Cafe Cui

Eloquent words from the Hungry Cookie about eating in Footscray - "Upgrades to Footscray station, newsworthy Jam doughnuts and a prevalence of trendy cafes and gastropubs (Station Hotel!) means Footscray is steadily losing its ‘dodgy’ reputation. Who knows? Maybe some of our ‘precious’ east-sider friends will venture to the west for a taste *wink." 

Seddon and Yarraville are the main go-to spots for cafe style food in the Western suburbs, but Cafe Cui has proved itself to be a strong competitor. Located just seconds from the train and tram stop, the cafe is attractive to train and tram commuters with the exterior - inviting open windows and light brown timber, and the interior - small, modern and comfortable. The service is a bit slow which I was a bit annoyed about because it wasn't busy. The menu has so much variety, perfect for any cravings.

Cafe Cui's Mighty Breakfast (sourdough toast, veggies, eggs cooked your way, bacon and chipolata sausage) - $15.00

$15 for a big breakfast? What a bargain!!! Popular cafes in the CBD are charging at least $19 for the same thing. The portions are so generous as well, as you can tell from the photo above. The mushrooms were cut two large and the tomato was undercooked but for $15 I guess you can't really complain. The chipolata sausage was delicious and the eggs were poached well. 

The Lover-Lover Lobster Roll (lobster pieces in a sweet brioche roll, housemade mayo served with shoestring fries) - $19.00

The first time I had a lobster roll was Valentine's Day at Golden Fields. It was an unforgettable moment and we consequently had to order more. Golden Fields is no longer operating and has been replaced with Supernormal (I still haven't tried that place out yet) BUT NOW I am so happy a cafe in Footscray is serving it, with generous pieces of lobster too! I love the presentation with the chopping board, and personalised paper to serve the chips with. 10/10 rating from me.

I'm slowly getting better at these birds eye view photos! Practice makes perfect. I didn't order a coffee but they do Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee which is coffee with condensed milk). I smiled when I saw it on the menu, judging on the prominent Vietnamese location. Pay a visit to Cafe Cui if you haven't already because I made an effort from the Northern suburbs and wasn't disappointed at all.

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Cafe Cui
Address: 58 Leeds Street Footscray 3011 (Across from Footscray Station)
Contact: 9687 6967
Hours: Weekdays 6am - 4:30pm, Sat 7am - 4:30pm, Sun 8am - 4:30pm
Price: $$$
Website: http://cafecui.com.au/

HOW DO I GET THERE?

Twenty & Six Espresso

Twenty and Six Espresso
Address: 594 Queensberry Street North Melbourne 3051
Contact: 93290298
Hours: Weekdays 7:30am - 3:30pm, Weekends 8am - 3:30pm, CLOSED TUESDAYS.
Price: $$
Website: http://www.twentyandsix.com.au/

H E L L O  Loyal Readers!

I am finally wiping the dust off this neglected food blog and am willing to commit to sharing more food experiences with you, more often. My recent brunch visit was at Twenty & Six Espresso, located on the dainty streets of North Melbourne. I was extremely pleased with the menu, as prices were all under $20. The first thing that caught my attention were the two heavenly words 'pork belly' so I knew I had no other option but to order it. 

Interesting drink menu!

It's quite rare to see a beverage such as 'Horchata' on a menu at a non-Mexican place. Don't get me wrong though, I love the rice and cinnamon flavour combination ever since I tried it for the first time at Mamasita. 

Iced Coffee $4.50, Latte $4.00

The weather on Monday was a bit moody for 25 degrees, but warm enough to have an iced beverage. It was unsweetened and strong, just the way I like it. 

Crispy pork belly, pork and fennel sausage, braised cannellini beans, silverbeet, garlic toast and slow poached egg $20.00

Holey moley. One of my favourite brunch dishes, EVER. The flavour of the beans were not too overpowering and the egg was cooked to perfection. For the main component of the dish, the pork belly, the knife just cut into it so easily and the pork melted in your mouth. Every one loves a bit of crackling!!! I wish the waiter gave me a a warning about how HOT the mini saucepan was, because I overlooked it and almost burnt myself trying to move it around. 

Smoked ham hock, pea puree, fresh peas, pea leaves, two poached eggs and toast $15.00

The best friend ordered this dish, a simple yet refreshing combination of ham and peas. The shredded ham was tender and not chewy at all, despite the rough look. The toast was a bit tough and chewy but the pea puree texture was consistent and not too sweet. Pea leaves are a popular addition to place on top of breakfast / lunch dishes. Love me some greens. I personally wouldn't order this dish, especially due to the small portion of food. Considering you are paying $15, you would think that they would put more ham on the plate!

