St Kilda Galleon Cafe
| Where | 9 Carlisle Street, St Kilda, 3182—View map |
Contact | 03 95348934 |
Website | — |
Open | Monday to Sunday 7.00am to 4.00pm |
Payment | Cash |
Diet | Vegan, Soy, Gluten free |
Seating | Inside and outside |
Kids | Welcome |
Pets | Welcome |
Choose Your Own Adventure Breakfast
Ellie Parker 27 April 2008
The seats are torn. The posters are faded. The clientelle are a haphazard lot who haven't necessarily brushed their hair before leaving the house. Together with the staff, they form an imposing presence. Relaxed, proud and convivial they converse like old friends, with acknowledging nods and subtle greetings. So when a pair of young lovers turns up on the door step, all eyes clock the newcomers. Conversation suddenly peters off. Their unified focus falls on the stunning young girl with the unfortunate camel toe. Smiles and smirks start rippling across the sea of patrons. The staff cotton on. All of a sudden we are all in on the joke. It's a wonderful feeling. United as one by a camel toe on a Sunday morning.
Spectator sport aside, Galleon is brilliant for breakfast. Such are the extensive menu offerings at Galleon, it feels like a Choose Your Own Adventure story. It is mind boggling.
If you just want two fried eggs on toast, you got it.
If you want fresh, prepared-to-order fruit salad with mint and yoghurt, you got it.
Sick of the same old eggs? Try the sweet potato, basil, feta hash browns with wilted spinach, poached egg and relish.
Vegan? Plunge into the scrambled tofu with mushrooms and spinach, topped with crispy fried enoki mushrooms on sourdough.
Forget boring, tired side dishes. Try poached eggs with meatballs in Napoli, Italian breakfast sausages, vegan beans, or Tassie smoked salmon. Then think about hollandaise, pesto or relish to add the finish touch. All house-made and all delicious.
On the sweet side of things, there are pikelets with lemon butter and fresh strawberries, or French Toast with bacon and maple syrup. The rice pudding is exceptional. Served with cinnamon dusted almonds and poached fruit it is creamy and reminiscent of childhood.
Fresh sesame seed brekky bagels come with a variety of toppings. The maple walnut ricotta is a favourite, especially with the Di Bella coffee. They make for very happy bedfellows.
Galleon’s eggs benedict makes you pause. It is up there as one of the greats. The dollop of hollandaise is piquant, the eggs are cooked to perfection. The gooey yolk is scarily yellow, presumably meaning it comes from a happy chicken rather than a radioactive one.
Speaking of eggs, the Sailor’s Brekky warrants a whacking headache from the night before as does the Galleon bubble ‘n squeak. If you wake up in a St Kilda gutter feeling a tad worse for wear, head to Galleon for a cure.
I have made several visits to Galleon to try and work my way through the menu. I’m nowhere near close, which is exhilarating. Galleon is all about relaxed, grungy atmosphere, excellent staff, a considered yet extensive menu and delicious, generous food. There should be more places like this in Melbourne’s South. It has all the right things going for it. Even the camel toes.