Sartoria
115 Plenty Road, Preston
03 8592 4610
Breakfast, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee and Tea, Healthy Food
$$
Food
- The Seamstress
- The Necchi
- The Singer
- Cod Croquette
- Kale Chips
- Latte (Culture Blend)
- Traffic Light
The Good
The Seamstress looked absolutely delicious and definitely tasted the part. Topped with two perfectly poached eggs, the runny yolk perfectly accompanied the star of the dish – the hash brown waffle. With an incredible crunch, the crispy outer gave way to soft and fluffy potato inner. Well seasoned, the earthy and buttery potato mixture was well juxtaposed by the freshness of the beetroot and the slight sourness of the goats curd, while the peas puree provided a refreshing twist to the dish.
The Necchi French Toast was equally delicious. Exceedingly spongey and soft, the French Toast was appropriately eggy, with the egg mixture fully soaking through the pumpkin bread. With a slight caramelised outer, the crispy skin gave way to a sweet fluffy inner that was perfectly juxtaposed by the crunch of the pumpkin seeds. Drizzling on the salted caramel only intensified the sweetness and complexity in flavours, adding additional depth to the dish. The abundance of strawberries provided the tartness that balanced out the sweetness.
The Singer didn’t disappoint either. We were initially skeptical of this vegetarian burger, but weren’t the least bit disappointed. Sandwiched between the green brioche buns, the highlight must be the two amazingly soft and juicy mushrooms that literally bursted with juices. This was well accompanied by a generous amount of smashed avocado as well as a fragrant and smooth basil aioli, which provided a creamy texture and refreshing twist. Topped with a sizeable chunk of lightly grilled halloumi, the burger were incredibly well balanced and was certainly not shy in flavour!
We also enjoyed the Kale Chips and the Cod Croquette. The Kale was fried to a perfect crisp and simply crumbled away in your mouth, though was a tad too salty. While the Cod Croquette’s thin crunchy batter gave way to exceedingly soft and tender protein that packed a punch in flavour, well complemented by the tartare and charred lemon.
The Culture Blend Latte was probably one of the better coffees I’ve sampled in a long while. Exceptionally smooth and creamy, the coffee flavour was not overly bold yet ever-present, lending to a aromatic and pleasant aftertaste that lingers long after.
The Mediocre
Traffic Light drinks were probably the weakest point of our meal and were served luke-warm. Despite being creative and visually very attractive, the drinks didn’t quite deliver on taste. The green, Matcha, was much too strong and resulted in a rather bitter taste. Red was supposedly a red velvet chocolate, but we felt that chocolate was much too muted whereas the beetroot flavour stole the show. Our Yellow turmeric latte definitely needed more spice and was overshadowed by the milkiness.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
As a family-owned business that originated from a dressmaking and bridal business from the 70s and 90s and now converted to a cafe, Sartoria provides Melbourne’s North with not only an intriguing backstory, but also exceptional and creative menu that is well executed.
While all the dishes we sampled today were very appetising and well balanced, both in flavours and in texture, the real winner for us would be that French Toast.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Most definitely. A thoroughly delicious and healthy brunch fare, count me in!
Penguineats would like to thank Sartoria for inviting us.