October 24, 2012by Regina Chow2 CommentsUncategorized

Cafes in Melbourne Part 1

It is no secret that Melbourne’s cafe culture is a huge inspiration to many cities around the world, including Singapore. Sipping chai latte in petite hole-in-a-wall cafes is one of my favourite pastimes. That explains why I literally spent every single day cafe hopping while I was in Melbourne. The relaxed vibe, chic decor, enticing food and aromatic coffee are enough to make me giddy with excitement!
One of my favourite cafes is Hardware Societe, which serves delicious breakfast in a cozy, intimate setting. Unlike most cafes, where the food tends to be hit and miss, Hardware Societe whips up hearty and flavourful dishes that are bound to tantalize your tastebuds!

I am not an early bird and hardly have much appetite for breakfast in the morning, but the omelette with saffron potatoes, confit tomatoes, persian fetta and herbs (A$16) was just what I needed to whet my appetite. The fresh and tasty ingredients complemented the fluffy omelette perfectly, and every bite was accompanied by an explosion of flavours. It was an orgasmic experience!

JW had the baked eggs with chorizo sausages, paprika, spiced tomato concassee and idiazabel ewes milk cheese (A$16). If you’ve been to Wild Honey at Mandarin Gallery in Singapore, this tastes pretty much just like it except that the flavours are richer.

JW was also full of praise for the coffee at Hardware Societe. But then again, bad coffee is virtually non-existent in Melbourne!

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Chai Latte, my personal favourite of all time. Most chai lattes that I had in Melbourne turned out to be huge disappointments. Thankfully, Hardware Societe’s Soy Chai Latte was wonderful and the icing on the cake came in the form of a little churros ball. The cinnamon spices in the churros ball goes really well with the spices in the Chai Latte!

As you can tell, JW was very pleased with the food and drinks at Hardware Societe, so if you ever decide to pop by Melbourne, this is one cafe you have to stop by for breakfast!

If you’re crazy for Chai Latte (like me), you have to check out 1000£ Blend Cafe.

This cafe was formerly a motorbike repair garage that has since been refurbished to become one of the most interesting and distinctive hideouts for the creative community in Melbourne. Parked within the cafe itself is an art gallery and an air-conditioned cinema space, which are unique features that distinguish itself from the other run-of-the-mill cafes.

If you’re wondering why the both of us are busy looking at our mobile phones, that’s because this is one of the few cafes around with free wifi all day long!

Although we didn’t try the food here as the menu was rather limited, the chai latte here was the best that I’ve ever tried. Freshly brewed from tea leaves, this sweet, creamy concoction is the epitome of perfection. I was so bowled over by this delightful drink, I visited the cafe two days in a row just to get my chai latte fix!

Hardware Societe:
120 HARDWARE STREET, MELBOURNE, VIC 3000
1000£ Blend Cafe
361 LT LONSDALE STREET
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
Look out for more reviews on the cafes I visited in Melbourne in my next post! 🙂