The Gluttonous Bunny

Rustica Canteen, Melbourne

22:48

From the creators of Rustica Sourdough Bakery, their latest outlet dubbed Rustica Canteen has arrived in Melbourne.

Just merely three weeks old, Canteen Rustica has already become one of my favourite to go spots in the CBD for pastries. I love how it is hidden away from the rest of the bustling city in the empty and quiet Guildford laneway. Rustica camouflages itself with the rest of the brick wall surroundings of this laneway, and is only distinguishable by a small white sign hooked near the door which reads Rustica.

I love the atmosphere of Rustica Canteen, it gives of a rather modern and refreshing vibe.

Aside from their usual offering of pastries, they offer a breakfast menu, sandwiches and salads.

To be honest, I came here mainly to try out their pastries after seeing how scrumptious they looked on Instagram.

Everything about this cronut was amazing. Baked to perfection, each layer was gold brown, full of crunch. The middle layers were filled with oozing yellow custard goodness. Reminiscent of an apple pie, but far more tastier topped with icing and almond flakes. It wasn't too sweet and complemented my latte perfectly.

Salted caramel, one of my weaknesses. It was slightly sweet for my liking, but the small portion meant that it was just right. The cream was light and fluffy, full of the salted caramel flavour.

Salted Caramel Choux Bomb ($4.50) & Cronut ($6.50)

I left Rustica satisfied with the pastries I had devoured. I was extremely happy that I took home sleek white cardboard box filled with Rustica pastries to share with my family.

My parents loved everything, especially the cronut. The pastries didn't even last a day in my household as we ate them for dessert that night after dinner.

If you're into pastries and great coffee, I'd definitely recommend this place! I find that the pastries here are somewhat more affordable and filling compared to other places I've tried in the past. Also, the staff here were extremely nice and the service was fantastic. I hope to be back soon to actually try out their lunch menu as well!

Rustica

33 Guildford Lane, Melbourne

brunch

Millstone Patisserie, Malvern

19:24

brunch

Baba Sus, Glen Iris

01:05

Baba Sus, a relaxing little cafe around the corner of Burwood station has become a popular Asian fusion, brunch spot due to it's ever so popular 'Hong Kong Waffles' featured on numerous instagram posts. Weekends can get rather busy, which may require a 30 minute wait for a table and a further 20-25 minute wait for food. Bookings are highly recommended, as the cafe seems to be packed throughout the weekends at all opening hours.

Famished by the extremely long wait for tables, I forgot to take some snaps of the restaurant itself. Like most brunch spots, it boasts of a modern and simplistic atmosphere with it unique Asian inspired brunch dishes.

The most raved about dish from Baba Sus's current menu, on social media websites. I was surprised how crispy and fluffy the waffles tasted, despite being drenched with custard and ice cream. The contrasting flavours blended really well together to create a sweet dish that wasn't too empowering in flavours. The pistachio praline gave the dish an extra crunchy effect, which made this dish really textured.

Hong Kong Egg Waffles ($14)

Vanilla custard, green tea ice cream, berry compote, pistachio praline

I really wanted to try their soba noodles however it was no longer offered, as their menu rotates on a seasonal basis. The waiter suggested that we give the wagyu burgers a try instead.

The wagyu burger was rather drippy and messy to eat, however I did enjoy this burger as the meat patty was cooked to perfection (medium rare) and well seasoned. The other burger fillings and fries didn't particularly stand out to my ever-so-picky tastebuds.

Blue Mountain Wagyu Burger ($18)

Onion jam, gherkins, tomato, lettuce, gruyere cheese, chilli mayo served with kaffir lime chips

I'm not going to lie, but I pretty much ordered their hot chocolate because it was the cutest hot chocolate I had seen. It was like any other hot chocolate but served with a marshmallow.

Mork Hot Chocolate ($4.20)

I probably won't be back here for a while, just until the crazy waiting line dies down. But don't get me wrong, if you're ever nearby the area you should really give this place a try. If you're are dessert aficionado like me, you'll probably be able to justify the long wait for those delicious Hong Kong Egg Waffles.

Baba Sus

15 - 17 Bardolph St, Camberwell

Collingwood

Saint Crispin, Collingwood

03:40

Located in the heart of Collingwood, Saint Crispin is famously known for their modern Australian food.

Chefs Scott Pickett and Joe Grbac of Saint Crispin have created a one of a kind fine dining experience in a relaxed atmosphere without the hefty price tag.

Saint Crispin's offers a seasonal menu with a few options for you to select from. We weren't feeling particularly hungry that night so we opted for the 2 course menu ($50 per person).

These appetizers were amazing. A reminiscence of the deep fried asian prawn crackers but thinner, more transparent and crunchier with dollops of cream and onion.

Complimentary appetizers

Wholemeal bread served with butter and a caramelised onion spread. The onion spread was rather too creamy for my liking but that's because I'm not particularly fond of anything too creamy. Maybe if you're into that stuff, you'll appreciate it more than me.

Spreads: Butter & caramelised onion cream cheese

Aside from from the two course meal that we opted for, I wanted to try the croquettes that I had seen on instagram. Most foodies were raving about how good these little bites were and surely they did not disappoint me at all.

Creamy eel croquettes that melted irresistibly in your mouth with every bite. Savory dipping sauce went really well with this entree.

Smoked eel croquette ($8)

Succulent chicken cooked to perfection, infused with aromatic red wine and garlic. The flavouring was light and didn't overwhelm the taste of the fresh bannockburn chicken.

Bannockburn chicken, bourguignon garnish, red wine and garlic

I still can't get over how crunchy the skin was on the pork, even the Cantonese roast pork can't compare to dish.

Ballarat miso pork, charred cabbage, nashi kimchi and shiitake

The vanilla ice cream really complimented the light and fluffy souffle.

Espresso souffle and vanilla bean ice cream ($10 extra)

The waiter had recommended this dessert to us as it was his favourite. An interesting array of textures and intricate flavours, that worked very well together to create this amazing dessert. This was definitely my favourite dish for the night.