Next of Kin

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Next of Kin.

Next of Kin exceeds expectations with superior brunch offerings at more than reasonable prices.

Melbourne has an ever growing brunch culture, making the café industry a particularly competitive and vibrant one. Next of Kin stands out by successfully crafting a convivial atmosphere in which to enjoy a lazy weekend brunch. 

Although the food menu is somewhat limited in size, you will find unique items that a carefully prepared with skill, precision and technique. 

Next of Kin is also particularly notable for the excellence of their coffee.  The profound respect for the humble beverage is palpable.  The Café serves speciality coffee from Proud poured by adept baristas.

Our espressos were, well made with luscious, dense crema sitting atop concentrated coffee.  The espresso blend was very easy to drink – it produced a coffee with light caramel notes and a hint of acidity.  

Their lattes and cappuccinos are similarly well made, with the slight sweetness of the frothed milk cutting through the residual brightness from the foundation espresso.  As expected, each arrived with an intricate rosetta in the milk foam.

Sheep Milk Yoghurt Panna cotta - Summer fruits - caramelised buckini granola - bee pollen

The Sheep Milk Yoghurt Panna cotta was as pleasing to eat as it was to behold. Barely holding its shape, the panna cotta was quivering on the plate. Smooth and well made, the panna cotta went well with the beautiful summer fruits and textural buckini granola. The scattered treasures of bee pollen were a playful and delicious addition. 

Cured ocean trout 

Sweet potato croquettes - avocado - pickled beetroot - fennel & dill

The fillet of trout had been cooked to perfection. It boasted a beautifully crisp and seared exterior and revealed a pink and delicate interior. The pickled beetroot added a desirable acidity which cut through the luxuriousness of the trout while the avocado, fennel and dill introduced a complex infusion of flavours. The sweet potato croquettes had a crunchy exterior and the mashed sweet potato inside was richly seasoned - it was a wonderful inclusion. In all, a truly remarkable dish.

Next of Kin is a delightful little café exuding modern chic charm with its cosy interior. The creativity and execution of the dishes at Next ok Kin are commendable – you will be hard-pressed to find similar quality dishes at comparable prices in Melbourne. 

Location: 546 Glen Huntly Rd  Elsternwick

Phone: 03 9041 8876

Link: http://nextofkincafe.com.au/

Cuisine: Breakfast, Coffee, Modern

Frochella @ Ilya Frozen Yogurt

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Ilya.

Ilya Frozen Yohurt features an array of exciting self-serve frozen yogurt flavours at a weigh-and-pay price.

Gastrology recently sampled 15 delectable flavours at Frochella @ Ilya where we enjoyed their organic, 100% natural, and free from refined cane sugar frozen yogurts.

Owners Natasha and Jason left the corporate world to pursue their passion for good food, (that not only tastes good but is good for you), giving back and having fun - enter, Ilya.

The Ilya frozen yogurt shop is built around the social, consumer experience – we loved the comfortable fittings and furniture.

We loved the array of topping options... 

Our favourite topping was the antioxidant goodness which was a delectable blend of yummy goodness including goji, cacao, maca and mixed-berry powder, chia seeds and pepitas.

We sampled 2 menus - Ilya's core and current flavours (menu A) and the new limited edition spring/summer menu (menu B).

One of our favourite items from the core and current flavours was “Flawless” which was quite simply as its name suggested. It was a beautiful coconut frozen yogurt that was made from coconut milk and shredded coconut. 

Another favourite was “Sexy and I know it” which was a chocolate froyo which delivered rich and wholesome flavours and yet managed to be dairy-free, animal friendly and decadently chocolaty.

The new limited edition spring menu boasted a cacophony of interesting flavour combinations.  We absolutely adored “Lana Del Grey” which was an earl grey tea froyo combined with dried cranberries. We loved the marrying of flavours between the tangy earl grey bergamot notes and the similarly sweet and tart cranberries. 

A healthy dessert alternative, Ilya frozen yogurts are proud to be the first and only organic self-serve frozen yogurt in Australia with no cane sugar used in their yogurt base. Made with fresh organic milk, organic Five:AM yogurt, Ilya offers a superior product offering with their yogurt base sweetened with Stevia and Erythitol, setting them apart from the other froyo offerings around town.

Location: 277 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick,

Link: http://www.ilyafroyo.com.au/

Cuisine: Frozen Yogurt