Eat. @ Scarvelli and Goodies. @ Lune Croissanterie

143 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn 3101 ph (03) 9816 8887

I finally got an opportunity to catch up with Jo and the Angmoh from The Hangry Bitch a while back when they graciously came over to my side of town and had brunch with me.  I'd been to Scarvelli a few times with Hubby for coffee and dukkah eggs at breakfast.  The cafe wasn't super busy and I enjoyed a lovely chat over brunch, it's always so much fun meeting other bloggers!

I had a tea on the day, but the mochas ($3.8) here are quite nice, and I've always been impressed with the coffee art!

Jo had a prana chai latte ($3.8) and the Angmoh had a Lindt hot chocolate ($5), which were unfortunately both too milky.

Jo had the Smashed avocado ($15) with a poached egg ($3) which was served with persian feta, roasted vine tomatoes and toast.  She quite enjoyed it but would've liked it with a squeeze of citrusy lemon or lime.  

The Angmoh likes Dukkah Eggs ($17.5) and of course he ordered this.  These are crumbed poached eggs, served with cauliflower puree, pinenuts, pomegranate and sauteed spinach.  I have ordered this dish the last few times I'd been there and had enjoyed the crunchiness of the pinenuts, the tart sweetness of the pomegranate combined with the creamy, comforting cauliflower puree.  The Angmoh liked the dukkah eggs but suggested that bread would be a great addition to the dish to mop up the generous serve of puree. 

I decided to go for something from the lunch menu and had the Cured ocean trout ($16.5) which came with pickled radish, cucumber, fresh dill and horseradish creme fraiche.  This dish was ultra healthy as there was a lot of greens, and protein from the delicious house cured trout.  The creme fraiche was too heavy in a giant dollop though, and I would've preferred if it had a drizzle of citrus to give the dish a bit of a lift and moisture, and some carbs in the form of potato latkes or some bread would make this a fantastic lunch.

Overall Scarvelli is a great addition to Balwyn's cafe culture and I particularly like their wider range of dishes and more roomy setup as compared to nearby eateries.  

I was a lucky, lucky girl that day, as Jo had gotten up early and visited Lune Croissanterie in Elwood, and generously gifted me with some of the goodies she got there.   I love, love, LOVE good quality pastries and have been dying to try the "best croissants in Melbourne", but have never been able to juggle my love of sleep and children well enough to wake up that early (some queue from 5am!!)  and make the trek across town to queue for these goodies.    

The Cruffin was filled with..... wait for it.... peanut butter custard!  And it was absolutely as awesome as you would think this combo would be.  

The Kouign Amann was layers upon layers of buttery goodness with the the perfect amount of sweet.  

Let's just say that there was a no-sharing rule at my house when these arrived home!

I had a great time catching up with Jo and the Angmoh and I really do enjoy meeting other  bloggers and chatting about a shared passion for good food!  I cannot thank you guys enough for your amazing pastry gifts and look forward to brunching again with you in the near future!