Eat. @ Fenix

680 Victoria St, Richmond 3121 ph : (03) 9427 8500
Breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday

Masterchef fever is upon us again.  Having been to George's Hellenic Republic for breakfast, we thought we'd try Gary's Fenix as well. 

It was surprisingly quiet for a sunday breakfast.  The staff were helpful but discrete.  The restaurant is sun filled, a lovely place for a brekkie.  On warmer mornings, the tables and chairs outside offer a beautiful place to sit, next to the Yarra River.

Had to include this pic, since it's taken by the Little One!

I had the Eggs Benedict (kind of predictably) on a last minute order as I only found it on the Specials for the day when we put in our orders.  The eggs were perfectly poached, the hollandaise tangy and the bread was quite filling.  A good, solid Eggs Benedict, not the best one I've had, but of a good standard.  The Eggs Benedict photo on their website had baby spinach in it as well, but there weren't any on the day we were there.

Hubby had the Baked Beans with Chorizo topped with Grated Cheddar and Poached Egg.  The sauce was comfort-food-lovely, the beans were well cooked, and altogether a very, very filling dish to have for breakfast.

The mocha was very pleasant.  Hubby's cappuccino was good but a bit cooler than he usually likes.

The sample menu on the Fenix website featured "Gary's Green Eggs and Ham", which unfortunately was not on the menu when we were there.  The kids ate some of our breakfast, but they were hanging our for "their dish", the Banana Crepe with Pecan Crumble and Whipped Cream.  Despite its slightly messy appearance, this was our favourite dish of the day.  All the components went together really well, with the crunchy crumble and nuts a highlight in a mouthful of soft warm creamy, banana-ry crepe. 

There is parking just under restaurant, and is currently free for the next few months if you dine at the restaurant (we did not know this and  paid the $4 fee!)  The toilets are very clean and trendy, and the music is surprisingly boppy and loud in there (to drown out embarrassing noises??)  - which the kids enjoyed immensely, hehe.

Eat.Play.Shop. Recommends : the crepe with crumble.  Very yummy, especially with a hot drink in the winter months.

Give it a Miss : No big complaints for us, it's a pleasant rather than a super special experience though.  Just don't have too high expectations due to the Masterchef hype.