Rustica Sourdough

I've had Rustica Sourdough on my never ending to-eat-list ever since I read about it on Broadsheet. After seeing photos of the French toast time and again on my Instagram feed, I was going to drag The Boyfriend there with me before I flew off.

So you can imagine, when the invitation to brunch at Rustica came through the very next day, I was so happy, I did a happy chicken dance! The law of attraction must be working in my favour woohoo!

As we made our way into the cafe, we were welcomed with a fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread. There was a wide selection of bread, rolls and pastries on display; and they all looked so so good!

We were kindly seated by the open pastry kitchen, and I watched in awe as the pastry chefs worked their magic through some almond and chocolate croissants. I could not stop staring; sorry chefs, it must have been awkward to have people just looking on as you work. :|

I started with a cuppa soy hot chocolate. I would usually order a mocha, but upon seeing that they serve Monsieur Truffe's hot chocolate, I simply had to have a cuppa. OH SO GOOD!

The Boyfriend had a cup of English Breakfast tea and at this stage, The Boyfriend said he felt a little unwell and I thought maybe he was just a little too hungry as it was past noon, we haven't had any brekkie and it did take a while before our order was taken.

I was really really keen on trying the French toast that I've seen multiple times on Instagram, however as I was having some bad tummy cramps, I thought okay, I should refrain myself from having sweets and ice cream so instead I settled for the croque monsieur.

The three-stack croque monsieur consisting of ham hock, swiss gruyere, and seeded mustard bechamel on pumpkin brioche was amazing! It was a guilty indulgence no doubt, but one very worthy of its calories, I can assure you.

The Boyfriend on the other hand, opted for the beef brisket burger with chipotle mayo, herb slaw and pickles on brioche bun, served with french fries. The rich crumbly brioche bun was a great match to the tender brisket. I stole a bite of the burger and absolutely loved it.

I was looking forward to dessert but unfortunately though, as The Boyfriend was struck with a migraine midway through, we had to make a quick dash without finishing our food.

The music was pumping loud which would otherwise have been great for the atmosphere if not for The Boyfriend's headache.

The few bites that we had were fantastic though. Well, at least I was really enjoying my meal, but my poor boyfriend had his head pounding away and could barely stomach any food. He did say to me the following day, "The burger was yummy, wished I didn't have migraine."

We excused ourselves, and were so surprised and pleased when we were presented with a goodie bag to take home. I am glad The Boyfriend managed to at least enjoy the bread after he woke up from his 3 hours nap, hungry and still a little groggy.

Fresh, light and airy; everything I'd ask for in a loaf of sourdough bread. It was also my first time having pumpkin bread and I loved it. A soft and slightly sweet loaf; I was enjoying it plain with olive oil and it was so satisfyingly good.

Thank you ID Collective and Rustica Sourdough for the invitation and great food. We will have to return again soon so we can take our time and enjoy a proper meal next time. I need to get my hands on the beautiful pastries and the French toast.

It's only been slightly less than 2 weeks since I left Melbourne and I am already missing the brunch scene. Oh, I just can't wait to be back. So please do enjoy an extra plate of the French toast on my behalf! ;)