Poached

169 Lygon St, Brunswick East

Upper Lygon St - the part north of Brunswick Road - already has a range of quality cafes and restaurants , covering most of the international food spectrum, with il Carusi and Kake di Hatti as notable highlights. In recent weeks at least three new places have opened up - Poached (at #169), Rumi (at #132 replacing a wood-fired pizza restaurant) and El Mirage (#329).

For breakfast on the divine Saturday morning preceding the Big Game (hard luck Swans fans) I tried the first of the three. Poached, as its name suggests, has a sizeable breakfast menu, covering the basics of build-it-yourself eggs, bacon, sausage, mush etc. I was excited to see that they had grilled potatoes as one of their optional extras. I went for the chorizo omelette, with haloumi and roast tomatoes. It came served with some very tasty, thick-cut sourdough, and a pad of butter. It was more crepe than omelette, with chunky chorizo pieces that were a little chewy but very flavoursome. The haloumi wasn’t too salty, and lent an almost calamari texture when mixed with the thin, folded egg. The table next to me was served a very impressive looking plate of pancakes with masses of strawberry and ice cream.

My latte was a on the milky side, with a high crema. There’s no chai tea on the menu, but a good range of other herbals. Most impressive about the menu was pricing, with none of the breakfast options over $12.50 (they also have a fine looking range of sandwiches for lunch). They serve a range of breads with meals, including gluten free. Home-made muffins and slices are available to take away if you think you’ll need a mid-morning (or afternoon snack). There’s outdoor seating front and back. The interior is light and basic, with a slate floor.

The food is well-priced, the service friendly (with regular water top-ups). The menu is perhaps a little predictable and would be helped by the addition of a signature breakfast dish.