Journeyman

169 Chapel Street
Windsor, VIC 3181
http://journeymancafe.com.au/

The life of a hospital pharmacist is a busy one – especially when you’re trying to learn to read ECGs in your spare time – so to take some of the heat off, it’s Chris here again with your latest food blog fix.

Picture this: you’ve been travelling for what seems like an eternity in search of the perfect brunch. Turning this way and that, all you can find are unattractive bars and diners. Then, suddenly, a bright white light appears before you, and you find yourself standing in front the glistening façade of all that you’ve been looking for. You’ve reached the end of your journey, man.

OK, so maybe Journeyman isn’t actually all that difficult to get to – try a 5 minute walk from Prahran station. But truth be told, I’d make my way there all the same. Provided you time your trip well – it was positively bustling when Ming and I arrived, entailing a 15-minute wait – you’ll be warmly greeted by the friendly staff and promptly sat down in the clean, modern interior. Journeyman’s design is more restrained than many current brunch places; it’s lacking chairs on the ceiling or bikes on the walls, but it feels welcoming nonetheless.

It being a bit of a warm day, Ming and I kicked things off with an Iced Latte ($4.5), accompanied by an Iced Chocolate ($6) for the non-coffee-drinker that I am. Although Ming was worried that her latte might taste a bit too acidic without the steamed milk, the result was actually gorgeously rich and nutty, leading to a very happy Ming indeed. My iced chocolate was decidedly more average; made with chocolate powder, it was cool and pleasant but nothing more.

Having been hungrily eyeing the many plates of Chilli Scrambled Eggs ($18) being served about the restaurant, Ming and I were delighted when our dish finally arrived to our spot. Nestled in this fluffy bed of egg were cherry tomatoes and small pieces of chilli, accompanied on the side by some bread and mozzarella.

The best part of this dish was undoubtedly the texture of the eggs; each bite was akin to biting into a soft and lovely cloud. The flavour was fairly mild, making this a far cry from other, richer brunch dishes – personally I would have preferred some added flavour to make the dish just “pop” a bit more. Thankfully, the candied bacon from Ming’s dish was perfect for this – some pieces diced and mixed in provided the punch usually provided by chorizo in some egg dishes. If I were to have this again, I would definitely order some meat as extra on the dish.

It may be difficult to see under all that watercress and dukkah, but Ming’s Avocado Hummus Toast ($19) was its own smorgasbord of ingredients: poached eggs, candied bacon, and creamy avocado laid out on a crisp piece of toast. Perhaps that doesn’t sound amazing in isolation, but this dish was more than the sum of its parts; everything clicked together just so, like the lush creaminess of the avocado with the crisp texture of dukkah and toast (and this is spoken as someone who usually dislikes avocado).

And the bacon? THAT. BACON. It had all the richness and smokiness of a well-fried strip of bacon, organised into bite-sized morsels with a sweet coating that made it sing the moment it touched your tongue. Heck, they could serve this bacon on its own and I would devour it all the same.

Journeyman is quite possibly one of the best brunches Ming and I have had in quite a while – any avocado dish that can give me food envy is a grand one indeed. My eggs may not have knocked my socks off, but that was more an issue of what I hadn’t ordered to go with it. There are plenty of other great-sounding dishes on the menu too, which combined with that amazing bacon make me eager to head back soon.

Rating: 14.5/20 – journey, man? REALLY chris?
This rating reflects my (Chris’) personal experience at the time of visit.