Via Porta

677 Whitehorse Rd
Mont Albert, VIC 3127
https://www.viaporta.com.au/

My parents don’t read my blog, so I can say whatever I want here: despite claiming that they ‘eat everything’, their diet has been pretty much limited to Chinese and Malaysian food for their whole lives (though they have recently expanded out to Thai and Korean). But after a couple of trips to Europe, dad has now developed a fondness for Greek cuisine, whereas mum is a sucker for some good Italian food. So it was only natural that we took mum to Via Porta for Mother’s Day. And it was utterly delightful. The Italian deli is gorgeously airy and bright during the day, serving up vino and European-inspired cocktails alongside their seasonal produce-driven menu. A leisurely brunch here felt as good as a mini escape, and we were making plans to come back for dinner even before we were out the door.

Rating: 14/20 – low fuss, high quality.
Must-order: croissants. they’re rated amongst the top 10 in melbourne.

Mum is a basic pesto bitch (she doesn’t read the blog!!), so of course it was the Pistachio Pesto Spaghetti ($26) for her. I’m not usually a pesto lover, which I think is often one-dimensional and greasy, but this one was great. The sweet, green notes of pistachio made for a much lighter sauce compared to the traditionally richer and oilier pine nut, and a generous squeeze of lemon brought out the nuance in the savoury flavours.

For something a little more unique, the Crispy Eggs ($24.5) are an excellent choice. The centrepiece – two golden soft-boiled eggs – are perfectly battered and fried, the light crisp coating cut open to reveal a pool of sunshine. And to pair with the runny yolks, good sourdough topped with bitey gouda and smoky ham hock, and a pile of dressed leaves and candied walnuts to keep things fresh. I loved this razzle-dazzle European take on the ploughman’s meal, and the quality of the ingredients really shone through.

There’s not one, not two, but three porridge-y things on the menu here. And whilst both the granola and the bircher breakfast bowl (with peanut butter and cocoa nibs!) tempted, the cold weather called for Coconut Rice Porridge ($19). The warm, creamy rice pudding was pure comfort on a brisk autumn morning, though we were all surprised with the unexpectedly savoury combination of coconut and lemongrass, which was reminiscent of a Thai curry, even with the addition of mandarin compote.

Just like pesto, I usually tend to find croissants a bit dull, but the VP Croissant ($9) was phenomenal. With a crisp, flaky exterior and a tender, buttery middle, this was so light yet decadent, especially slathered with the house-made preserve and good French butter.

As you’d expect, the Flat White ($5) here is a dark, heavy brew true to the Italian style. Not my cup of tea (coffee), but I did appreciate the velvety texture of the milk. Though looking at the menu now, I just realised they have an iced latte flavoured with vanilla, cinnamon, and honey – wish I tried that instead.

They did however do an excellent Iced Strawberry Matcha ($9.5), made with real strawberry compote, and a scoop of quality sorbet. It struck the balance between sweet, tart, and bitter, and doubled as a light dessert.