Footscray Milking Station

I'm so excited that there are more  brunch options emerging in the inner west of Melbourne. This means I can enjoy more of  my favourite weekend meal without having to commute far.

Footscray milking station was recommended by a dear friend of my and fellow blogger Svv. Location is just off one of the main roads in Footscray, not hard to find once put into the GPS. Apparently the place used to be a corner milk bar hence the name of the milking station.

Exterior

It was busy when I visited on Sunday with a few girlfriends. The place is small and cosy, not the most suited for large crowds. There is a outdoor area in front of the cafe, which would be nice for the warmer weather.

Display counter

Dining area

For starters, we ordered coffees which was reasonably priced. I ordered a mocha ($3.80), which is not my usual choice of coffee but I was surprised at how creamy and chocolatey it was (but this did not overpower the coffee), yum!

Yummy mocha

For mains, I was recommended the baked eggs by svv but given I had sneakily snacked pre brunch, I was not too hungry and opted for the baked beans with sourdough instead. The texture of the sourdough toast was crunchy, just the way I liked it, along with the soft melted butter. The cannelloni beans had a nice sweetness of flavor, however, it was slightly on the dry side as I found myself having to constantly reach for a drink of water.

Baked beans with toast ($11)

The other dishes which my friends ordered were

Sago porridge with coconut milk and papaya. This dish did not seem to excite my friend as she found the coconut milk rather overpowering and struggled to finish it.

Sago porridge with papaya ($9)

FMS breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash and toast. Again, a slightly disappointing dish as there were no real standout. The hash however, does deserve a mention for its delicious crunch.

FMS breakfast ($14)

Corn cake with guacamole, bacon and tomato relish. This was probably the winning dish amongst all- The combination of the light guacamole, bacon and sweet relish really complimented one another.

Corn cakes with guacamole, bacon and relish ($16)

There are also a good selection of rolls and paninis for lunch options as well as on display for take away. I have read some good reviews on the cafe's famous pull pork rolls which I will have to return to try next time.

Panini selections

Overall, a good local  find (however, I still enjoyed the Reading Room cafe more) that I will be adding to my list of places to revisit.

Footscray Milking Station
35 Bunbury Street
Foostscray

Yum: 6.5/10
Service: 7/10
Value: 7/10



Miss Scribble

The Reading Room Cafe

Being a loyal brunch fan (who can never turn down a good weekend brunch session),  I was delighted when a friend told me about a cafe which has opened up not too far from me.

It is called The Reading Room Cafe and is unusually located in Victoria University Footscray campus. The cafe serves as a normal uni cafe for students  during the week and come the weekend, it is transformed into a brunch affair.

I actually ended up visiting this cafe twice in a row this weekend (out of coincidence, catching up with different friends). The cafe is slightly difficult to locate as it is hidden within the university itself, so make sure you use directions from the handy map on the cafe's website before heading down.

Outside seating area

The cafe is small and cosy in size, with an inside and outside seating area.  The decor is quite simple, but like most brunch places, it has its own quirks. They have cute little cases used to hold cutlery and napkins.

Cute cutlery holder

The menu is simple with a good variety of breakfast and lunch options to choose from. I found that the dishes are really reasonable priced compared to most brunch places. Most dishes are all less than $15. One other plus was the price of their coffee- all coffees are the same price! At $3.3, no extras are charged for non standard choices such as chai or mocha.

Mocha

Lattes: Original and Chai

I ordered the sweetcorn, pumpkin and coriander fritters dish (think this dish has become my favourite and one that I will not be easily sick of). The servings are generous, with 3 big fritters, poached eggs, avocado and tomato chutney. The fritters are light and fluffy, with a crisp coating which is not at all oily.

Fritter's Lane- $14.50

The other dish which my friend ordered was the BFG- brioche french toast, crispy bacon, candied Walnuts with Maple Syrup. Again, servings are very generous with 2 large slices of toast accompanied by slices of bacon. The toast was soaked well in sweet maple syrup and the texture of sweet candied walnuts was delightful and balanced the savoriness of the bacon. My friend, a lover of french toasts commented that she would have preferred the toast to be more crisp, but none the less she was still happy with the dish.

The BFG- $14.50

The service was friendly and waiters attentive and helpful, not hesitating to give us recommendations and specials of the day.

Opening promotion- 2 for 1 yay!

I'm glad to have discovered this local gem and will sure be back to visit again soon. Also, an interesting note to add is that the cafe also offers weekend high tea, reasonably priced at $25 for 2 people. Another reason for me to revisit! :)

Reading Room Cafe

8 Ballarat Rd Building P
Footscray, VIC 3011

Yum: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value: 8/10



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Miss Scribble