[Melbourne] Hobba Coffee & Kitchen

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Hobba Coffee & Kitchen

Add: 428 Malvern Road, Prahran
Tel: (03) 9510 8336
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 7am~5pm [Sun] 8am~5pm
Webiste: hobba.com.au/Hobba
Price: 15~25 AUD/meal
Visited on: 2012-04

Through a string of serendipitous events, we arrived at the doorsteps of Hobba Coffee & Kitchen on a sunny late morning. We took a quick glance at this cafe, housed in a huge converted garage with an open-air design, lofty ceilings, bare bricks, and exposed wooden beams, and decided that this is a place to stay. As we eased ourselves into one of the wooden booths, I took note of its laid-back atmosphere, brought alive by friendly waitstaff and Melbourne’s early Autumn breeze. What’s on the brunch menu? Simple, comforting dishes made with fresh, local produce from “the most accomplished people in the industry”. Perfect, just what we were in the mood for.

First, flat white (3.80 AUD), latte (3.80 AUD), espresso (3.50 AUD), so smooth and aromatic, I was starting to think that it’s impossible to get a bad cup of coffee in Melbourne.

Here’s a friend’s fried egg, bubble & squeak, farmhouse slab bacon, roast tomato, brown butter hollandaise (16.50 AUD). What is “bubble & squeak”, you may ask? This traditional English dish, named after the sound made whilst cooking, is a mix of mashed potatoes and chopped cabbages (though carrots, peas, brussels sprouts or other vegetables can also be added), shallow-fried in a pan until browned at the sides. It’s that yellow thing is the second picture below, and it’s delicious. I was also very in love with the brown butter hollandaise, its creamy texture and nutty aroma made it a heavenly match with the crusty bread.

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[Melbourne] Market Lane Coffee

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Market Lane Coffee

Add*: Shop 13, Prahran Market/163 Commercial Road  South Yarra VIC 3141, Australia
Tel: (03)9804 7434
Hours: 7/8am~4/5pm (depends on the day)
Website: www.marketlane.com.au
Price: 3.50~5.00AUD/coffee
Visited on: 2012-04

At Market Lane Coffee, there’s no skim milk, no decaf, and no tea (or hot chocolate or anything resembling a frappuccino for that matter). They only do one thing – coffee – and they do it well. Delicious, high-quality coffee are seasonally sourced, freshly roasted, and meticulously brewed here, and if you are interested in learning, the baristas will generously share stories on where the beans come from and how their journeys have influenced their taste. But really, even if you are not a coffee aficionado, you will like Market Lane Coffee for its bright, airy, ever so pleasant interior. This is a place to linger.

*Second location at Queen Victoria Market

To help you order, here’s a coffee diagram. Espresso or pour over? Lighter body or bigger body? Strong or smooth? No milk, dash of milk, 1/3 milk, or mostly milk? Simple enough :)

Market Lane Coffee only serves coffee that is in season, and the offerings change throughout the year to reflect that. Here’s a cup of flat white and a latte (both 4.00AUD) brewed from Rwanda Musasa beans, recommended to us by the coffee barista. Admittedly, I’m not so gifted in discerning coffee flavors, but this is what Rwanda Musasa beans should taste like: buttery mouthful with tropical fruits and notes of cherry and peach!

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