Uncommon.

Whilst it used to be the swish bars and night clubs where the young and beautiful mingled, where you went to be seen, I would now challenge that has changed to cafes. 

More beautiful, more cutting edge and more design oriented than ever, with clever, often health driven menus, to seduce long legged, effortless, wide eyed beauties and just-so-cool guys complete with the kicks of the moment. 

Uncommon. in Windsor definitely pulls the crowd with it’s gorgeously monotone fitout, with some of the most beautiful sightlines I have seen recently, a mix of materials and textures and hanging greenery adding a pop of freshness. Throw in a couple of racks and it could be more of a fashion boutique than cafe!

Despite the beautiful people, service is perky and cheery; I meet yet another tattooed Pokemon fan who geeks out with my over my Pikachu iPhone cover, as well as prompt and attentive. 

Drinks are served on little metal trays, which I feel like I should roll my eyes at but that I actually really love. My chai is lovely, not so spicy, but a nice strong tea flavour that I finish far more quickly than I really should. 

Brad’s toasted buckwheat roll with poached chicken, grilled ham, fresh spinach, Emmental these, avocado and yuzu aioli looked modest, but was heavy in goodness. He wasn’t super hungry this particular morning, so this was just the right serve for him, with plenty of bright and fresh flavour. 

I on the other hand, got the salad of buckwheat, roasted cauliflower, cucumber, kale, chilli and tatmari seeds with a tahini yoghurt dressing. I love going out for salads like these, which I would probably never come up with on my own at home (as I’m absolutely terrible at making salads as I have no creativity for vegetables), which taste delicious and feel good to eat as well. There was crunch, creaminess, freshness and richness all in the dish. The fried egg on top was just perfect with it’s runny egg yolk middle. Mmhmm.

I kind of hate that Uncommon. is so popular at the moment, because I want to go back more, so I can eat all of the things on the menu cause it just all sounds so good, yet also healthy as well. Sweet potato and brown rice cakes, to flaxseed pikelets; sure it’s another cafe in Melbourne, but the offering is certainly anything but common. 

Uncommon.

60 Chapel Street

Windsor 

 

Spencers Store

Although Brad and his family are the ones who live in Gembrook, which is kind of country I guess, an hour out of town, I’m probably the one out of the two of us who actually likes being in the country. Definitely wouldn’t like the amount of driving he does though, fortunately he’s okay with it!

Having ridden horses for many years, Brad’s mum keeps several horses and I love visiting them. Over Christmas and New Year, two of them gave birth to the most gorgeous foals, and fortunately I have had plenty of reasons to pop up and visit them. 

The only problem when we go up for the weekend is that the brunch options are pretty slim, but it’s nice to see more and more places quietly pop up. 

Spencer’s Store opened up in Gembrook late last year (I think), and after hearing great reviews from Brad’s family, I couldn’t wait to visit. 

Literally just a 3 minute drive from Brad’s place, Spencers Store is totally adorable. It feels like stepping into someone’s house, a spacious one at that, with plenty of lovely natural wood, a cute retail corner with all the Robert Gordon things that I struggled very hard not to buy, and plenty of smiles. 

I am also totally down with anyone recognising the Pikachu’s on my iPhone cover and geeking out with me over Pokemon and showing me their Pokemon tattoos. Just saying.

My soy chai from Spencers Store was simply awesome. Far exceeded any expectations I could have had (and how cute is it in it’s little glass bottle?) Gorgeously aromatic, spicy, creamy and plenty of it! I think I’ve been disappointed with so many chai’s lately, because this is all I really want all the time!

The menu looked homely, but hearty and comforting. And that’s exactly what Brad’s baked beans, with ooey gooey poached eggs on toast was. 

I also totally loved my open burrito with sweet potato, beans and chickpeas. Although it looked a lot smaller than Brad’s beans, I was amazed with how full I was by the end! I loved how clean and fresh tasting it was, well garnished too, it’s the type of food I want to eat all the time (and I would, I adore chickpeas and sweet potato). 

With incredibly friendly service, a relaxed and easy going ambiance and hearty meals, I can’t wait to be back. Between Spencers Store and the very quickly growing up foals, I certainly have a lot of reasons to be making it up to Gembrook for the weekend! 

Spencers Store

97 Main Street

Gembrook

Chai Boy

Disclosure: I was sent a complimentary bag of Chai Boy to try from a friend

My love of chai latte’s has stemmed out of somewhat of a necessity in coffee-crazed Melbourne, as a substitute for coffee when I meet up with friends or go out with Brad for brunch on the weekends. As much as I like tea; there’s no doubt a hot milky drink is a delightfully comforting way to start the morning, or keep you going through the day. 

Take my mornings at home when I was sent a bag of Chai Boy’s chai to try. Although I seem to have inherited my father’s habit of waking up early, my mother has always been one to sleep in. However, when I got my Chai Boy chai, and used tablespoons to brew it instead of teaspoons (way better if you ask me), for two weeks straight (just about), she would wake up about an hour before I’d leave for work and pop a saucepan on the stove, to brew a cup for me and her. 

