The Salmon Shop - Tassal

Now that exams are finally over, expect to see a lot more blog posts coming your way. If you thought I ate a lot while I was at uni, wait till you see how much I can eat while I'm on holidays! So if you've ever eaten with me, you'd know that I LOVE salmon and that we legitimately think it is the greatest fish in the sea.What's not to love about it, it tastes good raw, baked, smoked, the possibilities with salmon are endless. So of course when I heard that there was a brunch spot in Kew called the Salmon Shop, I knew I had to go check it out for myself. Now if you've ever bought salmon from the supermarket, you would've noticed that one of the brands that supplies salmon is Tassal. Tassal, in all of it's vibrant blue glory, is actually Australia's biggest salmon producer and the Salmon Shop in Kew along with the one in Tasmania is owned by this very brand! 

As you can see from the picture above, the Salmon Shop is not just a cafe, but also a cooking studio and a shop as well. Unfortunately when I went, there weren't any demonstrations on, but be sure to keep an eye out as from time to time there will be guest chefs in store showcasing the versatility of salmon. If you're looking for more information about these demonstrations, have a look at the Salmon Shop's cooking events calendar on their website.

That's the cooking studio in the back there, I couldn't get too close though cause that man was staring me down!

Now for the food and drinks. I ordered my usual chai latte and was left feeling disappointed as it was equivalent to drinking a cup of milk! There was just no flavour in the drink and I could barely taste any chai in it at all. This might not have annoyed me so much if we were given water to wash it down with but service was rather inattentive and by the end of the meal we still hadn’t received any water at all.

Chai Latte - $4.00

The one thing the Salmon Shop did get right though was of course the salmon! I opted for the ‘Taste of the Salmon Shop’ dish as the reason I came to the store was salmon. So what could be better than salmon? Salmon cooked three ways! The dish included Creole hot smoked salmon, salmon mousse, Regartta Point Cold Smoked Salmon along with some pickled beetroot and olives. Out of the three salmons, my favourite was definitely the hot smoked salmon as it was so wonderfully flavoursome and flaked apart beautifully. But the deliciousness didn't just stop there either as the mousse and cold smoked salmon were also very tasty as well! I have to admit I was a little bit weary of the mousse as I’ve tried horrible salmon pates before but this mousse was done very well and wasn't overly creamy or artificial tasting at all. Not to be outdone, the cold smoked salmon was also a step above the usual salmon you could get at other cafes and was so incredibly fresh! Combined with the acidity from the pickled beetroots, this dish was a must have in my opinion. The only thing I didn't like about the dish though were the olives, but that's simply because I'm not a fan of olives so don't let that deter you!

Taste of the Salmon Shop - Creole Hot Smoked Salmon, Salmon Mousse, Regartta Point Cold Smoked Salmon, Marinated Olives, Beetroot Pickle and Artisan Bread - $22.50

As for C, she opted for the safer option and ordered the breakfast bagel along with some crispy bacon. While the salmon was once again of an excellent standard, C found the rest of her meal pretty average but luckily for her, the bacon was done to her liking. C's pretty picky with her bacon (I would know from the number of times we've eaten breakfast together) so if she thought it was good, then it definitely was. 

Breakfast Bagel - Fried Eggs, Smoked Salmon, Sauteed Spinach and Cream Cheese on a Toasted Bagel- $13.50

Crispy Bacon - $3.00

If you're a salmon lover, then I'd definitely recommend stopping by the Salmon Shop some time soon. The salmon is absolutely phenomenal and I've yet to find a place that serves salmon that can match up to the quality and freshness found here.

The Salmon Shop

Location:

339/343 High St, Kew VIC 3101

Contact: (03) 9092 0777

Opening Hours:

Cafe

Everyday - 7:30am - 3:00pm

Shop

Mon - Fri - 9:00am - 6:00pm

Sat - Sun - 9:00am - 4:00pm

Closed on Public Holidays

Pricing: $$

Do you like salmon? Do you prefer it raw or cooked?

Breakfast Thieves

Miss M

Upon waking up, I was feeling rather peckish as the night before, K and I had attended a ball and sadly it had only served up a 2 course meal. As we checked out of our hotel, I saw people walking by with coffees and food in their hands and was contemplating different ways to steal their food (key word: contemplating). Enter the idea of going to Breakfast Thieves.

Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Smith St, we found Breakfast Thieves thankfully before the hail started. The interior was simplistic yet charming and we were quickly seated thanks to the communal table that could fit all five of us. I loved the fact that each table had a bright and full bouquet on it as opposed to the single flower you would normally see in cafes, it really brightened up the place and all of our moods... except for E's.

We called this piece, the juxtaposition of life and death, obviously E had too much fun last night.

Since the boys were too hungover to stomach any food only C and I ordered food and drinks, as per usual I opted for the chai tea while C went for the soy hot chocolate. The chai was decent overall and was nothing too special but I liked the fact that it came out in a teapot as I hate it when my chai tea goes cold and the teapot kept my tea nice and warm. 

Calmer Sutra Chai Latte - $4.00

While waiting for our food to arrive, C and I looked around the room and noticed this cute blackboard which said "Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the main reason I have trust issues". I really couldn't have said it better myself, as there have been many a time when have I bitten into a raisin cookie expecting the sweet taste of chocolate only to taste nothing but disappointment and lack of faith in the world.

The food took its sweet time coming to us but when it did, it did not disappoint. I ended up choosing the Brioche Pain Perdu which was unusual for me as I never opt for sweet breakfasts but after this one I think I might just have to start to! 

Brioche Pain Perdu: French toast served with spiced wine poached pears, white chocolate mascarpone mousse and candied pistachio - $17.00

Look at that beauty of a dish, I loved everything about it!! Not sure if it was just because I was really hungry and slightly hungover but I thoroughly enjoyed it, the pears were perfectly poached and really helped balance out the heaviness of the french toast (which mind you was also very delectable). The pistachios added that much needed crunch to the dish and as for the white chocolate mascarpone mousse, I would have to say it was honestly the star on the plate. I am a massive fan of white chocolate and this one was just so wonderfully smooth and creamy. I hate it when white chocolate is overly sweet and sugary but this one was done just right. 

The Legend: Spicy baked eggs with spanish chorizo, roasted mushroom, green peas, feta, served with herbed garlic toast - $18.00

As for C, she took the savory route and ordered the baked eggs which turned out to be quite disappointing. While I liked the heat in the dish, I found it to be too salty and after a few nibbles I was already reaching for water. The eggs were also a little too runny for my liking but however they provided relief from the overwhelming saltiness and once C finished the eggs, she struggled to finish off the rest of her dish.

How cute are the little golden books? I used to love reading and collecting these as a child!

My experience at Breakfast Thieves was really enjoyable, the cafe had a chilled ambiance to it which was good for all our hangovers and my breakfast was absolutely delicious. So much so that I want to try more sweet breakfasts from now on as this one proved to be so good. But overall however, it was a bit of a hit and miss so if you do go be sure to try out the brioche rather than the baked eggs!

Also here's some snaps of K and I at our ball, apologies for the lack of updates from K as she's been super busy with her mid sem intensive course and med interview, she'll be back when our exams are over and done with!

Breakfast Thieves

Location:

Shop 1, 420 Gore St  Fitzroy VIC 3065

Contact: (03) 9416 4884

Opening Hours:

Mon - Closed

Tues - Fri 7:30 am - 4:00pm

Sat - Sun 8:00am - 4:00pm

Pricing: $$

Do you prefer sweet or savory breakfasts?

Twenty & Six Espresso

Miss M
Having uni in the city definitely has it’s perks as there are so many cafes and restaurants to choose from, the only problem is, K and I can never decide which one to choose! After much deliberation and eye rolling from our friends, K and I finally decided to go Twenty & Six Espresso as I've been meaning to try it out ever since I walked past it a month ago.

