Menu:
G and I headed to Two Lost Boys for brunch one Sunday and despite being quite busy didn’t have to wait long at all for a table. Two Lost Boys is café located in a small street, overlooking Windsor station – in Windsor (duh!) – by Justin Kony and Michael Almagor (ex Hobba and Dukes Coffee Roasters).
Despite being almost hidden away on Maddock street, the size of this café is impressive – from walking in from its ceiling to floor glass doors you are greeted by the central counter, which is located just to the left of the kitchen window – it almost deceives you with how big it actually is. This counter is definitely the star attraction – it uses recycled parts of vintage stained-glass doors (from Gumtree!) as its frame and is completed by the impressive Synesso coffee machine pumping out coffees for the patrons.
The feel of the place is fun, lively yet relaxed and happy. Thanks to the surrounding glass windows of the place – the place feel light, airy and welcoming. In terms of seating there is a communal table located directly right of the kitchen, with other seating located past the main counter to the left of the kitchen. There are wooden benches that you can perch yourself on along the wall of windows which overlooks the small street and Windsor station, with tables that seat from 2 to 4 people in the main dining area. There are also some tables located outside – great for a nice sunny day!
Coffee – both filter and espresso – comes from Monk Bodhi Dharma 0 an East St Kilda boutique roster, and they use Schulz Organic Farm milk, which is located in Timboon. You can choose from a house blend as well as two ever-changing single origin blends. There is also a good selection teas and juices. I order a latte to start which was the pick me I needed – full bodied and had a mixture of a fruity and nutty taste, ending on a creamy note. Perfect!
The idea behind Two Lost boys is to create the perfect balance between great tasting coffees with emphasis on organic locally farmed produce, with the aim to create an environment where quality produce is of the upmost importance. That is such a great value to uphold to and I think the menu here at Two Lost Boys is a real testament to this. The menu has an All Day Breakfast, as well as a Lunch menu which can be served from 11:30am onwards. The chef is Moshe Ittah, and touches of his middle-eastern background can be seen in the menu.
The All Day Breakfast menu consists of the usual’s that you would expect to find but with a Two Lost Boys touch such as Toast, Fruit Bread, Porridge (Coconut Quinoa porridge served with fruit compote, mixed nuts and cinnamon spice), Avo Smash which is served with Labneh and topped with zaatar. There is also a choice of Stuffed Mushrooms, Two Lost Boy Fritters or Baked Eggs – with an option to change it up by adding a Mediterranean Sausage or extra chilli – love this option of adding extra chilli!
The Lunch menu consists of a soup of the day, as well as a selection of salads – salmon, cauliflower or chicken. There is the necessary burger dish which here is served on a brioche bun, as well as a selection of tasty sandwiches.
After much contemplation (I was deciding between the fritters, baked eggs and stuffed mushrooms) I settled for the Two Lost Boy Fritters – Sweet Potato and Beetroot Fritters with House-Cured Salmon Carpaccio, Spinach, Horseradish & Walnut Cream served with Two Poached Eggs. I love the fact that this dish comes with not one but TWO poached eggs. I loveee poached eggs and to have two with my fritters was brilliant. The dish comes out plated up beautifully – the square shaped corn fritter at the base, topped with poached eggs, spinach, salmon in the shape of a rose and a quinelle of horseradish & walnut cream. To start both the eggs were perfectly poached with the silky golden yolk in just the right consistency. I think this was a great interpretation of the usual fritters you find – the combination of sweet potato and beetroot worked well together especially combined with the tang and zestiness of the horseradish and walnut cream. A must try dish!
G ordered the Stuffed Mushroom – Ricotta Stuffed Mushroom with a Poached Egg, Spinach, Spiced Bread Crumbs, Prosciutto and Peperonata Served on Brioche Bread. G did enjoy her dish – the combination of the spice bread crumbs together with the saltiness and creaminess of the ricotta against the smooth mushroom was delicious. The textures and flavours were great – G did let me try some.
We also ordered the Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes – Pancakes with Berry Mascarpone, Fresh Blueberries, Topped with Berry Coulis to share. This was actually a generous sized dish and I am not sure how one could eat all this on their own – I am glad we decided to share this dish! There were 3 Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes piled up on top of each other in a pool of berry coulis, topped with fresh blueberries and mascarpone. The pancakes were light, fluffy and a dream to eat – the tanginess of the lemon worked well with the sweetness of the berries and the mascarpone.
The staff are friendly and vibrant, with the service being professional. I love their focus on building relationships with farmers and sourcing organic produce to prepare meals. The food is fresh, delicious and you can tell it is made with care. There are also house made sweet treats which are located at the main counter that can be purchased such as Alfajoes, Mixed Brownies, Mini Date and Oates Crumble just to name a few that were available on the day I visited.
Two Lost Boys is a hidden away gem off the hustle and bustle of Chapel Street, that is well worth your time and effort for a visit. The fit out is simple and welcoming and it really is a place that you could lose track of time in.
Rating : 4.5 Pandas
Price: $$
Menu – Breakfast and Lunch menu – refer to Menu above
Fullness: 100%
Atmosphere / Ambience: Casual, Funky and Relaxed
Standout Dish:
Service: Fantastic – Friendly and Helpful
Online Booking: No
Restaurant Details and Location:
http://www.twolostboys.com.au/
20/2 Maddock Street , Windsor
Tel No: 9939 9313
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 6:30am – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday – 8am – 4pm
grazing panda 