the lovely lisaeatsworld and i caught up for a brunch-bloggers-brunch-date last week at the much talked about addict food + coffee on johnston st in fitzroy. and because the food was as amazing as everyone has been telling me (thanks mitch… i finally made it!) and as pretty in real life as all the pictures, today i’m starting with the food and working my way backwards for this blog post (nothing like mixing it up right?!)

potato hash + mushroom duxelle with roasted field mushrooms, a poached egg + caramelised onion

elegantly plated in the middle of a large matt black bowl (which i want to add to my crockery collection at home!), this savoury tower of (dare i say) perfection had me drooling before i’d even had a bite… and the flavours did not disappoint. the poached egg was cooked exactly right with the yolk oozing out all over the field mushroom on top of the stack once cut. the mushroom itself was silky and earthy, pairing perfectly with the sweet stickiness of the caramelised onion. next came the texture – crunchy outside + creamy inside, this is easily one of the best potato hashes i’ve had. and then lastly, surprisingly, my favourite element of the dish – the mushroom duxelle. as soon as i tasted it, i knew i recognised the rich flavour + consistency from somewhere but couldn’t quite place it at the time. i’ve since realised that duxelle (a chopped mixture of mushrooms or mushroom stems, onions, shallots and herbs sautéed in butter… thanks wikipedia) is often used as the stuffing in beef wellington. i knew i knew the flavour from somewhere! it was absolutely delicious + when combined, all of the flavours and ingredients married so well together.

wholemeal buttermilk pancakes with poached rhubarb, blueberries, rhubarb syrup, whipped mascarpone + compressed rhubarb

i don’t know about you, but i definitely eat with my eyes first! and this dish had me smiling before i even took the first bite. it is beautifully constructed + pretty as a picture. the blueberries were baked into the mixture of the two pancakes which were seriously fluffy + scrumptious. the rhubarb three ways helped to intensify the flavour of my favourite winter fruit, plus add some extra crunch on top with the compressed version. and how gorgeous are those wafer-thin ribbons of rhubarb?! there were some additional strawberries on the plate which were fresh + sweet, but not entirely necessary. and then the magical word that sucks me in to every sweet dish… mascarpone. yep, i was pretty much in pancake heaven!

the menu caters for both breakfast and lunch with other enticing options such as ‘corn fritters with kasundi, haloumi, poached eggs, tomato salsa + coriander’ and ‘southern pulled pork burger with slaw + chipotle mayo served with parmesan french fries’… both of which i’ll be lining up soon to try!

so, that was the food… told you it was amazing!

addict are serving market lane coffee which meant my flat white was strong + robust and exactly what i needed to shake the winter chill. you can also order single-origin coffee, a delightful-sounding selection of teas, market juices or your very own mork hot chocolate if that is more to your liking.

the interior is spacious and light-filled with a great window bench along johnston st (aka perfect perch for people-watching), and fresh flowers + pot plants hanging from the ceiling. there is also a small outdoor dining area tucked around the quiet side of the corner block. the minimalist fit-out of timber + monochrome is classic + synonymous with melbourne’s most trendiest cafes.

although we were visiting on a weekday morning the cafe had a steady stream of dine-in and take-away customers but staff remained attentive + friendly throughout, and genuinely appeared to be enjoying what they do. which would be easy to do when you’re serving up food that good! there is no doubt in my mind that i will back soon!

verdict: sign me up for addict-(not-so)-anonymous!
find: https://www.facebook.com/addictmelbourne