Upon walking into Twenty & Six Espresso, I found the cafe to be rather small but quirky with all it's cute wall decor, what really caught my eye though was the crates hanging off the wall. How adorable do they look!

As it was a sunny day, K and I opted to sit at the back in the courtyard, which turned out to be a great idea as we had the courtyard all to ourselves and it was such a lovely little space as well. 

The staff were extremely pleasant and helpful and after a recommendation from the waitress I settled on the chai latte as it was made in house with their own unique blend of spices. Our drinks came out promptly in little bowls which was such a cute touch and the chai was exactly what the waitress promised and more! It was just the right amount of sweet with the addition of honey and would most definitely be sitting in my top five for chai lattes.

House Chai Latte - $4.00 

Add Honey - $0.50

After much deliberation between the sweet dish, Dee's Nuts and the savoury dish,The Shepherd, K finally convinced me to order the latter as our friend A had already given us a container full of pure chocolate bliss from Laurent. The Shepherd, was a Pimiento braised lamb shoulder with cauliflower, pearl barley, pine nuts, gremolata and migas. The star of the dish, the lamb, was done exceptionally well, it was tender, juicy and practically melted in my mouth. It's combination with the gremolata and nuts was definitely a winner for me, the gremolata provided a fresh citrus zing to the lamb and the barley and nuts gave the dish that extra crunch. Aside from that, I found that I didn't really care for the other components of the dish and could have done without the migas which in my opinion, tasted like the flavoring you would find in Mama silver packet noodles and made the dish a lot saltier than what I would've preferred. 

The Shepherd: Pimiento braised lamb shoulder with cauliflower, pearl barley, pine nuts, gremolata and migas - $18.90

Besides that minor detail though, I quite enjoyed my lamb dish and would definitely return to Twenty & Six Espresso again to try out their other dishes (I'm looking at you Dee's Nuts!). For anyone who is planning to visit Twenty & Six Espresso anytime soon, I highly recommend giving their chai latte a go, it was such a pleasant surprise for me and if anything I would come back just to have this little cup bowl of heaven again.

Miss K
While M indulged in the lamb shoulder, I strayed away from my usual salmon dish and went for ‘The Honky Tonks’ ($16.9). I must admit the name played a role in my decision but the meal itself did sound appealing. Nestled in the cosy courtyard that was reminiscent of a vegetable garden, chipotle pulled pork sliders accompanied by a winter root vegetable slaw, butter roasted pepitas and kettle chips sounded perfect. 

I also ordered the Mörk hot chocolate ($4.5), again, partly because of the intriguing name. The drinks were quick to come out and I was quick to divulge in it. The hot chocolate was not sickeningly sweet, which I was worried of, as it was made of dutch cocoa and coconut sap sugar. If you, like me, love the combo of dark chocolate with coconut undertones, I would really recommend you try this drink

Mörk Hot Chocolate - $4.50

The food followed soon after and I was disappointed to see that the kettle chips were just that, packaged Kettle chips. The other accompaniment of winter root vegetable slaw was also underwhelming, with what I mistakenly thought was beetroot turning out to be some salty, fluorescent purple, pickled vegetable. Having tried these dissatisfying sides, I was putting all my hopes on the sliders. Although the bun was quite dry, the moist and tender pulled pork made this small downside barely noticeable. Drizzled with aioli and contrasted with the crunch of the white cabbage, these pulled pork sliders really were the highlight of the dish. 

The Honky Tonks: Chipotle pulled pork sliders with white cabbage, aioli, winter root vegetable slaw, butter roasted pepitas and kettle chips - $16.90

Despite the disappointing sides, I believe Twenty & Six Espresso has potential and would come back to try more of their menu... as well as have some coconut-y hot choc again!

Twenty & Six Espresso
Location:

594 Queensberry St  North Melbourne VIC 3051

Contact:
(03) 9329 0298
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri 7:30am - 3:30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
Sat - Sun 8:00am - 3:30pm
Pricing: $$

Have you tried Twenty & Six Espresso before? What was your favourite dish?