balanced a little naughty with a little nice. A tri-colour quinoa salad special with roasted veggies, crumbed feta and double roasted chickpeas was so refreshing, but delicious as well. I loved the creamy feta, the crunchy chickpeas (although I would’ve loved more of them) and the sweet vegetables. My kind of salad. 

With this, I couldn’t resist a serve of the truffle parmesan fries, which were a seriously generous serve, for $7, I thought it was very reasonable! I couldn’t resist continuously dipping my hand in for the crunchy golden sticks, which smelt like heaven and had just enough cheesy goodness throughout. Solid.

Brad’s Swiss brown mushroom pizza with caramelised onion, taleggio and porcini salt was again, another huge serve, with soft and pillowy crusts, soaking up that caramelised onion and taleggio goodness. In Italian style, the toppings are not over complicated, nor overwhelming, resulting in a delicious and well balanced flavour profile.  

An easy spot to spend an afternoon with a book (or Monocle magazine like I had), with friendly and attentive service. I’m hanging out to come back for the Fritto misto, calamari, fresh market fish and prawns dusted with semolina…which you’re supposed to share (minimum order is for 2 people), but I could eat for two…

Frankie Says

15 Acacia Place

Richmond

 

Union Dining - Breakfast

I’ve recently decided that I’m 100% an autumn/fall girl, when it comes to seasons. I’ve always been partial to the shoulder seasons, but fall especially so (army green and warm oranges are so my colours). So although we’re heads deep into summer, I absolutely adore it when Melbourne does the very Melbourne thing and unexpectedly (or maybe it’s so unexpected we expect it) dips into blustery overcast weather. 

Brad and I could not have picked a better morning to get acquainted with breakfast at Union Dining, who only recently (when I say recently I in the last month or two) started the morning offering. It was cold, windy and rainy, but just enough so. A little splash on the shoes, a squeeze on the arm as we stay close under an umbrella as we dash from the car, followed by a sigh of relief as we step in to the restaurant. 

Union Dining is just class, a touch of old world with a classic fit out and the most warm and lovely waitstaff you could ever ask for. 

It’s the perfect place to wriggle your toes and cup your hands around a steaming hot cup of tea. I absolutely loved their crockery, made in Italy if I’m not mistaken, which just felt heavy, round and comfortable in the hands. I know, a bit of a weird thing to take notice of, but I’ve found that tactile experiences are pretty important to me nowadays!

I have a massively tender spot in my heart for all things German. So when I saw pan roasted frankfurts and weisswurst, dijon mustard and sauerkraut on the menu…my decision was made for me instantly. After all, it’s perfect blustery weather comfort food, warm, piping hot, hearty, delicious and so satiating. Perfect for a protein hit (sure with a bit of fat involved), or if you just need a nice warm belly.

Brad went a little more traditional and got the  chickpea, kale, tomato sugo and egg bake with fennel, chilli salt and ricotta salata. Oh my. This was just yum. Eggs cooked to perfection so that they looked done from above, but still had oozy yolks that just bled into all the sweet tomatoey goodness. Another beautifully hearty feed. 

Honestly, I was almost reluctant to leave Union Dining after our meal. I was just so comfortable, so cosy. I could have been at home. Just give me another cup of tea and a book! Although I imagine they wouldn’t want me to get too comfortable!

It seems like Union Dining will be giving the breakfast menu a little break this weekend, but hopefully it’ll be back in full swing in 2016. I love that the dishes on the menu aren’t too traditional (like an eggs benedict), but are still very comforting and wholesome meals. The kind of food that’s just filled with love. It’s the kind of breakfast I like to (or would like to!) eat on a regular basis.  

Union Dining

270-272 Swan Street

Richmond 3121

 

Patch Cafe

Disclosure: I was invited to dine as a guest of Patch Cafe

When it comes to eating, sometimes there are just too many labels for things. Good, bad, vegan, all variety of diets so on and so forth. And I guess I kind of get it, people want to be able to classify what they are doing constantly, or following, because simply just being mindful isn’t necessarily good enough.

Paleo has been getting a bit of a bad rap lately, with some slightly pretentious ambassadors and maybe not so thought through eating habits. But if you come back to the core of it, eating holistically, less processed stuff, greens, protein…it seems like a pretty good idea.

