727 Glenferrie Road
Hawthorn Vic 3122
http://www.leclec.com.au/

Of late Hawthorn seems to be the breeding ground for great cafes. I don’t know what’s in the water, but they’ve definitely got the recipe to create a successful eatery. The latest opening on Glenferrie Road, Le Clec is no exception to the rule.

Split across three separate dining areas, each has a different feel. One is fresh and white with French inspired decals, the next is warm and cozy complete with timber feature wall and an impressive wine rack. Then lastly is my personal favourite, the light filled semi enclosed courtyard where modern and vintage styles meet.

Their food offering consists of standard brunch fare with an asian twist which is different to anything I’ve tasted before. We eat out ALOT, so there comes a point where it seems as though most cafes offer the same food, with very little to differentiate one from the other. With this in mind, the team at Le Clec have created a niche for themselves which has set them apart from other cafes in what is a very flooded market place. It’s a gamble, but the gamble has definitely paid off. For me, the dish that best represent this is their amazing son in law benedict. Deep fried soft boiled egg, smoked ham hock, tamarind glaze, hollandaise an fried shallots on sourdough toast – heaven on a plate! Every place in town offers a benedict, but this version stands apart from the pack. Full of flavour and executed perfectly, I’d be happy to eat this every day of the week.

The coconut-palm sugar beef rib was another stand out. So tender, the beef fell away from the bone and literally melted in my mouth. I was a bit sceptical of a sugar crust but it was just delicious, especially once paired with the accompanying charred corn salad.

For those looking for a cleaner feed, Le Clec’s salad game is absolutely on point. Green salad, grain salad and the hippy bowl (aka Poke bowl) were all delicious. The grain salad is a touch on the fancy side thanks to the addition of a 63 degree egg and some Casava crisps. Both the hippy bowl and green salad were full of quality fresh ingredients and seasoned perfectly. I was so full but couldn’t stop eating them. Lets just say I ate enough to skip dinner that night.

On the drinks front, they also have a few fancy shmancy beverages that add a bit of wow factor to your dining experience. Enter the Peach Sake Jelly Frappe. Say what? Yep, Sake frappes for brunch and it was ahhhhhhmayzing! Light and refreshing, I could sip on these all day long. There is so much depth to the drinks menu that you could easily visit just for a drink or two, but then you’d be missing out on their impressive food offering and ain’t nobody got time for that.

Add this one to your to do list, you won’t regret it.

I visited as a guest of Le Clec, however all expressed opinions are strictly my own.