Simple yet modern looking decor for the typical North Melbourne suburbia location. There is a courtyard located in the back, but we didn't get an opportunity to have a look. I'm sure it would be as nicely decorated as it is inside. This just gives me an excuse to pay another visit ;) I love cafes in North Melbourne, especially Auction Rooms, because they have so much to offer in terms of creativity and really good coffee!!! 

Top Paddock

Top Paddock

Address: 658 Church Street Richmond 3121

Contact: 94294332

Hours: Mon - Fri 7am to 4pm, Weekends 8am to 4pm

Price: $$$

Website: http://www.toppaddockcafe.com/

Winter is almost over and I am thrilled at the fact of it because I HATE WINTER. I am a summer kind of gal because rainy days and layering clothes is not my cup of tea. Fortunately, my visit to Top Paddock was on a sunny day and it was delightful to catch up with an old friend (Ai Thi) who I've known for 15 years (since prep). Top Paddock is a cute brunch place located in the hustle and bustle of Richmond. I've seen so many photos on Instagram but I'm so glad I finally got to try it out :)

Unfortunately we had to sit on the communal table because we arrived during the lunch peak hour, but we were so involved in our conversation that it didn't bother me that people were sitting around us. It was extremely difficult to choose what to eat for lunch because each item on the menu sounded so lovely. Eventually I chose the soft shell crab in a brioche bun because I am a sucker for seafood and if it's in a burger form... even better!

Local pine mushrooms with chilli scrambled eggs and Boatshed feta on toast - $15.50

Ai Thi ordered the scrambled eggs so I didn't eat much of it because it had the evil ingredient CHILLI. You can't really go wrong if you order eggs and mushies in a brunch dish. 

Fresh soft-shell Qld mud crab roll with fennel, dill and lime mayo in a brioche bun - $21.00

This dish was a clear winner for me!!! The soft shell crab was a bit too salty for my own liking but still DEEEELISH nonetheless. I LOVE BURGERS so to have seafood combined with a sweet bun was nothing short of amazing. The price was a bit dear but I would pay for it again and again because it was THAT good. The photo makes the burger look really big but the bun was extremely soft so biting into it wasn't too difficult. 

Stools made out of street signs. 

Open spaces. Loved the environment. Loved the waiters/service. Loved the decos. Loved the menu! Pretty much loved everything except waiting to pay at the front desk because it took longer than it should have. Parking around Top Paddock wasn't too difficult either because there are inner streets around the cafe. 

Tea cup lights! So cute. 

HOW TO GET THERE:

Little Henri

Little Henri is a quaint and not-so-little cafe located on the intersection of Dundas Street and High Street, Thornbury. In my high school years, I used to drive past this location almost everyday. To see the area bloom dramatically with supermarkets, high rise apartments and reputable cafes and restaurants brings me much joy. How cute at the silhouettes on the side of the cafe? They definitely attracted my attention when I drove past.

Cappucino. Tiny ass mug! I could've had that all in one sip.

Best friend typically orders an orange juice whenever she eats brunch. The jar looks like it's from hoisin sauce. Little Henri serves organic orange or apple juice at $4 a glass, or in this case, a jar. 

Don't laugh but this is a picture of me filling out my diary that my good friend Anna gifted for Christmas last year. It's a blank notebook which says on the cover 'CHEFS I MET AND LIKED'. I'm trying to utilise it as much as I can because I have the memory of a fish. The pen is from Red Nose Day to support kids with SIDS. I look like I'm sleeping but I swear I'm not!

Pretty items on the communal bench.

If you want to learn a fun fact about me... it's that I never order salads at a restaurant. EVER.

For a young lady, I have a very big appetite and I don't really understand the concept of going to a restaurant to order a salad when you can make that at home for half the price. When ordering a salad at a restaurant, I always think of one scene and that was in White Chicks when one of the sisters were being woo'ed by Terry Crews... refer to the GIF below ;)

Lo and behold, Little Henri was the exception to ordering a salad at a restaurant. I should learn to never say never. The salad had one main ingredient that I was particularly fond of, that being DUCK. At the time, I didn't feel like something heavy so I went for the salad. It was more like a 'goi' which is a Vietnamese salad. I applaud Little Henri for getting all the flavours and textures right, but maybe they could reduce some of the onion as I am not a big fan of the vegetable. There weren't many duck pieces which was rather disappointing considering the price I was paying for it. 

Thai Duck Salad $17.00

With Asian slaw, ginger, lemongrass and snowpea tendrils. How refreshing!

