Friction, Essendon – The Overview…
Modern, bright Friction cafe has opened in Essendon fields so we headed over to check them out.
Despite visiting on a public holiday where everything else nearby was closed, Friction was still enjoying a healthy level of trade. The cafe had a nice buzz about it without feeling hectic.
The brightly lit venue does have a bit of a “generic Melbourne cafe” feel about it on first impressions, but you know what they say about first impressions. Once settled you can see the subtle details: the spaces have been carefully curated to accommodate families and larger groups, as well as typical brunch duos; this isn’t just an attempt to pick up an inner city brunch cookie cutter plan and deposit it in the suburbs.
The menu and the tacos.
We were also excited by the menu. While the all day breakfast sticks fairly close to tradition, the lunch menu (which starts from 11am) has more variety and gives Friction the chance to be a little more adventurous. The super friendly staff all knew the menu well and were happy to give their recommendations. We settled on something from each section (breakfast and lunch) with some waffles as a dessert.
The Jackfruit tacos were delicious. I’m always happy to give a meat free option a go, and this was my first time trying jackfruit. I loved it. They were a great large serve with a nice spicy kick. The boldly flavoured jackfruit was well tempered by a generous selection of seasonal leaves, coriander and radish. The chips filled this out to make for a really decent feed. While a lighter 2 taco option would also be cool, $19 for this dish was very affordable so it’s definitely well worth it.
The benedict.
The Benedict kept it pretty simply. The eggs were perfectly poached, with just the right amount of hollandaise. The highlight were the chunky herbed hash browns which just helped tie all the flavours together and added a little more variety than a simple slice of sourdough. There’s the option to add to this dish too if you wanted something more substantial. We think some fried chicken would be a winner if you’re feeling hungry enough.
And finally the waffles.
Finally we finished up our meal with waffles. These were a very typical dessert brunch. With nuts, fruit, Nutella, fairy floss and ice cream there’s quite a lot going on here but it made the dish exciting and each bite was yummy. I couldn’t finish this myself, it’s definitely suited to a sweet tooth, but as a sharing dessert I found it to be an awesome way to finish.
Everything else…
We’re certainly sad we don’t live a little closer to Friction, as we’re definitely keen to sample a few more dishes on their delicious menu.
Website: https://www.frictionessendon.com.au/
Address: 12/30 English Street, Essendon Fields
Opening Times:
| Mon | 7am to 3pm |
| Tue | 7am to 3pm |
| Wed | 7am to 3pm |
| Thu | 7am to 3pm |
| Fri | 7am to 3pm |
| Sat | 8am to 3pm |
| Sun | 8am to 3pm |
Parking: There is ample parking with the huge carpark just next to Friction.
Getting here on PT: Your best PT option is a 59 tram, alighting at Earl Street/Matthew Ave and it’s about a 10 minute walk.
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Friction, Essendon. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a venue won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting.