Humble Rays

Humble Rays opened in Carlton late 2016. Although not situated at any busy shops, it’s very close to Melbourne University and can imagine this place being a popular hang out spot for university students.

We had to wait in line for 30-35 minutes on a Sunday afternoon (around 12.30pm). It wasn’t too bad as the staff advised us how long it’ll take to get a table of three. They estimated the wait time well, so we weren’t disappointed. The dining area is big, many table of 2’s and 4’s. A communal table at the front for up to 8 people. They also serve 2’s and 4’s on this table. We saw many diners with kids and babies there – not too tight in space.

C ordered a Houjicha latte, it smelt very good and the taste was pretty strong.

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J ordered his usual Matcha latte and he enjoyed it – it was a good matcha latte, but not as strong as the ones he usually gets.img_0852-3837866

I ordered a wet chai latte (loose leaf) with honey, mainly because I already had my coffee intake for the morning. Would have liked to try their coffee next time.  Their wet chai latte was good but not strong enough for me – i’m just an odd ball – will request for a strong wet chai latte next time! a very good sized teapot – I had two rounds of it!

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C chose the Egg Benny – Ginger baised pork belly. Miso and potato korokke, dukkah, poached egg with yuzu hollandaise, $19.50. There was also chilli bacon jam and salad to accompany the dish. Their pork belly was a thick cut, a lot to finish. J ordered the same, but added smoked salmon for additional $6.50. He struggled to finish the main dish AND the smoked salmon. This dish is good value for just under $20 compared to other brunch dishes out there. Their flavours all worked – we all enjoyed their creation of yuzu hollandaise – light with a bit of sourness to balance out the heavy protein.

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I ordered the Egg White & Bacon, $19.50 (dairy-free, gluten-free). It was beautiful… The folded crispy egg white was so light & airey that it was very easy to eat with the edamame, quinoa and multigrain rice mixed with dark soy. It was definitely an asian fusion dish. Bacon was grilled perfectly and the chilli mayo had just the right amount to dip the egg white together with the bacon and rice. Cherry tomatoes were needed to add the sweet freshness to the dish, otherwise I would have felt the dish was too heavy for my post workout brunch.

The dish had chilli in it, but I just picked it out. I could take the chilli mayo, so it was no biggie for a mild spicy eater like me.

I’ve been thinking about the Egg White & Bacon dish ever since I’ve tried it – craving for it on my Sunday brunch days just because it’s so different. So I’d suggest you try this dish as I would definitely come back for more.

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Overall, I’d revisit Humble Rays – 4.5/5, rounded to 5 stars. Service wasn’t 100% just because we had to wait for more than 15 – 20 minutes in line – unable to put our phone number down and walk around the area. They also have a range of sweets selection which is interesting, but I don’t usually do sweets for my brunches – so harder to make a verdict on this!

Location: 71 Bouverie Street, Carlton, VIC 3053

Website: http://www.humblerays.com

Tasteelicious Rating: Service: 4/5 Ambience: 5/5 Entree: N/A Mains: 5/5 Dessert: N/A Beverage: 4/5 Overall: 18/20

★★★★★

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