It was a delight, as the mornings were still mostly cool, to have my hands wrapped around a warm mug, and have some lazy conversation with mum, as Chai (my dog), padded around our feet, waiting to be let out.  

The aroma hits you fist as you’re brewing this chai, especially if you’re generous with measures as we were, intensely spicy, but softening out on the palate, with the edge of the spices, that are present in the aroma, removed by a deep and full bodied sweetness. I quite liked I didn’t have to add too much honey to this to get the sweetness that I liked as well, as the blend on it’s own was already quite delicious. Mum liked it as it did remind her of the Indian chai’s she’s had before as well. In fact she liked it so much, she had me buy a couple of bags for her friends for Christmas.

Now that we’ve just about run out, we haven’t had our morning rituals as frequently as we used to, so I may have to pop by one of the cafes that stock it and pick some more up soon…

Chai Boy chai can be purchased to take home, or have in store at the following locations: Touchwood in Richmond (home base), Barry in Northcote, Addict in Collingwood, Drugstore Espresso in South Yarra and Freckled Duck Cafe in Geelong. Follow them on Instagram!

Some of my favourite chai's....and Happy New Year!

Most people I know tend to be running amok the week or two leading up to Christmas, amassed with parties and dinners and who else knows what to attend.

I've found I've been the exact opposite and that whilst I had all purposes and intentions to work between Christmas and New Year, and of course blog, I found I really did not have the time. I was out all day and almost all night the entire week almost! Yeek!

(Although I do admit a few nights could have been spent drafting instead of playing Skyrim....)

So this post comes a bit late, but I have been wanting to do it for a while. (Also because everyone's been doing these awesome list posts and I want in!)

As many of you might know, I for whatever reason, am not a coffee drinker. I've never had a full cup of coffee in my life! I'm not entirely sure why I don't drink it, as I never had a taste for coffee or wine when I was younger, but I've definetly come to love wine....and come to not have an interest in coffee.

This does not mean I don't care for coffee, and I certainly admire the work baristas do and love to hear what people think of different coffees and what flavours and aromas they can deduce.

I figure I'm just already naturally full of energy and am concerned I may bring down a house if I have coffee. This is because I will literally be bouncing off walls and screeching like a baboon. Or so I would imagine. At least I'd be a fairly pretty baboon, unless coffee also has the power to make me grow horns or something. Although admittedly that'd be kind of cool too.

Getting off track here. Back to my point.

Without a love for coffee, what was I to do in the very much coffee-loving-brunch-going-Melbourne? Fortunately there is an option, which I am incredibly fond of, which is the humble chai latte. My staple at brunch and is never missing from a cafe post. There's just something warming and comforting about the sweet cinnamon-y flavour. I have really grown to love my chai latte, especially in the past year, making not just the chai latte, but the soy chai latte my brunch staple.

I certainly don't tout to be a connoisseur and I feel as though I should know more than I do. I do know though, that I like really well frothed milk, so that it's velvety and smooth. I also like a cinnamon kick, the taste of tea, the flavour of spices. I also need a hint of sweetness without being too sweet and overwhelming all other flavours.

I consider a chai latte a favourite when I wake up on a weekend, turn to Brad, say "I want to have a good chai latte today", and return to a cafe because I've wanted their chai latte. These are all places I have returned to more than once!

St. Ali

Need I say more? With perfectly frothed milk, there's nothing I don't like about what St. Ali does with it's chai lattes. I love pouring it out of the huge jug and seeing all the tea and spices get strained out. It's a little more on the sweeter side than the spicy side, but is still wholly delicious and not too sweet.

Lux Foundry

I remember the first time visiting, I was informed the chai latte would take a little bit of time to come out, as they steep the tea to make a concentrate before frothing it up with the milk. It made all the difference! I love how dark it came out, looks nice and strong.

Dukes Coffee

My only complaint here, is that the cups are quite small! I always wish I had more once I finish it!

Ora Cafe

I may be a little biased, since I would consider this my local, but I wouldn't go back for the chai if it wasn't any good. It's surprisingly got a lot of kick to it, even if it looks a tad anaemic!

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Auction Rooms

A little more on the sweet than spicy side, but one needs to shake it up every now and again right? And I'm enamoured with it's shiny shiny teapot!

Percy's Aeroplane

I tend to be a bit of a fence sitter and find it incredibly difficult to have too strong an opinion over anything, as you never know if something better or worse may come along.

However, I have not been ashamed to claim Percy's Aeroplane as my favourite chai in Melbourne. It's just bursting with spices and flavour, without being too strong though. And since I visit at least once or twice a week, I can vouch that they are incredibly consistent.

Whilst this is not a 'do-or-die-list', this is my personal favourite list and I would love to hear if y'all have some other favourites that I should be aware of!

I would also love to hear how all your New Year's were! I had a lovely time with some close friends (from all over the world actually!) who I invited over to dinner and then to watch fireworks in a park near my place.

Happy New Year!