Brunch is probably my favourtest meal of the day, so catching up with friends over brunch is a no-brainer, since you know, two bird one stone. Stovetop is one of the better brunch places around Melbourne Uni. I used to like Seven Seeds quite a bit, but idk, over the years, the service have just gone down, and the atmosphere isn't all that inviting, having said that though, I still go there occasionally. Le Miel Et La Lune is another little gem that's quite consistent with the quality of food, and quiet enough for for a study session coupled with some great coffee. Stovetop is one that I've only found this year, but I've been to it twice already, and both times has been quite enjoyable.
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| Prana Chai Masala Blend - $4.00 |
Lovely little set up for some chai. I was worried that I'd spill chai all over myself or something, since I'm mega unco, but surprisingly, it was pretty darn easy. After adding a dash of honey, the chai still had a strong flavour, which is hard to come by nowadays I gotta say. I am never able to brew some decent chai at home, even with T2 loose leaf chai and soy milk, SOMEONE TEACH ME PLEASE :(
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Left: Soy Cappuccino - $4.00
Right: Skinny Flat White - $3.70 |
The coffee was nice as usual, nothing ground breaking, although it did have a bit of an acidic after taste, which was quite pleasant.
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| Baked Duck Egg - $15.00 |
I love it when places use these types of rustic plates, and that little pan is not only adorable, but keeps the baked egg nice and warm as well, in fact, I almost burnt myself when I touched it :( The only way I remember eating duck eggs is the salty duck eggs that we eat with congee at home, or the preserved duck eggs, and black and gooey, I used to hate it when I was younger, but now, I don't mind it so much. This is quite different from the usual baked eggs, the ragu of white beans, potato and chorizo was very flavoursome, however, I would've preferred more chorizo, or cut up into larger slices, as they were cut up into little cubes, which were lost amongst the rest of the ingredients.
I did like the addition of the black pudding crumble, it was present just enough to add a nice tang which cut through the richness of the baked egg itself.
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| Crispy Skinned Pork Belly - $17.00 |
This is quite a substantial dish, order it if you're feeling extra hungry! There were actually two slices of pork belly hiding beneath the salad, which my friend was super happy about, who wouldn't be? The crispy skin was certainly delivered, and the fresh and colourful watercress and apple salad prevented the dish from being over indulgent. I'm kind of confused with the fennel puree and salsa verde part of the dish, maybe they were combined into the green sauce that was underneath everything else? The sauce was quite thin, and did not add much to the dish itself. Oh yeh, more black pudding, you could really taste the sourness this time around, and it paired nicely with the pork belly.
With a convenient location, just under the Graduate Education Building on Leicester Street, it is no surprise that Stovetop is quite popular amongst students, tutors and the like, which means it can be quite packed around lunch time, due to the limited seats. One thing that kind of annoyed me was the poor service from one of the waitress, it was the typical "I'm too cool for you because I look indie" vibe, and yeh, it definitely tainted my experience.
How to get there:
Stovetop is located on the corner of Queensberry Street and Leicester Street, a short 5-10 minutes walk from the main campus of Melbourne University.
Labels: Brunch, Carlton, food
