SMXL
| Where | 542 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, 3000—View map |
Contact | 03 9642 8611 |
Website | www.smxl.com.au |
Open | Monday to Friday 7.00am till the food runs out |
Payment | EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, Diners, AMEX, Cash |
Diet | Soy, Gluten free |
Seating | Inside |
Kids | Welcome |
Pets | Unwelcome |
Morning m'oave delight
Ellie Parker 16 September 2008
Thank god for SMXL! It's a CBD porthole into a world of design and delicious food.
The splashes of colour, the groove, the food, the service: it's all there in spades. In fact, it sets the bar very high. SMXL proves that you don't have to be dour or demure just because you're a cafe in the city. It has spunk that makes the rest look daggy.
Sexy interiors aside, SMXL is so cool it has created a new breakfast phenomenon known as a m'oave. This is where a muffin makes love to a loaf to create a baby m'oave. They are delicious, more-ish little treats. They come in savoury (zucchini, basil and cheese for example), and sweet (raspberry and white chocolate for example) varieties. Once a m'oave is bitten, you will be forever smitten.
I'm convinced that their Bircher muesli is one of the best in town. The hazelnuts are freshly toasted, the apple freshly grated. It comes in those cute little plastic takeaway containers, perfect for rushing suits who like to eat their breakfast in front of their inbox. There is also Baker D Chirico muesli with fresh fruits (often stewed rhubarb or figs), again in practical little takeaway pots.
People who normally have an aversion to pre-prepared food will be won over by SMXL's attention to detail and presentation. The counter teems with bountiful flavours and colour, from chunky triangles of frittata to baby bocconcini, and tomato and basil pides. Clever perforated takeaway bags mean that hot toasty items such as Chirico fruit toast or jaffles don't lose their crunch.
Speaking of jaffles, I have always been a big fan of the jaffle, and SMXL does the jaffle tradition proud. Made with multigrain bread, they are flavoursome and hearty. The combinations include creamed corn, bacon and tasty cheese, or ham off the bone, cheese, tomato and basil. The clear winner is the poached egg, bacon, spinach and hollandaise jaffle (I know hollandaise should be relegated to weekend treats, but C'MON!).
SMXL has a very healthy clientele of takeaway coffee regulars. As they wait, they listen to cool beats whilst reading the latest glossy magazines on offer. Hard to fault really.