BIG BOY BREAKY ($19.90)

This dish was highlighted in a red box on the menu. My initial thought that it would be MASSIVE and aesthetic to the eyes when it was served. I'm sad to say that it was not. The presentation was mediocre. For the price that you pay, you would think that the chefs would be a bit more generous with the portions. Try and avoid this dish if you're planning on visiting Little Henri as I don't want others to be disappointed with something that is meant to be 'big'. 

Delicious poached egg perfection! Eggporn much?

Cute, quirky presentation throughout the cafe. It suits the Northcote / Thornbury scene so much! The place also serves alcohol (as you can see from the wine cellar in the background).

The outdoor courtyard. I loved the simplicity of the open spaces. If it weren't too cold/windy on the day, I probably would have opted to sit outside because it looks so cute and natural sunlight for my photos would be fantastic! ;)

I will begin my overview of Little Henri by saying that I would definitely return based on their extensive food menu and quality service from the waiters. The coffee (pictured above) was strong and delicious, however, the mug size is a BIT too small for my liking. I probably wouldn't classify "Little Henri" as a cheap eats location, but I would definitely recommend that you have a look if you're a lover of brunch.

Little Henri
Address: 850 High Street Thornbury 3071
Contact: 94848857
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, 8:30am-4pm on Sat/Sun for breakfast and lunch sittings, and dinner on Fri/Sat from 6pm to late.
Price: $$$ - CASH HONLY
Website: http://littlehenri.com.au/

Coin Laundry Cafe

I am currently suffering from the winter blues which means that I am GLUED to the heater, I am LAYERED up in clothes like a fat eskimo and waking up at 6am for work without sunlight shining through my windows is slowly becoming a difficult routine every morning. However, with this being said, the weather doesn't stop me from travelling far distances for good food in the rain, hail or shine ;)

Today my good friend (who I shall name Banana) and I ventured to the upper east side for Coin Laundry Cafe in Armadale. I've only ever been to Armadale twice in life, the first was to go wedding dress shopping with my sister and the second was to go op-shopping with Banana in high school. Armadale is really out of the way from my area and driving down Hoddle Street / Punt Road makes you wish that our public transport was more efficient or that we could teleport or fly. Traffic wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be which was a relief. There was a short wait because being the princess that I am, all the tables were full (except for a space on the bench with stools but 1. I have really bad posture and 2. I want to be able to talk with privacy without people staring at me or listening to my conversations.

Look how cute the rainbow looks in the background!

Calmer sutra chai ($5.00) and Freshly squeezed OJ ($5.50)

Didn't want to order a coffee because it was too late in the afternoon and I needed to sleep before work the next day. The chai latte was delicious! 

Apart from the extensive Winter Menu for breakfast and lunch, there is a specials board on the wall which is about 6/7 items. The omelette that Banana ordered and the Wagyu burger I ordered was on the specials, just in case you were trying to find it on the menu ;) The prices was relatively "standard" for brunch so expect to pay roughly $25 pp. You get what you pay for. I will definitely come back to try the quinoa tuna salad or the sweet corn fritters because rumour has it that those dishes are delish!

*SPECIALS* Banana's omelette with salmon - $18

Banana ordered this dish so I only got to try a little bit. Omelette, rocket and salmon is generally a safe dish and goes well together. The omelette was actually bigger than I thought, all dat protein!

*SPECIALS* JAPANESE WAGYU BURGER with kewpie mayo, eggs bacon cheese and veggies - $19

OH MY GOD! This was the first dish I saw when I walked in and I knew instantly that I had to have it. I'm a sucker for hot chips (yes, I know, they're really bad for you but everything is bad for you these days) and the herb salt on it was DELICIOUS! One of the best I've had, almost on par with Grill'd. Eating the burger was definitely a challenge. I had to take the bacon out because it was the crappy part of bacon but the actually wagyu patty was MASS-IVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Definitely would recommend to all burger lovers. The only thing that bothered me that it was too big to eat and the juices were dripping onto my chips and made some of them soggy. 

The "coin laundry" washing line hehe very cute!

I didn't get to take many photos because my camera was on 2% and died shortly after. The Coin Laundry is very small but quaint. It's very good if you're grabbing a quick coffee (as it is right next to Armadale station) or for a lunch catch up with friends. I strongly would recommend this place to everyone, even if you don't eat breakfast. Breakfast IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY so try not to skip it! 

Coin Laundry Cafe
Address: 61 Armadale Street Armadale 3143
Contact: 9500 3143
Hours: Everyday 7am - 4:30pm
Price: $$ and a half
Website: http://www.coinlaundrycafe.com.au/