Tom Phat, Brunswick by Big Fil

With its heavily Asian influenced flavours Tom Phat is a bit different to most cafes on or near Sydney Road. Toast becomes roti, fried onion becomes spring onion and grilled pork chops have been marinated to give them a citrusy taste. The result is a series of strongly flavoured but delicious options for brunch.

Tom Phat has one of the nicest café settings I have seen in Melbourne. Dark wood, specials on the chalkboard, bottles on the back wall and a glimpse into the well lit kitchen area.


The food itself is very good. The roti omelette is a mix of things that all work well together - egg, bacon and spring onion, bacon and tomato (relish), egg and roti - to form a well matched dish with slightly unusual flavours and textures. Despite looking fairly small on the plate, the roti makes it a very filling breakfast.


The claypot baked eggs is another rich and filling option. The sweet tamarind pork infused the tomato base giving it a rich meaty flavour. When digging through with my fork the soft yolk broke, leaving a golden puddle on top. The bread was toasted a bit more than I usually like it but this made it perfect for dipping into the claypot.


Third and final breakfast was 'Uncle Ho's breakfast'. I don't know who Uncle Ho is but he does make a mean breakfast, with a grilled marinated pork chop served with fried rice topped by a fried egg. Strong tangy flavours would make this a great early morning pick me up after a long night out.


Overall
Lots of things to like and nothing really to dislike about Tom Phat. High quality, filling breakfasts, nice spot to eat with good background music, friendly efficient service and good hot chocolates. I'd also recommend grabbing one of the chocolate and pecan brownies to go on the way out. While I haven't been there for lunch or dinner, these menus looked interesting as well.

Verdict
Food - 8.5
Service – 8
Ambience – 8
Prices – 7

Address
184 Sydney Road
Brunswick VIC 3056
Tel: (03) 9381 2374