MONK Bodhi Dharma – Balaclava

MONK Bohdi Dharma 202 Carlisle Street Balaclava

Monk Bodhi Dharma Melbourne is a specialist coffee and tea house. Monk Bodhi Dharma also serves sustainable and healing food made from scratch.

Visited 27th of July 2010 by Scott, Nick & Will

We ended up going to Monk on Will’s recommendation, at first it didn’t look like we would make it as Nick has a deep seeded aversion to any breakfast venue that will not serve bacon. But we made it. And I am oh so happy that we did. Monk has a really warm and relaxed atmosphere and my coffee was great. Special note on the lights which seemed to be stolen from the set of the world famous STC Spring Awakening. And the exciting fact that Tina Fey (look-alike) was sitting at our table with her iPad. I had the sweetcorn and ricotta hotcakes with basil pesto and slow roasted cherry tomatoes…

Sorry, i just had a moment. I had this dish about 10 days ago and it still makes me a little happy in the pants. It was soooooo tasty. The hotcakes with crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The pesto tasted like it had been made just moments before it was served. The tomatoes were super tasty juicy and exploded in the mouth. I also had a taste of Nick’s cinnoman poached pear. Yes please! The menu overall was great. But they are vegetarian, and have lots of vegan options. But they definitely treat the food like art and it tastes like it. Nom nom nom. Great breakfast even with a grumpy bacon addict sitting with us. It was also Will’s last breakfast with us for a while, and we also had a pleasant tag along in the form of the lovely Karl. On this particular tuesday I was enjoying life thoroughly. Thank you Monk Bodhi Dharma. (Scott)

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon I LOVE BACON….hmmmmmmmm.

This was hard for me. Like really hard. It is almost to unfair on them if I put my thoughts forward cause I like bacon far too much. And a place that just dosn’t have bacon, well it is a scary thought. The place is very cool. The building is random..walking up to it, it almost seems like it is a ye oldy out house. But inside its pretty cool.

I am sure this is a vegetarians or a normal persons paradise…But i do not think i would personaly choose this independently…but alas it was Wills last day in australia so i didn’t get a choice!

I had the french toast with pistachio ricotta. It was nice! The chai was mexcellent and in a very trendy pot wich i wanted to steal. AND THE CUP CAKES LOOKED AMAZING.

but alas the missing bacon..

A vegos paradise.

Not so much for me. (Nick)

Bagel Rating!

Scott: 8.5/ 10- Good coffee, more importantly the food was spectacular and gave me many ‘moments’ throughout the meal. Greatcafe.org

Nick:I give it a good 6/10. As i said many a time not my thing.