Eat. @ Pillar of Salt

541 Church St, Richmond ph (03) 9421 1550

We've been to Pillar of Salt quite a few times and I can't believe I haven't blogged about it yet!  Bubs and I had another visit the other day on our brunch roulette adventures.  We used to come with the pram, and we would be quite comfortably seated out the back in the backyard.  More and more now we get to sit at the communal table out the front, on high stools which can be a little challenging for little ones but Bubs enjoys the "grown up" chairs.  The coffee here is always nice, my mocha ($3.8 ) never disappoints.

Our go-to dish here is the Benedict ($17.5), poached eggs with braised and shredded Ottway ham hock, smashed peas, and their apple cider hollandaise on toast.  The combination is perfect and always ticks the boxes for a hearty Melbourne brunch.

The cafe is always full and bustling, with coffee drinkers dashing in for their brew and take-away baguettes and baked goodies, as well as groups of diners catching up over breakfast, brunch and coffees.  I think it speaks volumes that they remain so busy, with the popular Top Paddock just down the road.

Eat. @ Legacy

347 Camberwell Rd, Camberwell ph (03) 9041 1796

We ventured out to Legacy for lunch during the most recent school holidays.  It's a busy little brunch spot on the ground floor of a new low rise apartment block on Camberwell Rd.  (Look for the nearby Beacon Lighting!)

The first time I was there with Bubs there was a big wait so we just grabbed some of their delectable donuts to go.

I next visited with all 3 kidlets in tow.  They started off with a couple of cool milk shakes ($6.5, comes in caramel, chocolate, strawberry or vanilla) served in jars of course.

I had a chilli mocha ($4.6) which I must admit was not very strong in the chilli at all (I actually asked to confirm that I did get the chilli version), so next time I'm gonna ask for one with more kick!

First up came the Sweet Potato, kale and amaranth fritters, with goat's cheese,Kaiser bacon and cherry vine tomato relish ($17.5).  A good standard Melbourne brunch dish, I did like the combination of sweet potato and kale in the fritters, and the chutney adds the tang in a good way.

My favourite was the Seared Sesame Tuna Tataki ($22) served with soba noodles, avocado, snow pea sprouts, spring onion, pickled ginger and an Asian dressing.  A really fresh fusion dish that was quite healthy and tasty.  

We couldn't decide between the sweets and ended up ordering 2 dishes!  (That's the great thing about eating out with the family!!!)  First up the Hokey Pokey Pancakes ($17.9) which of course was Macaron Monster's favourite! With house made honeycomb, ricotta, orange, vanilla bean creme fraiche, pomegranate and strawberries (and figs too as you can see).  The honeycomb was the bomb, and needs to be included in all desserts in my opinion!

Then we had the passion fruit pannacotta ($16.9), which was a very pretty dish with crushed pistachios, figs, strawberries, blueberries and an orange and poppy seed tulle.  The pannacotta was lovely and smooth and the fruits were refreshing with the pistachio and tulle bringing the crunch.  A perfect dish for those who like desserts for breakfast like I do.

The service was efficient and friendly, the music a little too loud but made for a bustling atmosphere.  I liked all the dishes we tried and am looking forward to coming back for some butter fried chicken on my  next visit!

Eat. and Shop. @ Hinoki Japanese Pantry

279 Smith Street, Fitzroy ph (03) 9417 4531

I'm always on the look out for a good place for Japanese groceries and a good place for sushi.  Hinoki Japanese Pantry has both!

I really like the range of Japanese groceries available at Hinoki.  They have a great selection of essentials like sauces, noodles and cooking aids, as well as a fabulous range of rice crackers, sweets and snack foods that brings me back again and again!

The draw for most people of course is the fresh sushi bar on site.  There's limited seating available for eat-ins, but mostly I tend to grab take away for a great sushi meal on the go.   I find that aburi salmon sushi is not readily available in Melbourne but they make both nigiri as well as aburi salmon topped rolls here!

And of course a kicker of a match milkshake for $2.8 is always good!

A favourite place to eat and shop for our family!