Stovetop Cafe
1/108-128 Leicester Street, Carlton
03 9347 2010
Cafe
$
Food
- Kimchi Pancake
- Hoisin Fried Chicken Burger
- Waffles
The Good
We were off to a great start with the Kimchi Pancake. Beautifully presented and topped with a perfectly cooked son in law egg, the pancake itself was aptly fluffy and carried plenty of kimchi flavour. Dressed with a sweet okonomiyaki sauce as well as mayonnaise, and accompanied by fresh crisp bean sprouts and crunchy fried shallots, this very Asian dish certainly impressed.
We rounded off the meal with the Waffles. The waffles were beautifully decorated with plenty of fairy floss and surrounded by a ring of berries and pistachio. Fresh off the press, the almost crunchy outer of the waffles easily crumbled away and encased a dense though spongy inner. All tied together by a scoop of slowly melting vanilla ice cream, this simple yet elegant dessert dish was delicious.
The Mediocre
Unfortunately the Hoisin Fried Chicken Burger failed to impress. The batter of the fried chicken wasn’t quite thick nor crunchy enough. The chicken itself was slightly on the tougher side than expected. The slaw was fine mostly, crispy enough though had a bit too much mayo. All sandwiched in a very dry and rather stale bun, this was undoubtedly the most underwhelming part of our brunch.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
Located a stone throws away from Queen Victoria Market, Stovetop is a newly opened cafe that’s perfect for the surrounding university students. Featuring a vast, Asian-inspired that’s rather affordable, the only thing that’s needed is a bit of refinement on the execution of their dishes.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Wouldn’t mind stopping by when in the area again.
Penguineats would like to thank Stovetop for inviting us.