When you venture a good 20km away from the nest in order to satisfy your weekend brunch cravings – you are really hoping for something special. The destination of choice for this Chom adventure was none other than Duchess of Spotswood – in Spotswood Victoria. It saddens me deeply that I have known about this eating premises for some time and have only just visited it for the first time now.
Consistently mentioned, regularly blogged and continually awarded as one of Melbourne’s finest cafes and I just never pulled my finger out far enough to venture over to this side of town. Label me lazy and truthfully I would not argue. With the amount of media and direction that this little beauty has received, I should have dined here long ago. Have no fear The Chommery will make up for lost time.
Kings Woodcock – scrambled eggs with green tomato chutney served with pork, chilli and fennel sausages ($17.50). While I felt this breakfast option was the least creative of the range of dishes we ordered, the flavours did not disappoint. Beautiful buttery eggs with little snags are a safe bet for the less adventurous.
The Duchess of Pork – Crispy pig’s jowl with fried eggs, rich truffle sauce and sourdough toast ($18.50). From the amount of praise I have heard about this dish I am glad to finally be able to validate them. This was seriously something to write home about, or in this case write online about. A thick, generous piece of piggy perfectly moist in it’s own juices and truffle sauce complemented by soft, perfectly cooked fried eggs. A winner every day of the week.
The Clam SCRAM – scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, Cloudy Bay clams and spanner crab ($21.50). While some of the team claimed this to be ‘too fishy’, I absolutely loved it. The portion size is not massive however, the richness of the eggs combined with the protein from the sea dwellers made for a surprisingly heavy option. Note; only for the FFC (fish friendly chommers).
Idle Tongues – Seared ox tongue with marinated char-grilled zucchini, deep-fried zucchini flowers and poached eggs ($19.50). A truly creative choice. Even if you exclude the delicious taste, just the range of items included scores points to the dish. Only in Spotswood will you find a tempura-like vegetable and melt in your mouth ox tongue lying next to some poached eggs.
The Prince of Wales – House smoked salmon with pickled cucumber, fennel and horseradish yoghurt, poached eggs and brioche ($19.50). I bet you I wasn’t the only one that wasn’t expecting a superbly poached fillet of salmon instead of the normal mingy strip or two of packeted nonsense. I want to give too many of the dishes we chommed as the ‘Dish of the Day’! This one is certainly fighting hard for a spot. You will be seriously hard pressed to find a nicer piece of fish even in some of your top restaurants. A great order.
Crumbed lamb’s brains with poached eggs and sourdough toast. If you are thinking gross, you can stop right now, thank you very much. These rocked all our socks off. The has to take the prize as dish of the chom. Rich, sumptuous, brainy centre with a light hazelnut crunch in every bite. The light tartare was not overpowering and balanced the rich brains to a tee. A very well thought out dish (pardon the pun).
An inside look into the true craftsmanship and beauty of these rare delicacies. Take special note of the gooeyness attached to each of of the lightly fried balls. All of it adds up to my most memorable brunch options of my eating career. Call them genius, call them mind blowing, call it the smartest dish you have ever eaten – just go chom some extra brains. A must order for any keen foodie.
If the Duchess is your local spot, then I can’t help but be somewhat envious of you. If you are an East-sider (like myself), then the traverse across our great city (Melbourne) for a premium breakfast or lunch is well worth it. Either way, I implore you to find a cafe using higher quality produce and constructing more creative dishes. Seriously, let me know if you find one. For the moment, I will leave you very comfortably saying that ‘you won’t’. I think it is time that you spoil yourself like royalty and dine with her excellency – The Duchess of Spotswood.
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Superior quality cafe fare
Noise: Gentle hum
Suitable for: All creatures great and small
Price: $20 – $25 a head w coffee
My View: Exceptional
Address: 87 Hudsons Road, Spotswood
Phone: (03) 9391 6016
Website: http://www.duchessofspotswood.com.au/
Tip: Head a few doors down to Candied Bakery (81a Hudsons Rd) for a sweet treat after/before Duchess!
The Chommery 