Beautiful Jim Key

December 11, 2025

   

Cafe Beautiful Jim Key popped up in a new apartment block on Wilson Ave last winter, and seemed immediately to be very popular. Michael suggested we give it a shot on a Thursday morning, when there was less of a contest for a table. The all-day menu largely covers the brunch items we expect - granola, bircher, avocado toast, French toast, a big breakfast, eggs on toast with a list of add-ons. It is scattered with vs, vgos, vgos and dfos, though it's missing a legend. I've no idea how they're veganising their smoked sausage and cheese roll but they'll allegedly do it.

   

Maybe it's not the best way to judge a cafe on the first visit, but I'm often drawn to a savoury muffin when it's on offer. The zucchini and parmesan one on offer here was rich and fluffy, great stuff. I cut through the cheese with a tropical fruit juice ($7). I also noticed a nice little list of other non-alcoholic drinks that I'd enjoy later in the day - butterfly pea and jasmine iced tea, housemade blood orange soda, and Non 1 Salted Raspberry and Chamomile.

   

Michael picked one of the more original items from the menu - curried soft boiled eggs teamed with mango chutney-spread toast ($22). It was silky, warmly but not hotly spiced, something he'd gladly come back for.

Our first encounter with Beautiful Jim Key was a very good one! It'll certainly be high on our list for a revisit.

____________

Beautiful Jim Key

7 Wilson Ave, Brunswick

0400 124 414

food, drinks

https://www.beautifuljimkey.com.au/

Accessibility: BJK has a flat entry and medium-spaced furniture, a mixture of bench seating along the wall, low tables with backed seats, then a high communal table with backless stools. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. We didn't use the toilets, but I think I spotted a reasonably spacious unisex cubicle.

Kilcunda

December 6-7, 2025

   

We had an overnight stay in Kilcunda this summer, motivated by a live music show at Archies Creek Hotel. The weather was pretty miserable (excepting a 20 minute period in which I took the above photo), but the eating was an unexpectedly bright spot.

____________

   

I looked past the name and booked us dinner at Udder & Hoe. It has a compact circular floor plan with an arc of floor-to-ceiling windows facing the (on our visit, very dreary) beach, and millennial-instagram vibes. We picked most of the vegetarian options across the menu - it doesn't explicitly mark dietary suitability but it's the kind of place that lists all the featured ingredients rather than naming dishes.

   

What we ate, we liked a lot. Sourdough came with sweet, fluffy Tenby Point honey butter ($8), and a flat little chickpea crumpet ($7) was topped with Prom Country feta and a tangle of pickled zucchini and fresh herbs. The same salad mix was teamed with radish and almonds, atop a burrata ($18) with a side of croutons. A third time, a pickled onion version garnished a deceptively small, very hearty mushroom and kale lasagne ($30). Lasagne isn't a summery food, but then this wasn't a particularly summery evening. It's probably for the best that we didn't order the side of organic salad leaf with pickled onion ($14). We skipped dessert but picked up a block of chocolate from their display of fancy groceries and trinkets.

__________

   

kgs' eclectic outdoor furniture looked abandoned on our evening walk, but the morning confirmed that it's a bright and very-much-in-business cafe. We started early and had our pick of the more carefully curated indoor furniture and booth seating. The menu covers off on the breakfast classics, and leans towards burgers and wraps for lunch. Again, we relied on ingredient lists and not markers for dietary interpretation. I chose a cosy plate of sourdough crumpets ($19) teamed with tangy strawberry-rhubarb compote and yoghurt plus a toasted oat crumb. Michael tried the on-trend hot honey toast ($17.50), which actually featured smashed avocado, Danish feta and a bit of chilli. 

   

____________

While we didn't get to enjoy Kilcunda's beach as we might have hoped, the catering far exceeded my expectations... all the more reason to come back when the forecast improves.

Miss Moses

November 29, 2025

   

We've visited Brunswick bar Miss Moses a few times over the years for live music, trivia and food, but this is its first appearance on the blog. It's had decent vegetarian options as long as I've been visiting, and it currently offers a full page vegan menu separate from its mainstream menu. Dairy-free and gluten-free options are also well-marked (although the kitchen is not guaranteed coeliac-compliant). There's a lot to choose from: little snacks like pickles and olives; classic fried sides like chips, onion rings and potato cakes; tortilla chips, the now-ubiquitous cauliflower 'wings'; a couple of tacos, seven burgers, and three counter meals. That they were out of mock-fish on this day was disappointing but hardly limiting.

