Breakfast Thieves, Fitzroy MELB

Finally, finally, finally I stepped into Fitzroy, a very upbeat suburb with lots of exciting cafes/ restaurants mushrooming in every corner. Albeit the 40 minutes travelling distance via public transportation, it was still a worthwhile visit on a lazy Saturday morning.

This outlet was packed full of people at 12pm and seemed almost impossible to secure a table. Thankfully, we chose to sit outdoors and were immediately seated within 5 minutes. Probably a good idea if you are starving like us and the cold does not bother you at all.

Freshly squeezed orange juice and chai latte ~ my chai latte came in a powder blue teapot and gave me 3 rounds of drinks for just $4.

Croissant with berry jam and butter ~ the housemade croissant was filled with buttery goodness and had the trademark flakiness that is vital for a good croissant. The berry jam was not overly tart nor sweet and had a good balance of chunky berries in it.

Eggs benedict ~ I do not have anything against this dish but for $17, I would prefer to have ordered a different brunch option that comprised of an assortment of toppings/ ingredients and would have involved a lot more technique/ creativity into prepping it. It was a really simple dish, tasty, but not something that I would re-order I am revisiting.

Brioche with poached pears, green tea mousse, black sesame paste, candied bacon and raspberry puree ~ if you like having sweets for breakfast, this is a pretty damn good option. I love the vibrant colours on my plate and yes, the various textural elements on it too. Go on. Dip a small piece of buttery, crunchy brioche in the silky smooth mousse, tart raspberry puree and make sure you pair it with a slice of sweet pear flesh and savoury candied bacon. Truly delicious.

Botak Chin congee ~ I rarely order congee dishes as it's something that I often have at home. I would make this an exception in my case. The congee itself was bursting with flavour just by itself and the addition of a sweet-ish honey braised pork belly boosted this dish by miles. The crunchy mushroom crisps, peanuts, pickled ginger and egg were extra treats in the bowl. Highly recommended.