Barry
85 High Street, Northcote
03 9481 7623
Breakfast, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee and Tea
$$
Food
- Ricotta Hot Cake
- Benedict Eggs
- Lamb Shoulder
The Good
The Pulled Lamb was an absolutely stunning dish, with amazing presentation and flavours to match. Towered high, the mountain of charred cauliflower and lamb shoulder was definitely a sight to behold, with pickled cabbage topping the structure.The lamb shoulder itself was impeccable, cooked to just the perfect tenderness with a bold lamb flavour. This was perfectly juxtaposed by the crunch of the fresh, crisp cauliflower, with a hint of earthiness throughout. Holding it all together was of course the delectable smokey eggplant puree, so smooth and creamy without being overly rich, with just the right smokiness to it that added depth, without overwhelming the other flavours of the dish. Well-balanced in every way with a decidedly Middle-Eastern twist.
The Benedict Eggs was enjoyable, though markedly less spectacular in comparison. Generously topped with a rich and slightly fruity apple cider hollandaise, underneath we found two perfectly poached eggs sitting on top of a sizeable potato hash. The weakest point of the dish was arguably the slow braised ham hock, which, while exhibited good flavour, could’ve benefited from a longer cook to provide even greater tenderness. Fortunately, the potato hash itself was simply amazing, with its golden brown, crispy outer giving way to an aptly soft and very flavoursome inner.
We concluded our meal with the Ricotta Hot Cake. Coming highly recommended, the hot cake was quite simply too pretty to eat. The singular hot cake filled the whole of the plate, which exhibited a great height and had a fluffy and spongey feedback despite being densely and generously filled with a light, creamy ricotta. The slightly charred outer provided a slight crispness with every bite, while the slices of apple and cinnamon creme ensured a creamy and fruity sweetness to be had throughout. This was juxtaposed by the satisfying crunch of the honey glazed crumble, which offered up diversity in texture to the pillowy soft hotcake. An absolutely phenomenal finish to our meal.
The Mediocre
Nothing.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
It’s no wonder all the locals are in love with Barry. A thoroughly enjoyable, well-executed and delicious brunch fare with impeccable service to pair.
Their unique tweaks to traditional staples like pulled lamb and pancakes certainly brought these dishes to a whole new level, both in taste and presentation, and we simply can’t rave on about this enough!
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Most definitely. That Ricotta Hotcake is simply irresistible, and I will be back, again and again, for more!
Penguineats would like to thank Barry for inviting us.