in happenstance: places

If you frequently brunch, you will know that any cafe that offers a good spread of brunch options will often come with a hefty line of costumers waiting their turn to get a seat. Brunch has quickly become the favourite meal of the day for many Melbourne residents and the discovery of the next favourite local brunch spot can turn into an obsession and at times, expensive weekend hobby.

I have walked passed the bustling Hawk and Hunter several times on my way to line up at other brunch spots along Glen Eira Road and wondered when would be a good time to visit when it is less busy. Situated on Glen Eira Avenue, Hawk and Hunter is in a prime position to attract all hungry Melbournians as they step off the platform at Ripponlea station.

Turns out Sunday mornings before 9am is the perfect time to visit Hawk and Hunter as there is a low hum of weekend breakfast goers who are also here here to take advantage of the less busy cafe atmosphere, ordering their second cup of coffee or tea or just casually reading a book or a newspaper. I found myself there at 8.30am catching up with an old film buddy visiting from WA.

This beautiful bustling cafe is filled with light thanks the the wonderful floor to ceiling windows at the front and is the perfect spot for any breakfast or brunch goer from the small families to the larger groups who brunch together. The interior is bright and is a mix of on-trend industrial and cosy decor. The result is a bright and spacious space where the waiters can bustle about without knocking people or chairs over and plenty of space to ensure that everyone feels like they have just the right amount of privacy whilst they tucked into their meals. My favourite feature of the cafe is undoubtedly the communal table which boasts an beautiful wall feature which draws your eye right to the end of the cafe. This is a beautiful space for the larger gatherings and on the day of my visit, it hosted a group of young teens celebrating a birthday (super adorable!)

I was pleased to see that the menu offered a variety of options, complete with dietary notes for those who have allergies or food intolerances as well as catering for vegetarians. I opted for the curious but delicious sounding Green Eggs special which had all my favourite ingredients, scrambled eggs with pesto, tomatoes and crispy prosciutto whilst my friend, Hodge ordered the Eggs in Purgatory a.k.a Shakshuka; a lovely dish of two baked eggs hanging out with tasty chorizo, lamb and rosemary sausage and capsicum. What a hearty breakfast! We did the obligatory Melbourne thing and ordered coffees plus an impressive smoothie of the week topped with blueberries for Hodge. (damn my blueberry allergy!)

Green Eggs special | Hawk and Hunter

Eggs in Purgatory | Hawk and Hunter

Smoothie of the week | Hawk and Hunter

Although the Royal Crumpets would have easily been a winner on any other day, I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast. The eggs were cooked perfectly and that pesto offered a lovely fresh flavour of herbs and sweetness which perfectly complemented the tomatoes and them crispy salty prosciutto. Hodge really enjoyed his baked eggs and even he commented that whilst it looked small-ish, a lot was packed into that breakfast dish.

Our breakfast lasted exactly 1 hour and by then the crowds had started to stream in and the noise levels were no longer a low hum but rather one reminiscent of most cafes on a sunny weekend. We took the noise levels as a cue to pay for our delicious breakfast, as we headed out, I took note of the menu one last time and told myself to follow these guys on Instagram and to gather more friends so I can utilise that amazing communal table and order as many dishes as we can physically eat.

For a first visit, Hawk and Hunter has won me over and I will most certainly be returning for breakfast and lunch.

CAFE NOTES:
GF, Vegetarian friendly
Price: $25+ per person
Online menu
Bookings accepted for tables 4 or more

Hawk and Hunter

http://hawkandhunter.com.au
8-10 Glen Eira Avenue Ripponlea 3185
03 9528 2719
instagram | @hawkandhuntercafe

Saturday, August 22, 2015 No comments

Since becoming the owner of a Sony A6000 camera, I have really discovered the joy of photography. I have in fact become quite a big fan of photographing food. There is something so incredibly indulgent about photographing a beautiful dish that reflects the time, thought and love put in to create something so beautiful. Whilst, it was a giant and significant quality leap from an iPhone to a proper camera, my love for my little but powerful camera and 35mm prime lens continues to grow. I cannot imagine photographing food without it. iPhone photos simply do not cut it anymore as you can see from the photo above. As you may or may not have realise yet, this entire blog is now a live homage to my growing passion for eating and food photography.

When I saw these sweet treats that my friends Nicole and Michael purchased from A Thousand Blessings Cafe in Richmond, I knew I had to apologise in advance and whip out the camera to photography these beautiful creations. The timing could not be more perfect with wonderful light streaming into their beautiful home (wishing I had photos of those to share!) as I photographed these.

Yes! I was THAT guy! I did however try to photograph them as quickly as Nicole and Michael made tea and put out pretty Maxwell and Williams plates and tea cups for afternoon tea. The best!

I can truly say that these are the most beautiful photos of food I have ever photographed. Not only did they look mouth watering through the lens, they also tasted amazing. I had tested 3 out of the 4 things that were served and my favourite out of the 3 was the layer cake. The Raw Snickers Bar was a close second. I cannot wait to visit the cafe and pick out a few other sweet treats to try. I hear the coffee is pretty good there too.

A big thank you to Nicole and Michael for introducing me to this cafe and for allowing me to take a few minutes out of tea time to photograph these beauties.

A Thousand Blessings
251 Highett Street, Richmond, Australia
Follow them on Instagram: @athousandblessingscafe

Do you have a favourite dish in your favourite restaurant/cafe (in Melbourne) you would love for me visit/try? I would love to keep practicing my photography and it is always so much fun photographing a chef's beautiful creation rather than just my humble home bakes.

I hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend.

x Lynnette

Pistaschio, strawberry, honey yogurt and freeze dried raspberry layer cake is a WINNER!

Beautiful, perfectly baked Almond Croissants. Always a crowd favourite.

Close up on this awesome little sweet treat, a Raw Snickers Bar

A pretty cake on a pretty plate. Afternoon teas are awesome!

Saturday, July 25, 2015 No comments

We are back from our Easter break in Apollo Bay soaking what was left of the summer sunshine as we fully embraced Autumn with its cool but sunny days. We also spent some time in The Otway Rainforest visiting waterfalls and braving raging seas. Whilst H took serious photos, I was obsessed with colourful mushrooms.

{All photos were taken on my Sony A600}
Still experimenting with processing the photos and moods at the moment but enjoying the process.

Friday, April 10, 2015 1 comments

This afternoon, I had a real craving for some crepes. As I had all the ingredients in my pantry, I decided I would make some for a quick and easy lunch. And so, my first food post was born.
It was quite a challenge to resist eating the crepes straight away while I took a moment to take these photos. Rest assured, straight after that - I ate a whole lot of crepes complete with lemon, sugar and no regrets. Delicious!

The last time I had such a satisfying encounter with crepes, it was during our Europe holiday last year. H and I found ourselves driving down Slea Head Drive in Dingle, Ireland on a overcast and windy day. We drove around looking for spots for H to take a photo when I spotted a food van parked on the side of the road. To my delight, the lovely man was selling freshly made crepes. Needless to say, we bought one (with nutella and strawberries) and there we stood sharing a quiet moment with a warm crepe in hand, soaking in the beautiful scenery in front of us.