Faraday’s Cage

325-329 Gore St
Fitzroy, VIC 3065
http://www.faradayscage.com.au/

Due to the luxury of not having 9-5 work hours, it seems as if K is forever brunching. And ever since I’ve left Melbourne, he’s all but become my brunch guru, and full-time café-correspondent.

A café he went to recently, and also liked, is Faraday’s Cage. And seeing as I’ve heard plenty about it even before I left the lovely, rainy, gloomy city of Melbourne, it was where we decided to catch up when I came back to town.

Located in the back streets of Fitzroy, Faraday’s Cage is the quintessential hipster-Melbourne-converted-warehouse café. Luckily, instead of grungy décor and grumpy waitstaff, the interior of Faraday’s Cage has been beautified with colourful paintings, flowers, and greenery, and populated with some of the loveliest folk going around.

My Skinny Flat White ($4) was a strong, dark brew. I personally prefer a lighter and more delicate roast, but that’s just me – this is a perfectly respectable cup of coffee any Melbournian would be happy to drink.

K’s Latte ($4) was equally as good, its creaminess complemented by the texture of well-frothed milk.

I have a knee-jerk negative association with K and pulled pork eggs benny. The only one we’ve ever had together was from The Kettle Black, which were a disappointment. So when we ordered the Eggs Benny ($18), I harboured the hope that it would reverse the association, rather than strengthen it.

What whaddaya know? It turned out not only to be an excellent benedict, but possibly one of the best I’ve ever had. The thick, fluffy toast was stacked high with saucy pulled pork cooked over 12 hours, perfectly poached eggs, and a killer chipotle hollandaise that was equal parts creamy, spicy, and tangy. It was even garnished with bacon crumb, just to add that extra hit of smoky meatiness to every mouthful.

The Baked Beans ($17.5) on the other hand were good, but largely unexciting. Although everything was well executed, and the fried chickpeas and kale gave the dish a robust, nutty character, in the end they were just baked beans. Props to the excellent baguette though.

Having heard excellent things about the baked goods at Faraday’s Cage, we were geared up to have some pastries for dessert. Unfortunately they had all sold out by the time we finished eating – take that as a testament to their popularity I guess. At least Lune’s nearby to tackle those cravings for baked goods… if they haven’t also run out by the early afternoon that is.

It takes a lot for me to be impressed at brunch these days. Faraday’s Cage doesn’t quite hit the high notes it would take for me to really rave about it, but it was a quality brunch, complemented by excellent service. This may not be one for my hall of fame, but I’d be happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a good meal.

Rating: 13.5/20 – electric.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.