Melbourne Part II - Auction Rooms cafe

If there's one word I'd use to describe Auction Rooms Cafe, it would be "globalisation", with good connotations. My friend's Melbournian cousin recommended this cafe to our group in fondness, and that if we have limited time in Melbourne, this was a place to go to. Now back to the word globalisation, the folks at Auction Rooms have a great audacity to experiment with ingredients from various origins - ranging from Indian to Korean to Italian - and work them like a treat.

They are also great with coffee, but on to that later.

Hot smoked salmon: curried arancini, sesame yoghurt, eggplant jam, pickled papaya, soft boiled egg ($21) 

The arancini was a bit strong for breakfast, but it would pair well with the dish for lunch. The egg went really well with the pickled papaya and my favourite part was the eggplant jam. It paired well with the salmon - the main feature of the dish. The taste can best be described as similar to that of anchovies in my opinion.

Pressed pork shoulder: white bean puree, morcilla, pickled carrots, sweet potato crisps, slow-poached egg ($20.50) 
This was the least exotic of the dishes and I would recommend it to a less adventurous friend. Definitely a crowd pleaser and I was pleased.

Chilaquiles : toasted corn tortillas, shredded pork shoulder, salsa roja, cheese curd, black beans, fried egg ($21)

The general vibe this dish gave was Mexican nachos. It was one of my favourites and incredibly wholesome. I feel like it would've done equally well without the fried egg but it was nice with it too. The pork shoulder was tender but not overcooked, and well flavoured.

Arepa e’huevo: Colombian corn pancakes, fried egg, straw mushrooms, baby squash, fried peppers, cream cheese + walnut salsa ($18.50)

Personally, this was my least favourite dish because of a general dislike of straw mushrooms. But the friend who ordered it thought it was fantastic and packed with flavour - the peppers giving it a kick since the corn pancakes are plain by nature.

Corned beef brisket + potato hash: shredded cabbage + leek, poached eggs, pita bread, Sriracha hollandaise ($20.50)
I appreciated having cabbage in my breakfast. It was a first. Also with having spicy hollandaise sauce. It's a more Asian fusion dish and frankly I quite liked it.

About coffee. The truth is, I've forgotten what coffees my friends and I ordered, but I speculate I ordered the filter of the day for $4.50 and my friend ordered something equally exotic, so much so that she got three cups. Here is their drinks menu if you want to have a look [LINK]

For more food, here is their [FOOD MENU]. Enjoy and Bone-App-the-Teeth!