Little Tommy Tucker

Finally there are the beginning  twinglings of good quality brunch places opening up south-side. Little Tommy Tucker is on the relatively busy side of Centre Rd in Bentleigh, very close to the station (so noone has an excuse not to hike out to suburbia!) It is a lovely set up inside with enough open space and light to remain friendly and open, coupled with a random/cute wooden cubby down the back where the kitchen operates.

Iced Coffee ($5.5) had a nice dollop of icecream, which made the coffee kick less intense.

The Chocolate Milkshake ($6.0) was not quite rich enough for me, very milky milkshake.

Lamb Sausages, Chilli Fried Eggs, Braised Baby Onions, Sourdough Toast, Celeriac Remoulade ($18.0) was the Big Breakfast option which I have vowed to never try - unless I am able to sample someone elses! The lamb sausage was meaty and dense, and I really liked the twist on the chilli eggs though they were not quite spicy enough for me. The sweet pickled onions were a nice lift on the dish, as was the creamy radish salad. 

  

The Crumbed Barramundi, Pea & Radish Salad, Herbed Couscous, House-made Tartare Sauce ($19.0) was soft on the inside and crispy battered on the outside. The tartar sauce wasn't too sour and the addition of the savoury sago balls was unexpected, but went surprisingly well with the dish. The salad was light and lightly seasoned; a nice healthy option.

The Kali Drinking Chocolate ($4.0) was on the bitter side, and quite a significant size too!

Tommy Tucker Wagyu Burger, Cheese, Lettuce, Pickled Cucumber, Mustard Aioli, Tomato Relish & Kipfler Wedges ($19.0) is a stocky, chunky burger, like those dudes you see coming out of the gym. It is packed with a juicy wagyu beef patty and pretty decent wedges. It probably isn't the soppiest burger I've had, so I would go elsewhere if I needed a burger hit.

This unassuming Pulled Otway Pork Roll, Fried Egg, Tomato Relish, Watercress ($13.0) was quite delicious. The pork was tender and tasty, and the tomato relish had a nice sweet kick to it. It was a nice simple little dish which ended up being surprisingly filling.

If you are looking for a traditional dessert dish, I would avoid the Cold Coconut & Chia Pudding, Maple Syrup, Banana & Walnut Crumb ($13.0). This was very strange, mostly due to the chia seeds being drenched in coconut milk and turned into a pudding that was almost too gluggy. That isn't to say it wasn't nice, but the taste definitely came as a bit of a surprise. It was a very light, refreshing dessert - almost not sweet enough for my liking, and the banana was slightly under-ripe, but I'm glad I stepped out of my comfort dessert zone. 

TL;DR Ultimately better food than Merchants Guild, though less variety. I'd return in a heartbeat - a small selection done well. 

Merchants Guild

When I drove past Merchants Guild randomly I got so excited there was a potentially great brunch place on that side of town, which I could call on when needed. I waited in line whilst the café buzzed with customers eating their delicious food and wished they would all hurry up so I could similarly stuff face. I hoped that Merchants Guild would meet my expectations, but instead they impressed like crazy.

The décor inside is comfortable and bright, and despite the storage shelves being in full view, you don’t feel like you’re eating in a grimy warehouse. Personally I feel it’s the greenery that helps lift the atmosphere up.

This actually isn’t the first time I have eaten at Merchants Guild, I think I am up to sitting number three or four and I’m still returning with fervour. That being said, don’t attend during peak time when you’re insanely hungry, their service is quite slow but their friendly, helpful staff definitely balance that out.

I opted for my tried and true Roast potato bubble and squeak, hot smoked trout, horseradish cream, pickled shallots and two poached eggs ($18.0) and the wait was worth it. Served piping hot the perfectly cooked potatoes combines so well with the tasty trout and cream (which isn’t spicy at all, so don’t worry). They nailed the poached eggs, breaking open deliciously when poked. Sexy.

The Chorizo Hot Pot topped with poached eggs and parmesan cream ($20.0) was a lovely warming winter dish but served with a fork instead of a spoon, and not enough bread to mop up the delicious sauce. The overlying taste was rich tomato, though the smoked chorizo and other hearty veg also filled the dish out. On its own, the chorizo became a bit tasteless after a few bites and thus it was a nice dish, but nothing special.

Just FYI, these guys have THE BEST chocolate milkshakes ($6.0) in town. Utilising Mörk chocolate, they are creamy, the perfect amount of chocolatey without being too bitter or sickeningly sweet. Plus the cup they are served in is pretty darn generous.

To finish it off we ordered the Doughnut French toast with vanilla marscapone, peaches, berries and pistachios ($16.5). The soft thick-ass piece of heavily sugared French toast was not as dense as a donut, so I’m not sure why it is called so. I guess it was sweet bread but… I feel the dish definitely needed the marscapone otherwise the toast ended up too dry and plain. The blueberries and peaches were nice and sweet, but a hint of syrup would not have gone astray. The addition of pistachios didn’t do much for me, but were a necessity for the much desired ‘texture’ of a dish these days. I wanted this dish to blow my mind like Top Paddock’s but it didn’t even come close.

TL;DR A great south-side eatery with no competition for miles around. A few hit and miss dishes but overall, brunch fare at a highly satisfactory level.