Looking for somewhere a bit different to tuck into your poached eggs this weekend? Fancy a little jaunt away from your trusty local? Though the prospect of catching a train, then a tram and then another tram just for some poached eggs may seem a bit ludicrous to some - particularly in Winter when the wind is so cold you feel as though the flesh is melting off your face - there are always cafes that make the extra effort worth it. Prahran cafe, Tall Timber, is one such cafe that certainly proves it pays to stray from your usual stomping ground.
Residing off bustling Chapel Street and nestled in a corner spot on Commercial Road (don't worry, I didn't know where that was either), lies this unassuming little cafe from the boys behind Station Street Trading Co and Coin Laundry. Don't be fooled by the rustic, minimalist interior, because everything here, from the food to the coffee, is done boldly. The whitewashed brick interior paired with pale wooden tables offers an open, airy space that's flooded with light from the two large shop-front windows. Grab a stool up at the window and watch the macho-men fight it out at the Brazilian Boxing shop across the street, or pull up a chair at the (possibly less entertaining) communal table, garnished with native fauna.
The food here is a highlight, with a menu so filled with sumptuous sounding things it's almost mean to make customers choose. Putting a fresh spin on the traditional (and now somewhat boringly monotonous) smashed avo, is the pumpkin loaf with pickled beetroot salad, smashed avocado, hummus and a poached egg. There's also pumpkin bruschetta; a soft mountain of smashed pumpkin and feta on quinoa toast, topped with perfectly poached eggs and littered with micro herbs and seeds. If all this sounds a little too healthy, don't worry, because Tall Timbers got a decadent house made banana and pistachio bread with espresso marscapone and an open breakfast sanga, for those who are more heart-attack inclined.
On my visit I couldn't go past the sautéed kale, green beans and asparagus with poached eggs, dukkah and goats curd. Let me just say, this was a dish worth crossing town for. Presented beautifully, the veggies were cooked perfectly, the eggs oozed impeccably and the soft goats curd added little bursts of creamy saltiness. Absolute deliciousness. My Tall Timber teammate opted for something more lunchy and had the bastilla filled with slow-cooked lamb shoulder and caramalised onions, accompanied by a fresh and zingy cucumber and radish salad. This dish also nailed it, with flaky pastry and flavoursome, fall-apart meat.
Don't miss the coffee here either. The Niccolo beans are roasted on site and the toasty house blend with notes of caramel works wonderfully with milk. For those who like it black, there are rotating guest blends from boutique roasters, including Market Lane and Dukes.
Tall Timber does its very best to please with fantastic food, great coffee and attentive staff. I'd say it's definitely worth the journey...in fact, it might even become my new home away from home.
