Hammer and Tong

Based on Brunswick street but entrance on a side street. It is exactly what you expect for an urban, breakfast/brunch joint. Off the main street, hipster vibe and nosy atmosphere.

There has been quite a bit of hype on their soft shell crab burger so being here.... I could not walk out without trying it. I love softshell crab and being very fond of burgers there was no reason for me to say no. It comes simply as a burger on a plate, no frills, no chips, nothing. The deep fried soft shell crab served on a brioche bun, with cabbage slaw, coriander and sweet mayo. I have to say the burger was good, but for $16 a serve with nothing on the side, I won't be coming back for this. The flavours worked very well together and unlike many other burger places, the brioche was not overly sweet, and just the right softness. The cabbage slaw, with the crunch sliced though the oily-ness factor of the crab beautifully.

Even though it has been coined as the best crab slider of Melbourne, $16 is too steep. The burger wasn't overly large and after a whole burger, I was still hungry. I just think if I'm paying $16 for a burger, I should at least be left satisfied, if not full.

Avocado and feta mash as a side dish. It is exactly what the name suggest, just avocado and feta (ok so a little bit of lemon juice too).

Corn and zucchini fritters with avocado, spinach, poached egg and sweet chilli jam. It was a nice combination of breakfast favourites with a few different additions such as the chilli jam and zucchini. However there was nothing that really made this dish stand out. It was a pleasant meal and I did enjoy it, but nothing out of the ordinary.

They served decent coffee here too, as you would expect for a brunch spot.

Overall 13.5/20. Decent food but nothing exceptional. If they worked on their pricing or portion size a bit, that would make it more enticing for me to revisit.