Today I don't feel like doing anything... but eating.

The older you get the faster each year rushes by. It seems like only yesterday when Stacey and I were sitting down outside of Backstreet Eating admiring the cuteness of Kimmy's new puppy dog and soaking up all the gorgeous March sunshine. And now we have already arrived at mid-July.

And today Stacey and I caught up again in Fitzroy, this time the weather was cold and miserable and this time we met a few blocks down at Breakfast Thieves. 

I have previous posted an entry about this cafe, and this was my second visit.
Before getting to the cafe I knew my heart was already set on ordering the Botak Chin as I recall the deliciousness from my previous encounter. Stacey went for the Breakfast Chain as she liked the idea of getting a bit of everything.

Botak Chin ($17.00)

When I read the menu I noticed the steamed asian buns that had previously accompanied the braised pork were now replaced by asian crepes. I didn't think it would make much difference hence I proceeded with my order.

that glaze!

The pork I received was just as delicious as last time, however the crepe was lacklusture and did not provide enough backing for the dish. The deep fied enoki mushrooms provided good texture and the side salad of carrots and orange helped cut through the richness of the dish. A steamed bun or two could have helped soak up some of that delicious Char-siew sauce. 

The Breakfast Chain ($17.50)

I also had a chance to taste the sweet components of Stacey's meal. Although my tastebuds were already in overdrive eating all that yummy pork, they were still able to appreciate the sweet stewed apples and cinnamon from the crumble. The trifle yoghurt on the other hand was too sour for my liking. Perhaps it was my fault for tasting it straight after the crumble. 

crumbleeee :D

It was such a miserable, wintery day, so I decided to spend the afternoon at Ikea with Vanessa. Talking to her is a form of entertainment in its own right, but trying out various couches and pillows etc as we trailed through the display showrooms made it a hilarious experience. 

As Vanessa had never tried the infamous Swedish meatballs, we had a meal break at the Ikea restaurant. My belly was still half full from my earlier brunch, so decided to get the Banoffee Pie - which happens to be a first for me - to satisfy my sugar cravings. 

Banoffee Pie ($4.95)

Other than the tart case being quite crunchy and nice, the banoffee pie was nothing special, it was sweet, I tasted hints of banana flavouring throughout the pie and it was topped off by more than enough whipped cream.

So it's been a pretty decadent day of fatty meats and consumption of sugar and cream, but I must say I probably did burn a decent amount of calories off just wandering around the entirety of Victoria Gardens. Leaving the shopping centre behind, both Vanessa and I were pretty knackered and were ready for bed, at 5pm. Naturally neither of us made it to the gym as we had originally planned. I guess today is one of those days we can just say: "oh well, there is always tomorrow." 

Breakfast Thieves

Shop 1, 420 Gore St

Fitzroy

(03) 9416 4884

IKEA Restaurant & Cafe

630 Victoria St 

Richmond

(03) 8416 5000

Sunday Breakfast for One

I paid Miss Frank an impromptu visit last Sunday after visiting Camberwell market. I had just missed out on some fresh roses from my favourite florist  and had accidentally spilled half of my Prospect Espresso SL down my front whilst juggling my phone, a bunch of second-hand garments and my wallet, really unco stuff. Given I have already had a below-average week I was convinced that a brunch treat was justified.

Because I was under the impression Miss Frank was somewhere along Riversdale Rd and not far from the junction, it felt like forever before I turned into Through Rd (which is actually much closer to Warrigal Rd end of Riversdale) and parked across the road from the cafe, which is nestled among a shopping strip of suburban small businesses and eateries. The double shop frontage houses a spacious dining area and a providore.

The interior was clean, minimal and slightly industrial. Props to the owners for installing a wheelchair lift making the elevated back dining area wheelchair-friendly.

The menu at Miss Frank was rather extensive, with breakfast and lunch options covering the entirety of an A3 sheet. I wasn't really ready when the waiter approached to take my order so I pointed to the first item that came to sight - a poached egg on multi-grain toast. It sounded a bit sad on its own so I asked for some avocado and dukkah to accompany my egg and help boost my omega 3 intake. 

Poached Egg on Multi-grain Toast with Avocado and Dukkah ($11.00)

The egg was so translucent, I had never seen such a pretty poached egg in Melbourne, like ever!

I was really hoping for gooey goodness to gush out once the egg was popped but sadly contrary to the external good looks, the yolk was a bit of a let down and didn't flow like I had anticipated. 

Don't judge a book by its cover, so they say? 

In terms of flavour, there was no super-wow factor in the dish but when showered with salt and pepper and a good squeeze of lemon, every element tasted delicious in a wholesome, simple kind of way. The only downside was the toast was absolutely drenched in butter so it bled of oil every time it was poked with my fork, ew.  

Delicious array of baked goods at the counter. 

If I were to come to Miss Frank again in the future I would definitely make a girls brunch or gathering out of it. Whilst the food was nice, Miss Frank probably isn't the best place to chill alone on a cold winter day. And thus my search for the ultimate cosy brunch-for-one continues... 

Miss Frank

200 Through Road 

Camberwell 3124

(03) 9078 5351