i’ve received some big news this week. news that i’m not yet ready to share and that i’m not yet sure is good or bad news. time will tell. but it did make me reflect on how blessed i am – to live in a country with jobs, training, education available; with a great husband + family for support; and to have my health + relatively young age.

a thousand blessings really. which made me think about a cafe of the same name which i recently visited in richmond, but hadn’t yet written about. and then all of a sudden, today seemed like the perfect time.

a thousand blessings is located right near the popular gleadall street farmers market, so on a market day you can expect a queue for a table or even a takeaway coffee. although the wait would be well worth it. however, on this particular rainy weekday morning, i had no such problem grabbing a table inside the converted house with high ceilings + large windows looking out onto the leafy street and park.

if you have a feeling that the name is familiar, it is. the owners also own ‘frozen by a thousand blessings’ – a frozen yoghurt chain found in a number of spots in melbourne. and much like frozen, the cafe has a focus on fresh + local ingredients for its seasonal menu, sourced locally wherever possible. the delicious all-day breakfast + lunch menu has been carefully and creatively designed by head chef adam hall (previously from flying fish in sydney).

first up was a new coffee blend for me – melba – which was really enjoyable… smooth + delicate. roasted fresh in dandenong south, melba has been roasting coffee for more than 15 years + only source their beans from boutique, micro-lot and specialty producers.

chilli scrambled eggs with speck, pickled, fresh + fermented chillies, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan + fresh herbs on sourdough

this was without a doubt one of the best chilli scrambles i’ve tasted in a long while! not only did it look vibrant, colourful + fresh; but it tasted amazing too! the chilli (in three forms) packed a punch, but was balanced by the juicy + sweet coming from the tomatoes. to top it off – the sourdough, was soft + fresh… my favourite combo. yum!

pepe saya buttermilk french toast with wattleseed mascarpone, coffee-roasted macadamia, bananas, strawberries, salted brown-butter + raw cacao caramel

i just couldn’t resist this house-made spelt brioche. with its cake-bread consistency, it was a really lovely variety on a usual brioche + paired perfectly with the mascarpone which has been infused with wattleseed in the kitchen. the fresh bananas + strawberries added a fruity element to the earthy textures of the mascarpone + bread.. and helped to make this dish pretty as a picture. personally, i would’ve preferred maple syrup – but the caramel added a dark + decadent element that i’m sure many would love!

throughout my morning, service was on-point – efficient, friendly + enthusiastically offered. the few car spaces out the front are a clearway from 9-10am on weekdays + i appreciated how the staff thoughtfully warned customers just prior to 9am to save them from the looming parking officer. the interior has a fabulous atmosphere – i think they’ve got the layout just right – no easy feat on a house-conversion… and the footpath dining area is a real asset – especially for market-goers, dog-owners or strollers.

this is definitely one i’ll come back to… i’m already planning another taste of that chilli scramble! wishing these guys a thousand blessings in return.

verdict: how blessed we are!
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