   

Michael chose the Spicy Chook burger ($23); the chicken tenders were doused in a tasty gochujang hot sauce, though Michael could've taken it hotter. It's teamed with pretty classic pickles, aioli and lettuce, then a serve of very decent chips.

   

I was still eating more mindfully than usual, and figured the chicken burrito bowl ($25) was my safest option. I picked my way carefully, focusing on the bed of rice, slaw, corn, beans and salsa; nibbling at the juicy seitan and tortilla chips, spreading the guacamole around judiciously. This was a great plate, and in other circumstances I would have forked it up with great enthusiasm.

I'm not currently in my pub era, but should I ever get back there, Miss Moses will be highly ranked.

____________

Folks on The Chicken Scene were underwhelmed by the fried chicken burger.

____________

Miss Moses

581 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

8374 7825

standard menu, vegan menu 

https://www.missmoses.com.au/

Accessibility: Entry is flat and there's a clear corridor through the centre. Furniture is medium spaced; a mixture of low tables with backed seats and high tables with backless stools. We ordered and paid at a high bar. We didn't visit the toilets, but we noticed that they're located up a full flight of stairs.

Shaved ice summer

November 24 - December 8, 2025

   

So my little errand was to pick up a $10 ice shaver that was advertised on facebook marketplace. This idea had been churning in the back of my mind since before I encountered several excellent specimens in Taipei. You see, we'd arranged for a noodle-themed potluck with our vegan pals, and I was plotting cendol for dessert. I had the non-perishable ingredients purchased from KFL and stocked in our pantry at least a month in advance: the box of cendol, some sweet canned jackfruit, sweet red beans, toddy palm seeds, grass jelly, coconut milk, and palm sugar.

   

The ice shaver took a couple of goes to get the hang of, was particular about the ice shapes I put in, and was loud. But it worked! I layered up my cendol ingredients and crowned them with feather-light ice shards shot through with palm sugar syrup. I had enough ingredients to last several weeks, and I experimented with different serving vessels - the plastic bowl in the second photo became a favourite. This was quick enough to arrange that I could whip one up for afternoon tea on a work-from-home day.

   

Once I'd exhausted my cendol supplies, I experimented with other fruits (while continuing to make palm sugar syrup - it's really good!). I made pandan-infused coconut jelly set with agar in my silicon cupcake trays, and teamed it with watermelon or mango. I've experimented a little with flavoured cordials, and have a can of lychees in the cupboard waiting for their moment - I just think they'd be great with lemon, lime and bitters! It's shaped up to be my shaved ice summer.

My Asian Neighbour

November 22, 2025

   

Back in Melbourne, we had a little errand to run in Reservoir, and it was a nice excuse to visit My Asian Neighbour for a sunny daylight-savings dinner. This venue is cheery and sprawling, with indoor seating, a courtyard bar, and astroturfed street-side outdoor seating - we picked the latter. The Indonesian menu is extensive, with lots of well-marked vegan and gluten-free options.

   

My digestive system was still a little delicate, and I decided that the Gado Gado ($25) might be safest option. 'Safe' couldn't get more joyful than this bright bowl of contrasting colour and textures - the classic hard-boiled egg, potatoes, green beans, bean sprouts and tofu were layered with satay sauce, a snowstorm of crushed garlic crackers, and a generous drizzle of sweet dark soy sauce.

   

Michael's no-holds-barred Nasi Campur Banquet ($35) was an even greater sight to behold, with a corn fritter, a tempe fritter, deep-fried eggplant, a trail of rich rendang curry, a medley of fresh veges, garlic crackers and a bowl of dark sweet soy sauce all clamouring around a hefty mound of rice. Only the sambal was really fiery, so it was possible to measure out the heat to taste.

   

The staff were a mixture of experienced and efficient with new and eager-to-learn. We weren't left wanting... unless you mean wanting the stomach space for dessert. I've got my eye on the pandan pancake for next time.

____________

My Asian Neighbour

760 Plenty Rd, Reservoir

9470 5481

entrees, sides & specialties; mains & desserts; drinks

https://myasianneighbour.com.au/

Accessibility: In short, a bit chaotic. There's a lip on the door and a crowded-looking interior (we didn't explore far). Outdoors there's a medium-density mixture of high tables with backless stools and regular-height, not-so-sturdy tables with those pinchy metal chairs (booo). We ordered at our table and paid at a regular-height counter inside. We didn't visit the toilets.