Monday, 2 May 2011

Auction rooms

Been MIA again because all 3 of us are busy with work. (yes, MM is employed again...at least until next week, after which 1.5months of holidays/travelling follows...can't wait!)
Well, not deviating from our previous theme...I chose to share with you today - Auction Rooms, a popular brunch spot in North Melbourne. I've been there a few times myself...probably a couple of times for brunch, and even once for dinner. The pictures in this post were taken when I was there with San for brunch, on a rather cloudy day, as one can tell.

love the sign



waiting for a table and just enjoying our surroundings


my fancy sandwich & San's sweet treat


Honestly, it's been that long that I don't remember how the sandwich tasted like...but I always enjoyed their menu filled with interesting picks (not just the usual brunch fare). I do remember it was yummy (and the yellow sauce dripped onto my new pale-pink leather bag (ouch)...I was my usual slob self).

I guess this is not much of a review eh? *sheepish*

But a quick summary - love the deco (pretty much like many of the cafes in melbourne ~ vintage-y, mismatched tables & chairs), large airy space (unlike many other cafes), friendly service each time I've been there, interesting menu...the downside, it does get pretty busy so expect to wait for a little bit for a table.

Sunday, 1 May 2011

Snow Pony

Greetings, y'all! Yes, we are back on the blogging block, and I certainly hope we are here to stay for a while longer. Lots has been happening since we last updated, but as MM had said, we never stopped eating (obviously) and am still always on the lookout for good food!

Brunchy times has become sort of a staple for girly get-togethers and catch-ups for us (as we have graduated from student girls to working girls (mostly), brunches are especially awesome for weekends), and lately I find our food adventures centering around the eggs, hams, bacons and COFFEE (as any self-respecting Melbournian, I am a complete addict).

Brunchy Pony Times!
MM has ventured to Snow Pony a couple of times with her uni-mates, and when we found out that it was one of the very few cafes opened on Easter Monday, we decided to swing by and hang out there. Snow Pony is a popular brunch spot that doesn't take reservations (because they clearly don't need to - hopping busy all the time), we had to wait about 20 minutes before snagging a table out in their little covered courtyard. It was a GORGEOUS day so the spot we had was really awesomesauce.

Snow Pony classic: Giddy Up, with scrambled eggs on the top and fried eggs on the bottom
MM and San opted for one of the menu favourites: Giddy Up (isn't the name just nauseatingly cute) with bacon, slow-roasted tomatoes, smashed avocado and thyme-buttered mushrooms. Sis opted for scrambled eggs and San opted for fried eggs. Sis loves the food (hence we are back there on her recommendation) and was overall very happy with her brunch plate. She especially heart the thyme mushrooms, which is a special for Snow Pony and its sister cafe in Hawthorn.

San's comments, specifically, were "full and happy" - so I guess we can make a deduction that she is one satisfied diner! :P But if I remember her comments as we were eating, she thought the roasted tomato was yums to the max. She also liked the avocado - in which I stole some off Sis' plate since she wasn't a fan of the veg in general. I like their avocado as it was salted and peppered quite perfectly with a hint of fresh herbs smashed (pardon the pun) in them!


Le Mouse choice: Fabulous herb + cheesy toast with bacon
Looking at the menu, my choice was the obvious choice for me, obviously (see nickname). But oh wow, the Snow Pony people didn't name this dish wrongly. It was FABULOUSSSSS. The MELTED CHEESE! It was hot, stringy, gooey and OH SO CHEESILY YUMMY - with a satisfying cheesy kick! I realised I'm sounding like some cheese-obsessed retard (trust me, I'm not...I think) but this is honestly one of the best cheesy toasts I've ever had. Added the fresh herbs melted into the cheese, and crusty seeded bread AND crispy bacon...nom nom nom. Very very happy. Very very satisfied. I should add that the bacon was made just the I like it - crisped and done just right without being fatty/burnt. Thumbs up!

Another house special: Lemonade scones
We knew these scones are massively popular, so we very cleverly asked to reserve some scones upon arrival - and snagged the last two they have left (yippee). They were served with blackberry (yay Blackberry!) and chantilly cream. The scones were crumbly and very tasty in the melt-in-your-mouth way, especially with a dollop of cream and a smear of jam. We were all especially taken with the cream, all of us found it to be very good and a fantastic accompaniment for the scones!

Price wise: all of our food, plus the usual coffees that goes with every single brunch came to just slightly below AUD$80. I'm pretty happy with the service as well - the staff is cheerful and friendly.

Overall, definitely a breakfast/brunch spot that goes into the recs/for keeps list. It probably is a good idea to go a little earlier especially during weekends, and be prepared to wait.

Snow Pony
95 Whitehorse Road
Balwyn VIC 3103
(03)9816 8911

- Mouse

P.S. a little trivia - do you peeps know why it's called Snow Pony? It's a clever word play on its location - Whitehorse Road. :P

Snow Pony on Urbanspoon

MART 130 (reprise)

Was sorting through old photos and found more pictures from my very visit to MART 130. The post is just to share the drool-worthy photos. It appears my friends and I had variations of the 4 types of 'mart eggs'. Perhaps for completion's sake, I should have included the mushroom & chives eggs (which already appeared in the previous post).


I'm hungry!!

-MM-