To all my female readers, were you a tomboy growing up? Or were you more of a girly girl? I don’t know what I was hahaha growing up I was always active, had no issue playing rough and in the mud. But then at the same time, I loved playing with barbie dolls, dressing up and also having tea parties with my dolls… LOL
Anyhow, on the weekend I finally got the chance to catch up with Vien (We Dare Food), it’s been quite a few months since we’ve caught up, even though we chat daily through Instagram and Twitter. A quick introduction Vien is a very talented young girl who has just completed her Undergraduate studies and is an amazing baker and photographer 
I love her simplistic way of styling food ~
We wanted to do brunch so I suggested Tomboy in Collingwood, as it has been on my list for quite some time and because I have heard so many good things about their brownies, which they also supply to Seven Seeds. I brought Mr Bao with us, as we were going out afterwards and it would just make things easier that way Thank gosh Vien didn’t mind YAY!
We organised to meet up at 11am, perfect time for brunch. Tomboy is a relatively small cafe with limited seating, a couple of tables on the right a large communal table at the back and I think they may have some seats upstairs or the toilets were located there as some customers were walking up and down
I love the retro decor at Tomboy, on the left there was a large vintage glass cabinet displaying their tarts and housemade gluten free muesli, while on top was their famous brownies! I also loved the milkbar sign hanging on top ~
There was only one menu and it was written on large butchers paper and hung on the back of the wall, which makes it a little hard for some customers to read. I think it would have been a little bit more practical to put the menu more central in the middle of the cafe ~
Quite a few dishes caught our eyes and interests us Vien and I have great tastes because we both wanted either the yoghurt or the sweet peas, so it was perfect we could each get one and try both!
Orange Blossom Yoghurt with poached stone fruit, pistachio praline and pomegranate $9.50AUD
Starting with Vien’s Orange Blossom Yoghurt, it I didn’t know better I would’ve assumed it was like a Middle Eastern inspired panna cotta! Especially since it was molded into a round shape and with the pistachio praline and pomegranate seeds, gosh I was getting envy! I was just dying for Vien to offer for me to have a try hehe the yoghurt was super thick and smooth, it had the texture of Labna (strained yoghurt). I loved everything about this yoghurt and I really want the recipe for the pistachio praline!
Smashed peas and broad-beans with dill, mint and grilled asparagus with a crumbed egg $14.50AUD
My smashed peas and broad-beans with dill, mint and grill asparagus was definitely a summer-type breakfast dish It was light and refreshing with nothing oily or rich ~ perfect as it was a very hot 37 degree day! I liked the overall flavours of my dish especially the mint, but found the smashed peas and broad-bean to be slightly dry and I thought it would have been better it there was something to bind it all together ~ Love grilled asparagus so that made me happy.
But what really made me smile ~ was the crumbed egg! It was a poached egg coated in bread crumbs then fried and when you cut into it, runny egg yolk just spills out! Yolk porn does not get any better than this HAHAHA and most importantly it was not at all oily or greasy YAY!
Pancetta baked beans with Ciabatta with a poached egg $14.50AUD
Mr Bao ordered the pancetta baked beans with a poached egg, it was a simple dish and the baked beans was not baked in a ramekin, instead it was per-baked spooned onto two slices of Ciabatta. Mr Bao enjoyed his dish and really liked the strong flavours from the pancetta as opposed to bacon. However, we both thought that the baked beans were a little luke warm and it would have been nicer if it was hotter ~ once again the egg was poached perfectly! How do cafes make it so effortless?
Couldn’t leave without trying their brownies! They had a selection or peanut butter, original chocolate and raspberry brownie. We opted for the Peanut Butter one which strange, because I’m not really a fan but Mr Bao didn’t want a regular chocolate brownie lol We’re very good at sharing and all had a bite ~ it had rich chocolate flavours, but had a rather crumbly texture. While I like my brownies to be fudgey, undercooked and gooey.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie $4AUD
Because it was a hot day, we didn’t want our usual hot coffees, and instead got iced ones I got my usual ice mocha ~ and flavours were great, it was a true iced mocha and not chocolate syrup with hot coffee then lots of ice to cool it down and dilute it 
Only issue was it was too small and was still served in a regular latte glass.
Iced Mocha – $5.5AUD
Mr Bao got an iced latte which he described it as being quite light as it didn’t have any ice-cream or cream and the coffee itself at floral notes ~
Ice Latte – $5.5AUD
Last by not least, Vien ordered a Soy Latte and I forgot to ask how she found it, but she finished it quickly so I assumed it was nice
Soy Chai Latte $3.8AUD
I enjoyed Tomboy for it’s simplistic and fresh approach to their dishes Everything was cooked nicely and perfect for a hot day. I am definitely gonna go back for more orange blossom yoghurt definitely dessert for breakfast!
Ps. They only take cash so don’t forget to stop by the ATM before coming otherwise, you’d end up like us hehe having to rush to the 7/11 store ~
Tagged: Breakfast, Brownie, Brunch, Cafe, Chocolate, Coffee, Egg, Melbourne, Review, Urbanspoon
I was a TOMboy. For sure. And this looks like a fantastic spot. Great design.
Hahhaa I was half half
I like the design too hehe ~
Crumped poached egg!! Have to try this but I don’t think I can find it here. Maybe have to try making it myself. The yoghurt indeed looks like a middle eastern dessert called Mahalabia, just firmer…..
Oh yeah, have always been pretty girls though had a lot of falls etc outdoors (bicycle, running around and just general clumsiness)
LOL you are so diverse
you can be so tomboyish but also so domestic with cooking and stuff hehe ~ the crumbed poached egg was definitely my favourite! Oh i’ve never heard of that Middle Eastern dessert hehe
I meant pretty girly lol not sure why iPad wanted to correct that, it’s a word! I’m not as tomboy as my sister who never wore skirts only until recently (even so, just once a year affair).
WOW lol that’s really tom boy lol i think I go through phases! Sometimes I am and then other times I’m not weird
haha I was a mix I dressed in dresses while i go steal the boys toys (so much more awesome). omg the Orange Blossom Yoghurt!!!!!!!! wow gimme
You need to go try the orange blossom yoghurt trust me you will LOVE IT
LOL I use to like wearing pants more but lately dresses are so much easier 
What a cute sounding place! I like my brownies to be dense and gooey too. Just thinking about brownies makes me hungry!
I don’t think anyone can resist dense and gooey brownies
nommmzzzzzz
Great post – such pretty photos!
Oh wow that yogurt looks stunning – like a proper restaurant dessert, not a cafe breakfast!! That asparagus dish looks right up my alley too – I’ll have to try this place.
I used to be a tomboy when I was little but now I’m a girly girl and only wear skirts and dresses!
xox Sarah
Thanks Sarah
Always so encouraging when people think my photos are half decent hahaha
You definitely need to try this place!!! The yoghurt is amazing and I love how lol it’s dessert for breakfast but still kind of healthy
LOL I know what you mean! I was a tomboy when i was young then became a girly girl then back to a tomboy and now i’m half half but learning more towards a girls girl
Happy Holidays xox
Hrmmm how does one poach and crumb and cook again an egg and have the yolk remain runny hrmmmmmm
*scratches head*
I was thinking of that too
how do they crumb then then poach it? It’s super interesting! have you watched the episode where Heston teaches you how to make scotch eggs? 
Haha I was half and half but I reckon I could be a full tomboy for this yummy place
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
High five girl I was half and half too xox
I was a bit of a girly girl I think hehe
Sounds like it was a lovely brunch catch up! The prices look reasonable at this place too so along with the appetising sounding menu makes this a spot I’ll be heading to soon ^^
Definitely a great place to catch up
and prices are definitely affordable just remember to bring cash hehe it was embarassing and annoying to have to go get cash hehe
Can’t wait till we catch up too xox
That’s definitely a perfect crumbed egg, really spot on. That’s an interesting menu and definitely very smart, though it must be hard for us to read it, lol. Growing up, hmmm I was probably half and half. I played with dollies, kitchen set, but dislike dressed up as a girl, hahahha.
It was sure a little hard to read but I really enjoyed the dishes so that’s okay
Really? lol I was a girly girl until about 10 and then went full on tomboy and then now reverted hehe
Wow, that looks like such a milky (soy) latte! Teehee, the yoghurt and egg + peas were the dishes that struck my fancy on the menu too
P.S. “Simplistic” is actually a word with negative connotations; it’s not the same as simple, it’s more like simple in the dumbed-down sense. I don’t normally wear my grammar police hat, but I thought you might like to know in this instance because I think you mean it as a compliment to Vien!!
Oh thanks for telling me Hannah
will need to change that because I was referring that the cafe was simplistic like their dishes hehe anyway will change that later 
THANKS!
