#au79cafe

Striking gold in not only the venue’s aesthetics, but also in the hearts and stomachs of their customers, the CCC Group has spared no expense when it comes to their latest eatery. A business hospitality group of people known for successfully revamping a string of cafes around Melbourne after taking over from previous owners, the CCC Group has decided to take a leap by creating a completely original venue, AU79 Cafe.

Proving that they don’t do things by halves, they have created a large, multifaceted space that offers a cafe, function venue, bakery, patisserie and coffee roastery. A large glass-encased room centres the cafe, housing their impressive coffee roasting system that breaks down beans sourced from farms throughout South Africa and elsewhere, to give their single origin and batch brew concoctions distinctly resonating depths of flavour. The variety of beans that AU79 offers is testament to the level of importance upon which they place their coffee, and ties in with their desire to be a significant player in the coffee roasting industry in Melbourne.

Batch Brew ($4.00)

Their ambitious aspirations also penetrate into the bread-importing industry, with their sourdough and other varieties of bread some of the best in the business. Pastry chefs are observed kneading and making the breads from scratch throughout the day, to supply not only AU79 Cafe, but also the cafes to which they distribute.

Walking into the converted mechanics warehouse, an overwhelming greenhouse vibe emanates from the natural greenery liberally dispersed throughout the 80-seater venue. Combined with stylish Italian furniture, high ceilings and an elegant design, the ambience feels quite comfortable and family-friendly, with a touch of extravagance that is appropriate for the lavish functions and events that they often host.

A new Autumn menu has just been released, with their decision to separate breakfast and lunch items on the menu a result of the needs of their target customers, where a quick and hearty weekday lunch dish is as equally popular as a lazy Sunday brunch. Scrolling through the variety of options on offer, there is nothing that a frequent Melbourne cafe-goer hasn’t seen before… however, the execution of their flavours, as well as generosity in portion size, are definitely things to rave about.

Mango Tango Smoothie ($8.50) (mango, banana, pineapple, coconut milk)

Starting with a healthier version of a traditional dessert, the Peach Cobbler is served within a huggable bowl, with roasted peaches cut into halves, grapes, pomegranates, a house made crumble, creme fraiche and shiso (an east Asian mint). Simultaneously soul-warming, decadent yet light in its delivery, this dish resembles a deconstructed version of the fruit-based dessert. The use of peaches and grapes are appropriate for the current season, however the peaches needed to be cooked further to soften its relatively firm texture. The component that needs no improvement? The house made crumble. Both a biscuit-like crumble and a sponge cake-like crumble are sprinkled throughout the dish, with the latter achieving the most crispy edges and an addictively soft, chewy centre.

Peach Cobbler ($15.00)

A vegetarian favourite, the Korean Veggie Benedict shows off their house made sourdough bread, toasted, and forming the base of a house made kimchi, roasted mushrooms, toasted sesame seeds, herb salad, poached eggs, and gochujang hollandaise. The Korean-inspired hollandaise ties the dish together, whilst differing from other hollandaise sauces through its zingy flavour. With eggs poached to perfection, this version of an eggs benedict eliminates the protein-heavy richness often experienced by traditional meat-based benedicts, whilst leaving you feeling full and satisfied. The kimchi spices are quite tolerable, with a sufficient amount to identify itself as Korean-inspired, without overpowering the other ingredients.

Korean Veggie Benedict ($18.00)

Still classified as a breakfast item, the Tropical Forest Waffle could also come under the dessert category if there was one. House made Belgian waffle is topped with a lemongrass and raspberry parfait (closely resembling an ice cream, yet interspersed with raspberry bits and eliciting a slightly icy texture), a scattering of lychee, fresh berries, meringue and passionfruit puree, and finished with a lemongrass butterscotch sauce that can be poured over the dish to your heart’s content. Nailing the buttery, sweet and salty flavours of the butterscotch sauce, its skilfully delicate consistency pairs well with the lightness of the waffle and the variety of fruits used (albeit, the fruits seem more Summer-inspired, which isn’t quite appropriate to the current season… though, it is potentially a purposeful tribute to the just-come-and-gone season), with its presentation closely resembling a fruit-laden forest floor.

Tropical Forest Waffle ($20.00)

Jumping to the lunch items, the Chorizo Pappardelle is defyingly delicious, showing that the kitchen is also skilled at making pasta. Long, thin and wide strands of pappardelle are coated in a flavoursome butter-based sauce, cooked with chorizo, red peppers, croutons, an egg yolk and plenty of Grana Padano. Chicken and beef burgers, Hiramasa Kingfish and a Pumpkin Linguine also provide sufficient variety for those who are seeking a reliable, lunch-appropriate meal.

Chorizo Pappardelle ($20.00)

With a rotating specials menu additionally on offer, the list of options seems endless. The emphasis on their patisserie, breads and coffee certainly doesn’t go astray with their prominent display throughout the venue, playing to the strengths of this multifunction setting. Unsatisfied with staying stagnant, their business-savvy intellect to stay relevant and exciting may also involve establishing relationships with like-minded businesses in the industry in the coming future, thus proving that AU79 Cafe isn’t just a cafe selling food, but that they are a concept venue that harnesses potential and expands it into something more.

Note: I dined as a guest of AU79 Cafe. Thank you to Wesley, the management and staff for their generous hospitality throughout our experience.

AU79 Cafe 27-29 Nicholson Street Abbotsford, VIC 3067 Ph: (03) 9429 0138 Email: [email protected] Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm.