The Overview…
I was delighted to discover that Temperance Society is actually less than 10 minutes drive from our new place, so with our visiting family in tow, we headed off to check it out – giving them the classic Melbourne Sunday brunch experience.
The Details…
Temperance is such a suburban cafe, and while it retains the industrial undertones of the rest of the family (Tinker, Penta, etc), it’s softer and more laid back, taking on the pace of the local area. The outdoor courtyard, where we were seated, is the perfect place for a peaceful summer brunch. Staff were efficient and cheerful, and I was pleased to see the laid-back atmosphere didn’t extend to their service, which was prompt and attentive.
We went for a mix of sweet and savoury, with the highly instagrammed Creme Brulee Bircher, the orange blossom hotcakes, the huevos benedictos and the chilli scramble (with added chorizo). All four dishes looked amazing, and a good time was had by all. The chilli scramble had a good kick and lots of flavour. The huevos benedictos looked sensational – for me this would be the go-to brekkie here if you want something savoury. The hotcakes were beautiful as ever and were a little more scaled back from their sister dishes – less sugar, more fruit, but the same great taste.
The bircher is such a fun and fresh dish. I was worried given the lack of a trademark pannacotta on the menu whether I would find that real wow dish, but this was it! The watermelon jerky is clever, creative and tastes so great (like you actually won’t believe it’s watermelon). The crack on the creme brulee was sensational and I’m still getting my head around the mechanics of that, given its just muesli and yoghurt underneath. While obviously not as healthy as some bircher dishes it still left me feeling great and was something I was excited about eating. I would go back and order this dish time and time again.
Never in my life have I been more happy that a place was fully booked. Discovering this fab new local cafe has made my month! Thanks for having us Temperance and look forward to many more visits to come.