Mission: Find a cafe in the Adelaide ‘burbs to take the lovely T for a birthday brunch
Key points to consider: T is vegetarian and gluten intolerant. Also, it’s Sunday
Preliminary research findings: Preferred cafe is CLOSED on a Sunday. Darn. Discovered that many cafes have unusual opening hours. Decided to wing it
Chosen destination: Nature’s Providore, 88 Duthy Street, Malvern
This bright, buzzy cafe ticked most of the boxes. Happy atmosphere: tick. Clean tables: tick. Welcoming, friendly and timely service: triple tick. Toilet: as decent as you could hope for. Menu: my stomach was gurgling just looking at it.
Discussion: Undoubtedly delicious and lovingly presented on a beautiful big white bowl…but it was a little too little and for a little too much. It was $13 for maybe a cup of bircher muesli with a few dollops of yoghurt, three wafer thin slices of apple and two slices of orange. Now, that bircher muesli was the queen of bircher muesli, but I really wanted more of the queen for that price. That’s the problem when something tastes so good – you want more.
After much agonising over the menu, T chose the rye toast with avocado and roasted sunflower seeds. $15.90. Hers looked a treat and tasted great, but once again, the portion was on the small side. Her two rye toasts were dwarfed by the (super fresh) avocado that sat neatly on top. Perhaps the toast shrank in the toaster? Lucky she got a large coffee.
Speaking of the coffee, it was really good. Mellow and creamy. T got hers with coconut milk and it was a taste sensation, though some might find the flavour bizarre. The cafe also offers soy, rice or oat milk, for extra.
The coffee had a pretty design on it but I forgot to take a photo before greedily diving in and ruined the swirls
Summary: High quality local ingredients, well-made food, friendly staff and a feel-good, sunny experience. Just under $40 for two breakfasts and two coffees.
Findings: Eating responsibly and eating good food in a nice place with nice people serving you ain’t cheap. (And yes, it’s a first world problem.)
The Wordy Way 