I've pushed this brunch far far back because I've been always feeling lazy on early chilly mornings. But today, I want to feel full the whole day...and treat myself with something wholesome and special. Yes, I am a year older today but always wiser so I'm determined to try new things, with some surprises along the way and the familiar later.
Hawthorn was a bit far to reach but all the more worthwhile and special. It is on the corner of a laneway and Barkers Road, near the Methodist Ladies College. Tucked nicely away but if you squint, you can see it from a few blocks away. I was there a bit earlier than usual, so the place was not yet packed. As I entered, I can already see some people tucking into their ricotta pancakes, so I made a note to try that out. But...I also wanted to try their oven-baked corn fritters with smoked salmon so I asked my server if they can do half orders of the pancakes. Fortunately, for me, they can, so it's a good start overall to my day.
Replete Oven Baked Corn Fritters with Smoked Salmon, Poached Egg and Tomato Chilli Relish - very nice I should say, for my first corn fritters since I came to Melbourne. Corn fritters, at some places, is part of the breakfast/brunch repertoire and should always be made with fresh corn kernels. I personally prefer the corn kernels to be sweet and ligther. Replete's version is slightly on the heavy side, and full of cumin. For me, not entirely pleasant but still nice. The tomato relish is definitely home-made, I can taste the chunky tomatoes and spicy chilli relish, making it tangy and sweet.
Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries and Lemon Curd - I just ordered a piece of this, since I wanted to try it out. This dish is part of The Age's Cheap Eats for 2009. Honestly, the lemon curd is excellently made with the right bite and texture that I always wanted but not heavy. It was a light burst on the tongue with the bland pancake. Strawberries are not skimped with a very nice raspberry-like sauce dressed on top. Just one complaint--the pancake wasn't entirely cooked through. I can still see the batter surrounding the ricotta in the middle and sometimes I can taste the flour from the batter. Not too pleasant.
Replete Providore gives me the feeling that it should hold its place there serving up honest to goodness food. Sure, it's not perfect but that's the key thing. To not be perfect but still serve up a good meal. Maybe it's not an ideal brunch gourmandise's heaven, but it fits the bill and the hungry stomach.
Hawthorn was a bit far to reach but all the more worthwhile and special. It is on the corner of a laneway and Barkers Road, near the Methodist Ladies College. Tucked nicely away but if you squint, you can see it from a few blocks away. I was there a bit earlier than usual, so the place was not yet packed. As I entered, I can already see some people tucking into their ricotta pancakes, so I made a note to try that out. But...I also wanted to try their oven-baked corn fritters with smoked salmon so I asked my server if they can do half orders of the pancakes. Fortunately, for me, they can, so it's a good start overall to my day.
Replete Oven Baked Corn Fritters with Smoked Salmon, Poached Egg and Tomato Chilli Relish - very nice I should say, for my first corn fritters since I came to Melbourne. Corn fritters, at some places, is part of the breakfast/brunch repertoire and should always be made with fresh corn kernels. I personally prefer the corn kernels to be sweet and ligther. Replete's version is slightly on the heavy side, and full of cumin. For me, not entirely pleasant but still nice. The tomato relish is definitely home-made, I can taste the chunky tomatoes and spicy chilli relish, making it tangy and sweet. Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries and Lemon Curd - I just ordered a piece of this, since I wanted to try it out. This dish is part of The Age's Cheap Eats for 2009. Honestly, the lemon curd is excellently made with the right bite and texture that I always wanted but not heavy. It was a light burst on the tongue with the bland pancake. Strawberries are not skimped with a very nice raspberry-like sauce dressed on top. Just one complaint--the pancake wasn't entirely cooked through. I can still see the batter surrounding the ricotta in the middle and sometimes I can taste the flour from the batter. Not too pleasant. Replete Providore gives me the feeling that it should hold its place there serving up honest to goodness food. Sure, it's not perfect but that's the key thing. To not be perfect but still serve up a good meal. Maybe it's not an ideal brunch gourmandise's heaven, but it fits the bill and the hungry stomach.
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