Dench Bakers - 109 Scotchmer St, Fitzroy North

Okay, I've been a bit slow getting my posts up...mainly because I've agreed (ages ago, before the conception of this blog) to join a study for IBS/Crohns where certain dietary sugar is analysed for their effects in people with these conditions. I do not and do not wish for anyone to have it but I've been recruited as a 'normal, healthy, control'. Why did I join? Well, I was told that all I needed to do was EAT!! So, I thought, how hard can that be? Of course, there's the added benefit of being provided with the food that I need to eat. SUPER!! Then, of course, as always, there is a downside...I need to record all my symptoms. I can do that....and...collect urine and stool sample...hmm....(okay, you guys don't need the details)

The thing is, I've agreed to do it, so I am doing it. Right now! Which means I can't really eat out(I won't cheat). So, unless you want to know how my food, provided by Monash University/Eastern Health, tastes like, there will be a slight delay between posts as I participate in this worthy study.

Anyway, I really wanted to get past 'D' because I knew where I wanted to go - Dench Bakers, in Fitzroy North. The reason...I heard rumours that the bread that I had from Court Jesters, which fascinated me so much (till this day), was from Dench Bakers. How cool is that?

So, finally, I persuaded a friend to join me for lunch at Dench Bakers. I quickly reheated my special study food, minestrone soup, and gobbled that down with special spelt bread provided by the study (they were nice) and headed off to Dench Bakers in Scotchmer St, Fitzroy North. Thankfully, we were able to get a table inside but given that it was past lunch time, they had run out of most of their sandwiches/focaccias/paninis (aka sandwich in Italian but usually referred to pressed/toasted ones in Oz). My friend settled for a salami focaccia which came with generous amount of salad in it.

There was also a special menu and personally, I thought the asparagus, white bean paste on toast looked good, so did the braised sticky lamb but poor me, I settled for a long black, added my very own Liddell's lactose free milk (which I did bring along) and soaked in the environment.

The place isn't big but the way the tables were arranged made it fairly spacious and though it wasn't packed, it was steadily busy with groups of people coming and going. The staff were courteous and professional (some would probably say a bit pretentious??), the food, from what I was told and I could see, was very nice. I would have loved, absolutely loved, to try some of the cakes/desserts on offer, including the Bienenstich (I absolutely love custard) but oo well, for the greater good of all with IBS/Crohns, I resisted. But next time I'm back, you know what I'll be getting...

Court Jester Cafe - 15 Breese St, Brunswick

And so, the story begins…

In ancient times from a land far away, there lived a lonesome beast. Known only by a select few, the secret of the 'Jester' has been kept secure and hidden from a world that was not quite ready for it.(taken from http://www.courtjestercafe.com.au/)

Until now…

The story goes on that the Jester eventually escaped a life of captivity into a world of freedom, escaping a life of bland, uninspiring food into a world of filled with choices in ingredients, tastes and textures…

The eventual partnership between Jester and ‘Maxcat’ brings together food, with all its different tastes and textures and art, with its unique textures and complex philosophies.

At Court Jester Café, the two work so well together, each enhancing the experience of the other. The moment we walked in, we were greeted by colourful work of arts and a mild, woody and pleasantly smoky aroma from the kitchen. The menu, as we were told was written on the wall that’s been made into a big chalkboard set amidst works of art by local artists. A large communal table sits in the middle of this warehouse convert with a few chairs and tables out front and in the small courtyard behind.

Court Jester Café serves none of the mild, traditional breakfasts of jam on toast or croissants or muesli. Rather, it has a very unique and interesting menu that looks very German to me. I was told it was Eastern European but perhaps, Central European is more accurate??

Anyway, after spending 10minutes craning our necks and staring at a menu that’s full of, ‘I want to try this’, ‘this sounds interesting’, ‘should we order this as well? No, that’ll be too much…’, we finally decided on the Creamy Casper (baked eggs) and Golapki (polish style cabbage rolls). We had our usual, chai latte for Mr A and long black with side of soy for me.

The drinks took a while to arrive but when they did, they arrived in cute saucers that reminded me of my grandma’s treasures. The chai was pretty decent though honestly, I thought the long black was a bit too bitter for me.

Whilst we were waiting for our food, I noticed some chisels left out on the table and realized that patrons are actually encouraged to ‘do some arts’ whilst waiting, so without any further encouragement, I started carving my name into the table (I’ll think of something more original for my next wait).

When the food eventually arrived, it looked so impressive that the wait was forgiven. The baked eggs were done to perfection, crisp topping with beautifully baked gruyere cheese. It tasted fantastic too, each ingredient not overpowering the other. It also did not taste greasy but rather, the gruyere cheese gave it a sweet and slightly salty but definitely creamy taste and texture.

My cabbage rolls with sauerkraut was done beautifully. I’ve found traditional sauerkraut to be too sour for my taste and generally do not like them but these ones were definitely not sour but rather, I found them slightly sweet and complemented the golapkis very well. Maybe they're not as fermented??

The bread that I had was quite unique as well. Apart from the smokiness from the wood fire over, it had a mild fragrance that was fruity as well as flowery. It was puzzling enough that I spent the whole time trying to figure the taste out…and still figuring (cause I forgot to ask!! Oo well, just have to return again…but i think it's rye with some ground spices...the way the germans like it?!?)

All in all, it was an absolute pleasure to have dined here (though good coffee would have made it absolutely, wonderfully fantastic) and I could not stop raving about it for the rest of the day. Will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu.

Bomb Cafe - 229 Johnston St, Abbotsford

Woke up today with only one thing on my mind…poached eggs. The last time I had really nice poached eggs was at Jackson Dodd’s in West Preston. Just as I was tossing between making my own poached eggs (50% failure rate) or having it out, I noticed the nice sunny weather outside (yes, in Melbourne) and decision was made for me.

A quick search through the multitude of cafés in Melbourne led me to one that seemed relatively unknown/undiscovered but seemed to have given itself a decent reputation for good eggs-Bomb Cafe on Johnston St in Abbotsford. It’s also located in a part of town where I used to live in and where the Pies call home (close enough) :D

Entering this small, inconspicuous café (had to drive around twice before we noticed the café), we saw three guys making banquettes behind the counter with 2 bags full of fresh bread from the Convent sitting next to the counter.

The place is very small. A small front dining area with a narrow corridor going to the 'lounge room' and a small courtyard outside which I'm sure would be put to good use in summer.

I was starving, so decided to go for the biggest, baddest looking thing on the menu, the Bomb Breakfast which consisted of 2 eggs, tomatoes, spinach, mushroom, chorizo, red onions and baby potatoes.

My bro ordered the Eggs Benedict and a strong latte. Whilst I tried the milder, organic coffee. (Yes, they serve two different types of coffee beans. You’re welcome to bring your own cup too J)

Given that we were the only ones in the café at that hour, the food came out in about 15 minutes which I considered a bit long.

The Eggs Benedict was nicely done. Nicely poached eggs topped with smooth and creamy hollandaise sauce. The sauce tasted rich and buttery and worked well with the eggs.

What about the Bomb Breakfast? Well...there were two eggs on the plate and one was BEAUTIFULLY done. Perfectly poached with a soft and runny yolk that was just an absolute pleasure to even look at. Divine!! The other one however was a disappointment as it was way overcooked.

The tomatoes were nicely done with just the right amount of spices added to it and went very well with the tanginess of the tomatoes. (I’ve always wondered if tomatoes are fruits or vegetables?) The problem with this meal for me though is that there were too many different competing flavors on the dish-the saltiness of the chorizo, the sweetness of the onions, the tanginess and spices from the tomatoes etc…overall, I think they made the dish a bit too complicated for me. Visually impressive but perhaps a bit too much for my taste buds.

The verdict? A nice small local café that serves the neighborhood very well though I doubt it has enough to tempt me into driving all the way there for breakfast but if I lived locally, definitely the place to go for my coffees.