A Taste of Melbourne in the SouthFind More

flatlay by @boyeatworldph

Southbank Cafe & Lounge  just made the longing to return to the Land Down Under more intense and the curiosity and excitement to visit Melbourne soon, more acute.

The sister-in-law's family lives in Perth and we were there two Christmases ago. We just stayed for 12 days. It was not enough. Time does fly when you are having fun.

One of those unforgettable moments were the food trips we embarked on while there. For example,  we went for brunch in this resto called TYPICA before  going to Busselton Jetty. Their food and the place was really amazing. My first thought when I saw  Southbank's food was you guess it TYPICA.

What's in a name...

Asked why they named their restaurant SOUTHBANK, Wendy (one of the owners) had this to say...

"  That's where we all  lived before. Three of the owners are from Melbourne. We were housemates in Melbourne and the suburb was called Southbank... Then we all thought when we got back here that we were all south kids too... Southbank na lang that's where we made this idea naman while we were living together.... "

" food is Melbourne-inspired meaning kasi people think we have kangaroo....  you know those things  when you say Australian...melting point sobrang daming race.. random may breakfast and may Indian, etc.  Melbourne cuisine but Lasa is suited to Pinoy..."

The food...

  Beetroot Hummus P360

Allow me to start with my favorite.   I never thought I would learn to eat beet root. The union of beetroot to hummus was a match made in heaven that I was not able to resist. Just one  bite and Im hooked.

That dish enticed with its wonderful deep red color from the beetroot. Be sure to order this as a starter.

Bone Marrow with Steak

Now this is a dish any true blue carnivore would love. I love that it has greens on the side.

Granola Bowl P320

rolled oats, dehydrated fruits, housemade yoghurt, chia and maple syrup

One word ... healthy. Order this if you want to start your day on a nutritious note.  Check out the beautiful colors on this dish.  Love that the yoghurt is home made too.

Shakshuka P370

stewed tomatoes, baked eggs, ricotta, crostini and  chorizo

Curious about the culinary term, I googled it....

Apparently Shakshuka is an Israeli breakfast staple. Literally translated, it means 'all mixed up' and its origins is a toss up between Yemen or Tunis. Cooked usually in  a cast iron pan it is made of tomatoes, eggs, cheese and bread. 

A perfect breakfast or brunch! The inclusion of carbohydrate, in the case of Southbank - crostini, is a very convenient way to have all  you want for breakfast in just one vessel. Just dip the crostini  in the soft boiled egg cooked in that tomato-cheese-herb combo, wash it all down with the Oz coffee and you my man, are ready to conquer the day.

Croquettes P350

potato cheese croquettes, sous vide egg, roasted capsicum and bacon P80

I love the incorporation of salad greens in the dish. Makes it look appealing to the eyes and to the inner-health-conscious in all of us.  Would have preferred the croquettes to be smaller though. The texture was a  little too gummy for me. Perhaps more cheese because I hardly discerned any

Full English Brekky P590

breakfast sausages, bacon, ham, choice of eggs, mushrooms, beans blistered tomato, toasted sourdough, housemade herb butter

Now this among the 21 dishes served was the Typica-memory trigger for me because i distinctly remember ordering something similar in that Australian restaurant

Southbank Pancakes P390

mixed berries, maple syrup, honeycomb, housemade seasonal sorbet

I am easy when it comes to pancakes. I love all variants whether chocolatey, peanut (y) or fruity.  Southbank's Signature Pancakes  had a berry sorbet and succulent blueberries and black raspberry on it. The candied walnuts provided the crunch. I wish I ate the bougainvillea and the pink petal too. Oh well next time...

M A I N S

Grilled Chicken Salad P480

Loved  the presentation. I felt myself getting healthy already just looking at all those greens, the home made ricotta and the grilled chicken breast

Buttermilk Chicken Burger P490

Brioche bun slaw, pickles,  dojunbang mayo curly fries

Chicken was crunchy and succulent. Brioche bun was fluffy and tasted freshly-baked. Curly fries were a delight. I can order this again.  So cool that they stamped the bun with their brand.

Southbank Burger P580

Brioche bun, 100% pure beef patty, bacon jam, lettuce , tomato, truffle mayo, curly fries

After you've wrapped your head around its price point, you will find that it was worth  the seemingly hefty price tag. Burger patty was fat, beefy and of premium quality. The home made bacon jam was scrumptious and married well with the beef. Nothing can go wrong with the truffle mayo and coupled with the delightful curly fries....scrumptious!

Squid Ink Pasta P450

Squid ink capellini, squid, capers, parmigiana

Perhaps we took our time taking photos first. By the time we came around to tasting the pasta, it was cold  and unappetizing. Will give this a second shot on my next visit.

Gnocchi Doki P380

potato dumplings, pesto cream , parmigiana

Pillowy and al dente , the gnocci was really good. It was just that the pesto cream could use a little more seasoning.

Tiger Prawn Risotto P580

Tiger prawn thermidor, mushroom, sundried tomatoes, parmigiano

For me , flavor and texture was spot on. Portion was huge. 2-3 people can share this.

Salmon Aburi Bowl P620

Torched salmon, furikake, tobiko, multi-grain rice, sweet soy, dojunbang mayo

Really pricey but quite delicious and can be shared by 2 people. It was almost everyone's favorite

36 hour Belly Bowl P420

pork belly, viet pickles, multi-grain rice, fried egg, srriracha glaze

Love at first glance for me. Those beautiful sriracha-glazed belly beckoned.  Paired with that  gorgeous organic egg, instagram-worthy right there.

Flatbread P290

You have pesto, mozzarella, ricotta, arugula, alfalfa, tomato, balsamic and prosciutto (additional P80). Think bruschetta but using flatbread instead of baguette. Flat bread tasted freshly baked and retained its texture even with the wet ingredients.

This is one of  my favorites. An all in one dish, it would pair well with a glass of vino.

Ambiance

Modern, industrial with predominantly black-grey and gold theme. It is a two storey space. Half of the ground floor is occupied by a "sunken bar" with a cathedral ceiling. The second floor is where most of the tables are with a view of the bar below.

Overall,

Ambiance was cozy and modern. Food was  really good and mostly comes with greens which I love. Sauces  and dips were all home made. Coffee is Australian and quite delicious.

I highly recommend the beetroot hummus, flat bread , all the burgers. The 36 hour pork belly was filling as well.

Yes they are a bit pricey but  you get what you pay for.

Check out their cocktails too...

Polaroid P380 
Clean and smooth, it tasted like a refreshing juice drink. Note however that it has Japanese sake,  mango paradise rum, grapefruit, lemon,  falernum and lavender essence. You get an enjoyable drink plus a polaroid to remember the moment by.

Fisheye P380
That clear spherical ice was intriguing. You can do the stamping of your ice yourself. Just ask your server.

Another 'backstabber' , be careful with this one. Tasted quite delicious and tame.   Has flavors of  smooth golden rum though with the sour citrus juice and the saccharine lychee.

Mr. Ang P550
Quite strong and potent, it is made of Tanqueray Dry Gin,  Japanese Sake, Campari and Mancino Vermouth. Think Negroni with  hints of Japanese sake intriguingly served with aromatic clouds from special citrus-infused hickory wood chip.

See you there!

Southbank Cafe + Lounge is open from 7 am onwards at  Westgate Center Filinvest City, Muntinlupa City