Cafe Melba @ Goodman Arts Center

My brushes with Cafe Melba have been sporadic and somewhat ill-fated. I have missed visits because of the rain, too many bad reviews and alas, one fine Sunday morning we just decided to give the place a try. At a bright and almost ungodly hour for some of 830am, we were amongst the first to arrive and definitely had the liberty to pick and choose our lazy spot. 



High tables or short ones for choice. 



A thoughtful reminder to make "Eat with your family day" a regular affair.



The bar where alcohol dreams are concocted.



Pancakes out to tan! 

A really simple yet pleasing to the eye combination. 

Croissants with home made toasted sourdough and preserves($12)

  

Meant for two, these smelt incredibly fragrant and looked absolutely wholesome in the wooden tray. Taste tests, however, showed otherwise. The buttery layers were missing once I sunk my pearlies into them and they were somewhat dry. Chocolate croissant was perhaps the best of the bread basket and the rest, as ordinary as can be. 

Full Melba cooked breakfast ($25)

Scrambled eggs, pork sausages, home-cured bacon, roasted cherry vine tomatoes, baked beans, mushrooms, hash brown and home made toast 

I'm not sure why and when did brunch mean getting a dish with the full works - and so did we out of habit, yet again. Hearty breakfast to kick start the day - just not much of a culinary awakening. 

Pancakes ($15)

Cherry compote, whipped cream and maple syrup

With the pastry chef only coming to work at 11am, our only source of dessert existed in the form of pancakes. I like their pancakes, cake like and hardly greasy. Four slabs of it and belly satisfying it was. 


 

Free range eggs benedict ($20)
Smoked Salmon ($3)

Poached eggs, toasted english muffins, home-cured bacon, roasted cherry vine tomatoes, lemon hollandaise sauce

A surcharge of $3 to replace bacon with smoked salmon, I can only say the replacement is not worth it. 



The most heartbreaking move - slicing the egg open. 



Poached eggs were pint-sized, has to be the free range chickens that make the usual eggs seem like giants. The hollandaise sauce was lacking in some oomph, mostly creamy. I loved the english muffins though, chewy and fluffy - almost like Mcdonalds.

Red Velvet ($10)

Under the category of Liquid dessert, I had no cake but had to fulfill the craving so liquify it I did. I definitely was not expecting to be wowed but wowed I was. Rich as it would be in a cake form, this was molten velvet with every sip. I wonder why they do not offer red velvet cakes when they do this so fine and dandy. Whipped cream and white chocolate, I embraced them all..what what is Sunday without a decadent treat like this? Two thumbs up and raring for a return!



I usually resist ordering drinks unless the beverage menu is different..habitual perhaps.

Hot Chocolate ($7)

Richer than milo and was the perfect start to a lazy day ahead.  

Black currant Iced Tea ($7)

Their teas are from TWG and well, nothing much can be said of these tea bags. 

Brunch at Cafe Melba is leisurely and hearty, head there early to avoid crowds which also means better service. We were the only other table without kids - Kid friendly place with a blown up bouncy castle and sand pitch for the kids to run and scream and well, lead a fun childhood.  



I remember these being the highlight of a happy childhood. 



A mini herb garden too!

 

Would be back for the truffle fries which are only available after 11 and another shot at their awesome liquid desserts. 

Cafe Melba

Goodman Arts Center