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. @ Miss Korea

845 Burke Rd, Camberwell 3124 ph (03) 9882 4999

I spotted Miss Korea one day when I was in Camberwell and was compelled to return as we are all still keen on the "Korean Food Wave".

I'm glad I made a booking on that Friday night as I saw quite a few groups get turned away.  We started off with a trio of organic fizzies ($4) and Charlie's honest squeezed juices ($5).

The Korean seafood spring onion pancake ($16) was choc full of greens and was very pretty.  A bit too much spring onion for me but the seafood was visible and delicious.

Mini Me loves Jap Chae ($15) so it's a must order for us.   This one was topped with lots of greens and a good helping of chicken (you can also choose beef or pork).  I would've loved more noodles with it but as a stand alone dish this would make a good dinner.

I loved their spicy pork bulgogi ($16) which came with a good serve of rice and the comforting sweet spiciness that I have come to love about bulbulgi.

The Stone bowl Bimbimbap ($16) is also pretty good, with a good dose of crispy rice on the bottom and plenty of beef.

And last but not least the Soy Garlic Korean Fried Chicken Tenderloins ($15).  These ones are crispy battered with a delicious soy garlic coating.  We loved this, with soft tender meat covered in the crispy batter and the more-ish sauce.  A must-order dish each time we visit!

Overall it was a great Friday night out.  The meal was delicious, the staff were accommodating for the children.  There were quite a few Korean diners there which is always a good sign.  We will definitely be back.

Toilets - yes
Highchairs - yes

Eat. @ Prospect Espresso

2A Prospect Hill Rd, Camberwell 3124 ph (03) 9882 7359

Prospect Espresso is another excellent little coffee place in Camberwell which serves up some pretty nice food.  I've been on a number of occasions when I've shopped at the Camberwell shops and have always enjoyed the coffee and pleasant food.  The staff have always been friendly, and extremely accommodating when I've had Bubs with me.

Coffee is their forte, and my mochas ($3.8) are consistently smooth and lovely.

Their Breakfast Roll ($12.5) with bacon, poached egg and hollandaise is a pretty filling breakfast.  I've had it "burger style", but it also works "deconstructed" when I've shared it with Bubs.

On my most recent visit I noticed the Buttermilk Panna Cotta ($12.5) served with mango mousse, passionfruit and amaretto biscuit on the breakfast menu.  I ummed and ahhhed about the decadence of having a dessert for breakfast/brunch - it's surely no more indulgent than having brioche french toast or sticky date pudding right?!  Boy, I was so glad I did.  Not only was the dish delicious, but I was surprised at how beautifully plated it was!  The flavours made me long for our still-missing-in-action Spring weather, with the light fruity mousse a perfect compliment to the oh-so-smooth panna cotta, the added almond crunch of the amaretto bikkies giving it the perfect textural kick.  I must say this is one of the most delightful dishes I've tried this year!

The little shop is always packed when I've visited, but the staff have always been friendly and helpful.  A must visit when shopping at Camberwell Junction!

Eat. @ Collective Espresso

3 Cookson St, Camberwell 3124 ph (03) 9882 8995

Collective Espresso is one of my new favourite places.  Friends who know I blog (I try to keep the blog a bit of a "secret identity" hehehe) often ask me to recommend them places to go and I've found myself suggesting Collective Espresso on more than one occasion.  This lovely little coffee and brunch spot has been around for a few years and I'm kicking myself for not having tried it out earlier!

On the first visit I went with Bubs and we perched on high stools at the large communal table inside.  It's cosy and fun and we shared the Miso cured Salmon, with potato rosti, kim chi and sesame fried eggs. ($18)   To be honest this has been my favourite breakfast/brunch dish so far this year!  The salmon was tasty, the rosti was beatifully crispy, and those eggs were to die for.  The were not what I expected fried eggs to be, but turns out they are poached eggs which are then quickly fried to give a slightly crispy bite before you get into the runny but oh-so-slightly thickened yolk.  Genius!

The mocha ($4) was excellent and much enjoyed with a copy of Epicure (love Tuesdays!)

Of course I had to bring Hubby back and this time we had to come on the weekend which means super busy crowds.  Luckily we were quickly seated,  but decided to move to one of the outside tables as we were a bit worried that Bubs was getting a bit keen climbing up and down on the stools and disturbing all the other cool young diners at the communal table.   Again I ordered the same dish but this time it came with miso cured kingfish.  I preferred the salmon but the kingfish was quite delicious too.

Hubby ordered the "Collective Sigh of Relief", oh how I love dishes with quirky clever funny names! The dish is made up of scrambled or poached eggs, native spinach, 3 types of mushrooms (we could only find 2 but not too fussed), baked beans and kaiser bacon ($22)  The big breakfast did not disappoint, the thick cut bacon was flavoursome and the beans were perfect for a chilly but sunny saturday morning. 

As you can tell I love this place!  The staff are young and super busy with customers but were still very friendly and helpful with our requests.  The chef took time to answer my questions about the eggs.  The downside is that limited seating means that on the weekend it can get very busy and there's no room for prams or highchairs.  Nonetheless I've always enjoyed our visits and I look forward to enjoying future visits with the kids seated outside as the weather warms up!

Eat. @ Coffeehead

8-10 Railway Parade, Camberwell 3124 ph (03) 9831 1400

A rare day off to do some medical tests for myself meant that I could have lunch out with Hubby on a weekday!  He always complains that I try all the cool new places without him (as it's less busy on weekdays) so we went somewhere we both hadn't been before.  Bubs was in full co-operation mode and slept in the pram for the whole meal.

Coffeehead is a spacious converted space just a bit further down Railway Parade from Brunetti's Camberwell.  The fit out is retro and the ambience is casual.  Plenty of room meant that maneuvring our pram to our table was easy and unobtrusive to other diners.

After all the fasting for tests lately I was hanging out for a coffee.  I sipped on my mocha with the pretty latte art and felt a sense of familiarity.  I looked up and spotted my favourite barista from Coffeehit at the machine!  He makes a fantastic coffee and this of course was no exception!

We ordered 2 of their mini wagyu burgers ($8.9 for one, $17.5 for two).  The brioche is all the rage now, and housemade which is great, albeit just a tad dry for my liking.  The wagyu was certainly juicy though and made up for that!  There was quite a bit slaw and ironically I made quite a dripping mess eating this but it was very tasty!

I loved the pulled pork tacos ($17.9) though.  A perfect serve of pulled pork on soft toasted tortillas and a a side of fresh salsa, mayo and lime.  I really liked this dish and would definitely have it again.

Coffeehead also do their own roasts and there are lots of bags of beans for decoration and for sale. I really quite enjoyed our visit here and would definitely come again for both the coffee and the tacos and stalk the barista!)

Highchair - Yes
Toilet - yes, and big enough to fit a pram. 

Eat. and Shop. @ Suzuran

1025 Burke Rd, Camberwell 3124 ph : (03) 9882 2349

This unassuming and non-eye catching little shop on Burke Rd houses 2 awesome reasons for us to travel to Camberwell much more frequently than I would otherwise like to, given the scary school traffic at peak hours in this area.  1) There is an excellent selection of Japanese groceries, some of which I have not seen anywhere else in Melbourne and 2) The great quality take-away packs of sushi and sashimi sold from its sushi bar.  When I was pregnant, all I seemed to crave were foods which I was not allowed to eat. (What's up with that anyway?)  Number one on that list was sushi, so I've been making amends for it ever since!

From noodles and sea weed, icy-poles and frozen takoyaki, to pickles and mirin and azuki beans and tinned or frozen unagi, there are lots and lots and LOTS of Japanese goodies on these shelves.  For health conscious parents, there are MSG free soy sauces and rice crackers.  For special kiddie treats they have a great selection of kids bikkies and snacks (Thomas the Tank Engine chocolate sticks and Anpanman rice crackers are a hit in our house.)  And for those parents needing a treat AWAY from their kids, they have quite a good selection of sake!

The Sushi Bar offers a big selection of sushi in different cominations and permutations.  There are vegetarian options as well.  You can ring ahead and order from the menu for pick-up, order when you get there and shop while you wait, or they usually have some ready-made popular packs that you can grab on the go.  Larger catering platters are also available on order.  Hubby bought me this big sushi and nigiri platter to share after Bubs finally arrived and I was allowed raw foods again!

The sushi chefs have also kindly made avocado-only maki's on request for my kids.

The staff are all Japanese and extremely polite, friendly and helpful.  The aisles in the shop are wide enough for a stroller, which is a bonus, as many Asian grocery stores are often over-stocked and impossibly pram-unfriendly.  Ample parking available in front of the store and around the corner on Rathmines Road. 

Eat.Play.Shop. Recommends : Coming here to pick up some freshly prepared sushi and nigiri (A LOT better than most sushi take-aways) and grabbing some yokan to have with vanilla ice-cream for dessert.  If you bring the kidlets with you be prepared to have them beg you for a packet of cute bikkie/rice cracker/lollies!
Give it a Miss : if you want to dine here - take-away only!  Also it's cash and EFTPOS only, no credit cards!

Toilets and Highchair - not applicable