Recently Miss P and I ventured out to Balwyn to pay Scarvelli Cafe a visit for brunch. We initially had a larger group with Mario and K as well but after a 4.30am wake up to line up for Lune, Mario and K dropped out and waved a white flag, leaving just Miss P and me.
Located on Whitehouse Rd in Balwyn it was a perfect location for the locals. It had a few tables on the side walk so it's doggy friendly or for those of us (like me) who like to avoid hayfever I opted for indoors.
When we sat down we were greeted with a lovely smile and ready to take our coffee order. Miss P went for the soy cap and I went for a soy latte. Their beans were roasted by Industry beans so I was keen to get my caffeine hit.
Since it was 2.30pm already, we were really hungry and got straight into ordering. I got the Good Life bowl with added salmon, I would have picked the minute steak but they were out of it. This was a healthy combination of silverbeet, baby spinach leaves, broccolini, poached egg chickpeas and crispy kale. It was surprisingly filling. Along with the salmon it was the perfect healthy meal my body was craving.
Miss P was more hungry than me and she opted for the Braised Beef Cheeks. This came baked in mushrooms (her favourite) with parsnip puree, herbed brioche crumbs and pickled onions. This was very filling and the beef was nice and soft, together with the mushrooms it was a very hearty brunch. I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't like the usual toast and eggs affairs for brunch.
Since I have been sick for a good 3 weeks, I thought I would up my vitamins with a freshly squeezed juice. I had watermelon, apple and grapefruit in mine. It hit the spot and gave me that bit of sweetness to finish my meal and I didn't reach for anything naughty afterwards.
Overall 15/20 it was a very pleasant surprise, it doesn't look like much from the outside but it makes the perfect weekend brunch hangout for locals or if you are in the area.
Disclosure: MissyNess and guest was invited to by Carlos and dine at the courtesy of Scarvelli cafe.
I started to notice the name Mr Hendricks pop up on my Instagram and Facebook feed, so when K and R suggested we try it, I was already curious. Situated in a local shopping strip it Balwyn, it had a lovely cosy and welcoming atmosphere. The cafe was in 2 sections, with a indoors seating area at the front and a court yard that was doggy friendly at the back. Initially we were hoping to get an indoor seat but place was so packed the only table available was in the court yard. This was a blessing in disguise as it was a beautiful setting with garden touches throughout. It was heated and made the cold Melbourne weather seem 'not so bad' after all.
As soon as we were seated, the staff was attentive and took our drink orders. I am no coffee expert, but I didn't mind the blend of beans in my latte. It wasn't too bitter with a slight tangy after taste. K mentioned that her flat white was the right level of creaminess and quite liked it. D opted for a strawberry milkshake instead. Initially I had drink envy when it came out, but afterwards I found it too sweet and also tasted like a Big M.
For the real stuff (the food), I could not tear my eyes away from the array of dishes that came out on the nearby tables.K and I both settled on the Brioche French toast with vanilla poached pears and caramel sauce.
This was just fluffy goodness, I loved every bit of it. The brioche worked to complemented the sweetness of the caramel, and the pears have beautiful hints of vanilla through out.
D got the avocado on toast. Avocado on toast is a very common brunch menu item these days. Mr Hendricks did put a spin on it, instead of the usual feta and mushroom it was served with corn fresh cut off the cob, feta, and salsa. I highly approve of the texture that the corn bought to the dish, but I wasn't a fan of the salsa. The salsa made me feel that something crunchy was missing on the plate. However this is just me nit picking.
R went with the crispy eggs and I got to try a bit of it.
The crispy eggs were as you expected it to be, crispy and a oozy yolk centre. Served with ham, sweet potato puree and a salad of fennel, walnuts and radish on a sourdough. I found this the most interesting out of all 3.
To share I ordered a rosemary fries, they were very fluffy on the inside but just a tad oily. I had initially hope for aioli to compliment them, however they didn't have any. Instead they offered us kewpie mayo. It was a nice surprise and I am glad, I preferred it over aioli.
We ended up being really satisfied and walked away feeling quite piggy.
Overall 16/20 as a new kid on the Melbourne brunch scene, Mr Hendricks came in with a bang. I would happily come back here (I really want to try that softshell crab burger that walking past me, as I was dining). The staff is lovely and the food is amazing, and I don't normally gush like this.
