the best french toast down under

Celulas – Less is more 

 

It was by accident that we found this cozy little breakfast place in our neighbourhood. Every time we walked by we would say “that place looks cute, we should go there sometime”, so we finally went. The place is one of those family-owned establishments, where you are received with a sincere smile and your food is cooked with love, and by love I mean real love. Fandango has become house of our weekly saturday morning ritual. It is that type of event which you spend all week waiting for; when you wake up that morning you can’t stay in bed any longer, because you know what’s waiting for you down the street, even though it’s saturday. 

The place has two tables on the sidewalk, only a few tables inside and a couple more in the backyard. To get to the backyard you walk through the kitchen, where the staff greets you as if it were your own kitchen, and you were just going to have your morning coffee outside. In a friendly and inevitable way, you are invited to see how your food is being cooked, at the same time witnessing the cleanliness as the place is always spotless. The crowd is predominantly local, regular neighbours and friends who go in for a inevitable ‘good time’, and the music played is always something alternative yet ambient pleasing your ears since you walk in.

On the menu, amongst several traditional breakfast savory dishes, is the mouthwatering ‘french toast’. The artisan bread is covered with maple syrup, accompanied with big chunks of maple butter. It’s layered with oven-baked apples, mixed with back bacon. Nevertheless, if you are a vegetarian they will substitute it for fresh strawberries and bananas. To finalize the stunning appearance, icing-sugar is sprinkled all over it. Although the dish seems slightly bigger than It should be, as you start eating you wish it would never end. It just melts in your mouth, and the best part is as you think all the fruits are all gone, you’ll find extra layers hidden between the bread. It’s doubtless the best french toast I’ve ever had, therefore this might have been my favourite breakfast experience so far. 

However, the consequences of trying it can have a negative side. After you try the best of something it’s hard not to become critical about it. Consequently, I have ruined two breakfasts at other places by ordering their french toast. Fandango is a delightful experience, and definitely one of the reasons I’ll come back to Melbourne whenever I can throughout my life.

Fandango. 97 Errol St. North Melbourne, VIC 3051. 
Tue – Sat | 7:30am – 3:00pm
+61 3 9329 0693