Eat. @ Snow Pony

95 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn ph : 9816 8911

Having been to quite a few interesting and cool cafes that serve good coffee and great brekkie/brunch/lunches in the inner suburbs, it's great to see that Snow Pony lives up to similar standards while being much more travel-friendly to Eastern Suburbanites.

Having never been here before, I ran in to check for the availability of a pram friendly table before Hubby got our precious luggage out of the car.  The waitress was very friendly and helpful and found us a spot in the semi-outdoor corridor seating area towards the back of the cafe.  Snow Pony is divided into little dining areas, with 3 table-for-twos on the side walk, main dining area in the shop, a few cosy little rooms coming off the corridor seating area, and a few communal tables in small courtyard out the back.  It was a bit chilly out the back today, but baby was rugged up and it made us appreciate the warm drinks and hearty food all the more.

Hubby had the Giddy Up, which is the Snow Pony Big Breakfast.  The "Happy Eggs" come as you like it, and he had them poached (so very in vogue right now!)  These were done very well, with the gooey centre oozing out over the crunchy bread as you cut through the firm egg white.  My favourite bit of this dish has to be the smashed avocado.  Simply done with a bit of lemon juice and a dash of pepper, it gave the hearty breakfast a tangy freshness. 

The cappuccino came with the now expected pretty latte art.  Hubby felt it was a little bit too cool, but was otherwise a fine coffee.

The McPony, which is the Snow Pony "McMuffin", was not exorbitant at $4.90.  A comforting arrangement of ham off the bone, emmental cheese, and "creamy dreamy scrambles" between 2 perfectly toasted english muffins, this was very pleasant.  For some reason I kept thinking this would be pretty good as the perfect brekkie for a hangover!?  I just felt it was missing something, and it hit the spot after I stole a bit of smashed avocado and roasted tomato from Hubby.

My choice of a small savoury item like the McPony was made because I wanted to have some scones and tea.  Their lemonade scones were served with Bonne Maman 4 fruits jam and Chantilly cream, and went fantastically with a pot of English breakfast tea.

I've read a few negative reviews for Snow Pony, but based on our visit today, we were very happy with the service and the food we ordered, and will definitely return.  We had a 25% discount by using an Entertainment Book Voucher, and the normal prices are comparable to most inner suburb cafes offering the same fare, which mostly do not offer discounts with any programs.

Eat.Play.Shop. Recommends : The Giddy Up for big eaters.  The scones were great for any time of day.

Give it a Miss :  if you want to use your credit card.  It's cash only!