Toco Fresh, Concord
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Nothing is more exciting than going out to different places on various eating adventures, so unfortunately we seldom find ourselves eating locally unless its for takeaway or gelato.
Major Bay Road is
home to a number of eateries that are great for eating any meal, whether it be
breakfast, lunch or dinner - Italian restaurants, a steak house and grill, lots
of cafes, Thai restaurants and the essential suburb charcoal chicken shop. But rarely
do we get the chance to eat in at many of these local eateries. I'm not quite
sure why - perhaps it's the attractive draw of venturing out to new and
untouched suburbs that are home to a plethora of restaurants that are cheaper,
faster and serve food that is just as good. There is something so exciting about taking a family trip out and going
for a drive, all in the name of good food.
Another thing we
seldom do is go out for brunch. I mean, why have brunch when you can have
breakfast at home? It costs you next to nothing, and then you can spend your
money on a nice, more valuable and nutritious lunch. There are lots of funky
cafes in Concord, and I never get the chance to eat at them for this very
reason. Why have coffee or tea when you can make one just as good at home?
Maybe that's just
the cheap side of me, but for the first time in a long time last week I had the pleasure of enjoying brunch at a
new cafe on Majors Bay Road, Toco Fresh. For the past couple of months it's
been in renovation, replacing the old Cafe Del Mondo. Every time we walked past
the shopfront we'd see the 'opening soon!' banner, and it finally opened its doors early this
month - just in time for the holiday season!
Mum and I had
arrived just after 9am to meet some friends for brunch. It was quite buzzy when
we arrived, with moody lighting setting the funky atmosphere inside that was
expanded out to the airy casual seating outside. After taking a table under the
awning, we were given menus clipped on chic clipboards to ponder upon whilst
waiting, as well as water. The menu expands to include breakfast, sandwiches
& burgers, salads, smoothies, and cafe drinks. Most items are cheap -
around the $5-15 mark - with nothing over $20. It's good value for a cafe which
seems hip and happening in downtown Concord.
Toco Bruschetta ($9.50)
As we'd already had
breakfast Mum and I decided to share the Toco Bruschetta, which greeted us as a
tumble of spinach, chargrilled asparagus, fetta, hunks of avocado and slow
roasted tomatoes on a piece of sourdough toast. Rather than a typical bruschetta
where the toppings are placed just so on top of the base, this looked more like
a very appetising and healthy salad. The
tomatoes were just beautiful, cooked to the point of blistering which brought a lovely sweetness to the salty fetta and
creamy avocado.
I shared the
Tropical Sunrise Smoothie with Belle and as we'd requested to share it, it came
out thoughtfully in two smaller glasses. The tropical sunrise was a blend of
coconut, mango, vanilla ice cream and ice. A refreshing morning drink that
burst with the flavours of Summer.
Bahama French Toast ($8.50)
I had a little bit
of R's Bahama French Toast, aptly named because it comes with grilled, sugary
bananas, maple syrup and a generous sprinkling of Coconut. Mmmm... I loved the
addition of coconut, and the French toast wasn't too sweet either.
I also shared some
of the poached eggs on sourdough, with the little bundles of egg encapsulating
a runny, oozy yolk, accompanied by a touch of vinegar. The sourdough toast was
diagonally cut in 4 irregular rectangles, a nice touch that made it more exciting
than your usual oval or rectangular-shaped toast.
I really like this
place. Every time we drive or walk by it always seems buzzing and busy, with
locals loving the new fit out and homey, fresh food. Next time we're craving a
nice big sandwich or a decadent breakfast we'll definitely be returning back to test out
more of its expansive menu. You can never have too much brekkie!
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