Mama Bear

It is quite a travesty that I have not been to Mama Bear until recently, I drive past it daily and walk past almost as often. To make up for this major oversight I went twice in one weekend – it could become a dangerous habit.

Mama Bear is on Racecourse Road in Flemington, just a short wander from the racecourse itself. The cafe is distinct from its rather rundown surroundings by whimsical murals and a white picket fence out the front. Inside it is all exposed bricks and high ceilings, complete with vintage signs and curiosities such as an antique sewing machine.

The menu is a one page wonder crammed with all day breakfasts and a few lunch options. 

Never one to pass up an all-day breakfast, my buddy chose the Mr Benedict (16.90) which comes with apple cider hollandaise and shortcut bacon, on English muffins.

She was terribly pleased with her choice but I forgot to ask for a taste because I was busy with…

Pork Belly Scrambled ($17.90)

Oh my this was an inspired creation!  Slow cooked pork belly was scrambled into the eggs, studding the silky scramble with huge chunks of uber-tender meat. On the side was a lovely fresh little fennel and pomegranate salad.

This was rounded out with a pretty decent (but not fantastic) coffee and a nicely concentrated chai latte.

I did tell you I went back though…

When My Love heard where I had breakfasted he insisted that he wanted to try it too so we headed back for lunch the next day.
It didn’t take long for him to decide on the Black angus burger ($18.50)

Brioche bun, pickled red cabbage, seeded mustard, tomato, herb mayo, finger gerkin and a wild roquette & fetta salad. Not to mention the most oozy, #foodporn, melted cheese. Included in the price was a serve of perfect fries or sweet potato chips (which the person at the next table got. I resisted the urge to steal one…)

I thought I had better cancel out the pork belly from the day before (that’s how eatin’ works doncha know) so opted for the Grilled chicken salad ($19.50)

Just my kind of salad. I felt all kinds of virtuous, especially with the oozing cheese staring at me from across the table,  but there was still plenty of cheeky treats to be found – like fluffy-in-the-middle, crunchy-on-the-outside fried haloumi. There were little nuggets of dried fruit scattered throughout the couscous and the date, pine nut and pomegranate molasses dressing was lovely and fresh with a hint of sweetness.

Mama Bear is licenced so we teamed this with a cheeky lunchtime beer and glass of wine. The wine selection is just a few varieties long and pretty basic. I had a Giesen Chardonnay (no idea what vintage). I am rather hoping they flesh out the selection a bit for summer.

Service is efficient and friendly-enough. The staff are pretty casual and Fitzroy-esque hipsterish but they know what they are doing.

The food is also Fitzroy-esque in the best possible way; creative little twists and perfectly balanced flavours that make even the simplest dishes sing. 

Disclosure: This post is part of a collaboration with Moonee Valley Council. The cafe was chosen by me, the review was conducted anonymously and all food and drinks were paid for.