Melbourne is known for its brunch culture, for its love of good coffee, for its poached eggs. You'd think that they would only have enough room for one kind of great food. But they have this large cultural range - from Japanese to Classic Western to Thai fusion.
It's the atmosphere too. We went to celebrate my daughter's 21st birthday. Quite an event it was. Celebration includes all the best food, of course. Each place was well-tailored to the kind of ambiance that would encourage you to order two more dishes and three more drinks (alcoholic or otherwise). Hardware Society, Gazi, Ézard, Calia, Chin chin were the highlights
Favourite? Gazi, despite being a Greek restaurant, had that most incredible nachos. Maybe it was because they were topped with juicy pork, dolloped with sour cream and tossed with smooth guacamole. Bustling and relaxed at the same time, dim lighting and the perfect afterwork hub, it was inevitable that we ordered too much and ate too much. But then again the authentic eggs benedict from Journeyman was a killer. Maple pork belly and hollandaised apple slices will send you into a sensational frenzy of flavour and delight.
Coffee you ask? French roast, Medium-dark roast, Italian roast, they've got it all. Melbournians pride themselves on the serve of coffee, always aesthetic with coffee art and colourful arrays of coffee mugs. Hardware society lives up to the long queues it has for their roasts. They say that the best coffee is drinking temperature when it's served - not too burnt - not too dry.
Take away of the trip? Spend more time in Melbourne eating.