Patch Cafe is technically a paleo cafe, but I like that the fact is not thrust in your face. Instead on the menu, you’ve got an array of cute little food icons showing you what is and isn’t in the dish, and a whole lot of scrumptious sounding meals. 

I kinda kept away from Patch Cafe for a while, because I heard it was popular and always busy…and I don’t really like waiting, so when I had a Monday morning free up, I was only more than happy to pop in. 

I also totally understand why there would be a wait on the weekend, the cafe, slightly hidden in the old Channel 9 studio brick building, is actually quite modestly sized; but still very cute. Minimalist, but not sparse, with warm little pops of pastel, worn concrete, elegant marble counters and a bit of greenery here and there. 

The Anushka soy chai was maybe not as rich as I would normally like my chai, however, velvety smooth milk almost always completely wins me over!

Brad was feeling a little under the weather, so opted for their version of a breakfast board, with a paleo trifle, cold pressed green juice, a spot of pulled pork, a poached egg and their paleo toast (at my request). A great option for the person who can’t decide what they want ever (which is usually me), the pulled pork was tender, and I loved whatever marinade they used which was really bright and lovely. 

I have a bit of a love affair with sweet potatoes (I could eat them steamed all day, really), so couldn’t resist the sweet potato hash browns, stacked with poached eggs, a beetroot chutney and finished off with dukkah. Delicious. I have such a soft spot for the root veggies, earthy yet sweet, so they kind of balance themselves out naturally, followed with gooey egg yolks? Just so good. And so filling! 

All in all, a very chilled out way to spend my Monday morning off. Like I said earlier, it’s strange this kind of food really needs a label, or needs to be called anything particular, because to me it’s simple wholesome and delicious…and what more do you need than that? 

Patch Cafe

1/32 Bendigo Street

Richmond 3121

 

Serotonin Eatery

Swings.

Yellow crockery.

Golden spoons, forks and knives.

Serotonin Eatery had a lot of things going for it that I liked. Sure the 40 minute wait for food on a Saturday morning might have been better not to have, but we were informed of it when we sat down and decided to endure the wait. 

I find Serotonin’s Eatery a unique concept in it’s approach. More than just a cafe, Serotonin Dealer is a centre for happiness, with a an eatery (which we were waiting at), a fitness centre, and classes coming in 2016. 

The eatery is all plant based food, and naturally, with a health angle; to nourish you and aid in mood regulation (because who likes being hungry?)

Brad’s coffee looks bright and cheerful, and I love my big mug of chai, made with house-made organic chai spices that have been naturally sweetened. It’s lovely and sweet, especially the sunny, but slightly nippy weather, but doesn’t quite have quite enough vibrancy and spiciness that I like in my chair. It’s also a bit rich at $6 a pop…I actually wanted to try the Golden Latte, with turmeric and ginger, but couldn’t quite justify $8 a pop to begin my day! 

Since it was my birthday weekend (at the time), I could justify pancakes for breakfast. There seems to be a trend to gluten free pancakes at the moment, and I’m 100% okay with this.

Positive Pancakes consisted of organic banana flour pancakes with house-made banana ice-cream, mixed berries and serotonin hung yoghurt balls covered with roasted almond flakes.

Ah. Happy times. The pancakes were light and fluffy, the abundance of berries was very much enjoyed, and I loved the richness in the banana ice-cream. The yoghurt balls were a surprise hit for me, I loved the creaminess and the thickness, they somehow cut through the overall sweetness for me. 

Brad opted for something a little more filling with the twice-baked beans, with ‘powerkraut’, house-made tomato sauce, greens, eggs and wholegrain Danish rye. The sauce is lovely rich and thick and eggs gooey. Nothing to complain about here. 

Service is obviously with a smile, but also backed with attentive care, checking in that we’re okay and making sure we’re well hydrated while waiting. My only niggle with Serotonin Eatery is that it is definitely on the expensive side of breakfast, which is understandable considering the health angle, with no corners cut, but when I’m looking at $22 for pancakes? You certainly have to wonder if it’s worth it…although that doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying it all the same! 

Serotonin Eatery 

52 Madden Grove

Burnley 3121