I think you would have really enjoyed the yoghurt ~ I will go back just for that!
Awwwwwww you’re so nice Daisy
If you say anymore nice things, I’m afraid that my head will balloon up and burst! HAHAAHA 
I’m so excited for more meet-ups next year! You’re gonna have soooo much fun back in HK and holidaying around Paris!!!!!!! Imagine all the macarons and pastries that you can eat!!!!
hehe and yes, we must be wary about the cash-only places next time!
LOL nah lovely you wont get a big head and it wont explode
I’m super excited about other meet ups and you should totally come to my place!!! But yes right now i am counting the days, minutes and seconds until I leave WOO HOO!
Sorry about the cash thing
my bad! xx
This looks delicious! The eggs perfectly cooked too! I love the look of the crumbed egg!
I agree
the crumbed egg was perfect hehe 
I like my brownies undercooked and fudgey too.. especially when I cut into it and it comes out sticky on the knife and then I HAVE to lick the knife so I don’t waste it haha! Those iced coffees/mochas look awfully small for the price you paid though!
YESSSSSS
LOL Catherine you and I are the same 
My boyfriend is always saying “you’re going to cut your tongue one day” But I still do it! Way too addictive the gooeyness hehe ~ Yesss the iced coffee/mocha was simply too small!! Not worth $5.5 in my opinion 
I was most definitely a tomboy! (still am!)
Re second photo: everyone on that table is HOT – that was a good enough reason for me to want to go to this place hahaha. That and the crumbed egg (omg, looks so delicious!) and the orange blossom yoghurt which won me over with its prettiness hehehe.
LOL you are not
You have a girly side too ~
Second photo LOL can you recognise me and Vien in the photo? HEHE
The crumbed egg was amazing! Still facinates me, not sure how they make it hehe ~ and I agree the orange blossom yoghurt was so pretty just like a dessert really
Haha of course I recognised you guys – that’s why I said that everyone on that table was hot hahaha.
Love that orange blossom yoghurt! It looks delicious!! I’m not sure what I was, I enjoyed both being outside and playing in the dirt and playing with dolls!
LOL I think i was like you Ali
A mix hahaha doesn’t matter good to be both if u ask me~
I can’t believe there are places out there that only take cash! Great to be back visiting you, Daisy. I think the food here looks amazingly fresh and very good for you and I can see many things I would like to try but I agree with you – that menu is very difficult to read xx
YAY you’re back Charlie
thanks for coming back! But please don’t stress yourself about reading my blog! I know how busy you have been lately 
The menu really should have been printed or hung in the middle of the cafe ~ xox
The Melbourne dining scene will always be a favourite of mine!
Definitely
it’s amazing here keeps changing too can’t keep up!
I went there recently with Bryan, but we already had lunch so only got some coffee and sweets. Definitely want to go back to try more, such a cute place.
And though I did play with dolls as a little girl, I was also a tomboy. I often wore shorts, and climbed over gates, etc. :p
Oh damn you missed out on the savoury dishes hehe you’ve gotta go back especially the yoghurt and totally super cute cafe
LOL! I was definitely a tomboy, I walked around with just shorts on until I was about 9 years old. I had a dirt bike and I used to ride in the bush behind our house all day!I could never understand what dolls “did” ???
This cafe looks amazing, I so much want a serve of the smashed peas with the crumbed poached egg! YUMMY!
LOL! I was definitely a tomboy, I walked around with just shorts on until I was about 9 years old. I had a dirt bike and I used to ride in the bush behind our house all day!I could never understand what dolls “did” ???
This cafe looks amazing, I so much want a serve of the smashed peas with the crumbed poached egg! YUMMY!
WOW hahaha Julie I never imagined you to be Tom Boy not sure why hehe
WOO HOO though it’s great I was half half 
I loved the crumbed egg! Really want to know how they do it!
omgness. Everything looks SO GOOD at Tomboy! I’ve always wanted to go but haven’t got a chance yet! hehe And I was a girly girl but a bossy one. HAHAHA
You need to go soon babe when you come back
you will really enjoy it simple and yum! LOL I can’t imagine you being bossy though! xx
I was definitely girly, still am!
Gosh that crumbed egg looks amazing!!
Oooh yum the name of t his place is so cute. The crumbed egg looks epic, love the food porn shot heehee.
Ooh, I love the look of some of the dishes you had, must have changed up the menu since I went! Can you believe I didn’t have the sweets last time?! Will have to change this!!