The Overview…
Food: Waffles, Haloumi Burger, Benedict
Ratings:
Food: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value: 4/5
The details…
Eating at Middle South East is an enjoyable experience. It attracts a mixed range of customers, looks like a restaurant, but feels like a cafe. Service was good – if anything a little too attentive – but we were well looked after throughout our visit. The light wood and huge windows make it a bright and beautiful space, the rustic red and orange undertones help link this eatery to its Middle Eastern inspiration.
The drinks at Middle South East are stunning. We had the Golden Gaytime Shake and the Mango Superfood Smoothie. We loved the presentation of both of them: the shake was smooth and icecreamy and the smoothie was sweet and much more enjoyable than many green smoothies! It didn’t feel as though I was forcing myself to drink something healthy and had a great flavour.
My haloumi burger was enjoyable. The bun was crisp on the outside, but soft once bitten into. I liked a lot of the flavours in this, loved the beetroot and enjoyed the mushroom, but I felt the haloumi was overwhelmed at times. Towards the end of the burger, the haloumi was cut thicker and this made a huge difference – a little more consistency with this – and getting rid of the spring onions would have perfected this dish for me. Accompanying chips were tasty with a lot of flavour. You definitely won’t be bored with this dish.
The pork was nice and juicy on our benny and had a subtle sweetness to it which really enhanced the dish. Eggs were cooked perfectly and the crispy radishes just added an interesting dimension and some texture to the dish. We finished up with the waffles which were surprisingly soft given their small size and we were impressed by this. These were a nicely balanced dish, with a small amount of fairy floss and some lovely peanut brittle to add sweetness and a good variety of fresh fruit.
All in all we enjoyed our visit to Middle South East though I personally would have loved to see them push their Middle Eastern dishes a bit more with their customers. As evidenced through some of the more subtle middle eastern twists on our food, I feel this kind of focus is where they would really stand out. On reflection I’m disappointed we didn’t try something more along these lines. In addition to this, smoothies or shakes are a must to accompany your meal! It’s definitely a place to be brave and try something new.
Everything else…
Website: http://middlesoutheast.com.au/
Address: 670 Chapel Street, South Yarra
Opening Times:
Mon closed
Tue 12pm to late
Wed 12pm to late
Thu 12pm to late
Fri 12pm to late
Sat 12pm to late
Sun 12pm to late
Parking: It’s going to be tough finding a free park in this area of South Yarra. There’s a large carpark on nearby River Street which starts at $3.
Getting here on PT: It’s a few minutes walk from South Yarra train station, or on the 78 tram route (alight at Malcolm Street)
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Middle South East. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a restaurant won’t change (including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting