• Two Birds One Stone (South Yarra)

The best part about Christmas is getting to see friends.  Everyone is home for the holidays and people’s moods rise with the heat and festive spirit.  M was back from California and having missed the Melbourne dining culture that meant one thing: delicious meals were in order.

Two Birds One Stone is an overly popular café near South Yarra station.  Despite its fame, I was a virgin to its food and coffee.  M, likewise, was up for something new.  Hipsters.  Noise.  Chic surroundings.

Whilst discussing whether we both fitted into hipster culture or not, we perused the menu and M (disappointed that hash browns did not feature) ordered the eggs benedict with a side of mushrooms, whilst I opted for the Two Birds (poached eggs with many veggie sides) and a flat white.

Coffee was presented with leafy art on the low froth.  It was bold, dusty with full milk, fruity overtones and a slight bitterness.


M loved her eggs benedict with mushrooms, or as she put it: “this is excellent”.  It was served with toast instead of English muffins with a Bearnaise sauce good enough for me to order some too.  It was buttery and tangy.  The difference between Bearnaise and the usual Hollandaise is in the flavour.  Bearnaise is typically flavoured with shallots and herbs, whilst Hollandaise is flavoured with lemon juice.  Learn something new every day.

My meal was full-on rich.  Perfectly poached eggs, a slab of ripe avo and then the extra of Bearnaise sauce, all this, plus flavoursome grilled mushrooms, sweet cherry tomatoes, soft and subtly salty haloumi, toast and the less exciting ingredient of wilted spinach.



Just as we thought our meal could not get any more festive, in came the mens’ archapella choir, ready to sing Christmas carols in Italian.  What a beautiful surprise to end our meal.  With full stomachs, an overdue catch up and some Christmas cheer thrown in, brunch was not just brunch but a celebration.

Two Birds One Stone
12 Claremont Street
South Yarra 3141
03 9827 1228
www.twobirdsonestonecafe.com.au

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