Opened just two years ago on Albert Road is where the modern cafe of The Kettle Black sits. I was told that they are sisters of Top Paddock.

I love their white and gold themes that makes it classy but also comfy to dine in. Their furnitures are very cosy. Their high ceilings make you feel somewhat royal. Beautiful nature around you and they have extremely good use to space. They elevate as much as possible. They even tried to match their outdoor table umbrellas with the building.

This place is so popular that for a table for 2 on a Sunday needed at least 20 minutes wait. I find that their prices were slightly $2-$3 more than Chez Dre in South Melbourne which is so far my favourite place for brunch.

So J ordered a juice: Kale, Celery, Green Capsicum, Lemon, Apple – $7.00 whereas I ordered the Single Origin Mocha. The juice was “too green” for my liking, but J likes the earthiness of the drink. My mocha was just like other single origin coffees.

We had the TATAKI OCEAN TROUT WITH A RAW KALE & PICKLED VEGETABLE SALAD, SEAWEED, ALMONDS & POACHED EGGS, $21.00. The flesh was so soft that I had the thought it was undercooked. Each layer fell apart as my fork scratched its flesh. Although colourful and pretty in presentation, I personally didn’t like to eat the earthy decorations tossed on top of the Ocean Trout.

I ordered the CONFIT FREE RANGE PORK, COMPRESSED PEAR, POACHED EGGS, BUTTER EMULSION, $19.00. I loved this dish, underneath the poached eggs, lie the confit pork. It was well compacted and the portion of the pork was just right. The taste was spot on as I tried to have  it with my sough dough. Unfortunately I found the sough dough too chewy for my liking. Then there was the compressed pear… It was so refreshing leaving it til last. The pear added a kick to the whole dish. The tanginess of the pear tied it together from creamy butter emulsion to flavoured pork and finally to a palette cleanser – the pear. I couldn’t decipher what the white sprinkles were – sugar?

Website: http://www.thekettleblack.com.au
Location: 50 Albert Road, South Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC

Tasteelicious Rating:
Service: 4.5/5 (just because we had to wait for 20mins for a table for 2)
Ambience: 5/5
Entree: NA
Mains: 4/5
Dessert: NA
Beverage: 2.5/5
Overall: 16.5/20
★★★★