Good Coffee

Common Galaxia – Seddon – Monday 25 April 2016 – Lunch
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Common Galaxia – Seddon – Monday 25 April 2016 – Lunch

Wagyu burger

Wagyu burger

Seddon is one of the hot suburbs in the West at the moment. It is not huge by area, but what it is offering in terms of cafes and restaurants could be considered punching above its weight.

Today we are here are checking out Common Galaxia; one cafe that I’ve heard plenty about. There are some places that seem to hit your subconscious more than others, and this is certainly one, with photos of its milkshakes all over the place.

We’re not here for milkshakes today, but having seen many of the creations while eating lunch there is no doubt our next visit is around the corner. Catherine, still in a breakfast mode, orders eggs benedict with Grandma ham and hollandaise, and I go for the wagyu burger.

So far it has been great. We enquired about booking for lunch and found that there is the usual no bookings policy, but the helpful staff still put us down for a table at 12.30pm or thereabouts. Add to this the coffee is great and Catherine’s orange, apple, and strawberry juice is delicious.

Good ol' eggs benny with grandma ham & hollandaise

Good ol’ eggs benny with grandma ham & hollandaise

The wagyu burger comes out and looks ridiculously good with Swiss cheese oozing over the patty along with plenty of wholegrain mustard for good measure. There’s lots of bacon and caramelised onion too, not to mention pickled red cabbage at the bottom. All of this inside a beautiful brioche bun could be perfect, however the small let down is the overcooked wagyu patty, which after all is the star ingredient. There is no such issue with the gorgeous crispy kipfler potatoes in jimmy salt!

The eggs benedict is absolutely perfect though, with stunning poached eggs, delicious ham, and well executed hollandaise. This is an old favourite of Catherine’s and she is in heaven.

Our first of hopefully many trips to Common Galaxia is definitely worth the drive West and shows the abundance of great places that are really not that far away.

Common Galaxia Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Mixed Business – Clifton Hill – Sunday 1 May 2016 – Breakfast

Omelette with smoked cherry tomatoes

Smashed pea and ricotta omelette with fresh mint and smoked cherry tomato

This is one part of Melbourne that is not particularly scenic, next to both train and tram tracks, and a double lane busy road. The scene is not important though when assessing a new place to try for breakfast.

Mixed Business is next to the Terminus Hotel, another place that we are yet to try, but it is on the very long list. We have a short wait outside, which on many other days would be extremely pleasant, but today it feels like winter has come. Three groups waiting are asked whether they would like to take occupation in the courtyard and the resounding decision is no, no and no!

A few minutes later and we have a great position overlooking the baristas on the counter. My eye is immediately taken by a smashed pea and ricotta omelette with fresh mint and smoked cherry tomato. It comes out looking great, with toast that is actually buttered, which unfortunately isn’t a rule anymore.

The omelette itself is well executed, nicely folded with the smashed pea, ricotta and smoked cherry tomato all neatly hidden, but exhibiting enough flavour that each bite has that full spectrum of those tastes. Catherine chooses the potato and rosemary rosti with poached eggs, avocado and house relish. The poached eggs are perfectly cooked, oozing over the toast and providing some extra sauce in addition to the relish to go over the potato rosti. The rosti itself is crisp but has plenty of soft potato in between. It is a nice simple combination.

Potato and rosemary rosti with poached eggs on toast, avocado and house relish

Potato and rosemary rosti with poached eggs on toast, avocado and house relish

The Seven Seeds blend here is so well made that I try three long blacks. I love the fact they are served just-extracted, without filling the cup up to the brim with hot water. While it would be great for a single origin to be offered, the blend makes for a terrific coffee. Catherine had semi-sweet freshly squeezed orange juice, and a spearmint tea with fresh mint which was a good way to finish.

We had no issues with service being right on the counter, meaning every time we needed anything it was only a metre away. Inside, besides being sheltered from the weather, the café is minimalist with white walls, high ceilings, and a mix of wooden table settings. The courtyard is particularly appealing for warmer days, with plenty of nicely shaded tables, and some would be in the open sun.

Mixed Business is the right combination of excellent food and coffee in a casual and comfortable setting. It is definitely one for the return list, especially to combine with a trip to the Terminus for a beer after breakfast or lunch.

Mixed Business Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato