EAT: LE CLEC, HAWTHORN
You would be forgiven if you mistook Hawthorn's Le Clec for a French eatery. It is instead the name of a charming cafe with super friendly service and a tasty fusion brunch menu, named 'Clec' after the initials of its owner and their siblings.
Opting for a healthier option, I was pleasantly surprised and blown away by how much flavour was squeezed into the Hippy bowl. Tender roast pumpkin, crispy black rice, airy light quinoa and a fragrant and nutty combination of black sesame, furikake and seeds made quite the flavour statement, served on top of what has to Melbourne's most generous serving of crispy kale that took up about half the bowl. I'm a big fan of kale, especially when crispy, so I was one happy camper when it came down to the amount of kale.
Scarred by one too many instances of overpowering kimchi presences when it comes to fusion dishes, I often move straight onto the next menu item as soon as my eyes land on 'kim'. Needless to say, the kimchee omelette wasn't my pick. But Le Clec managed to prove my expectations wrong, presenting an incredibly balanced combo of fluffy omelette, the fermented tang of the kimchi and a subtle kick of spiciness. The accompanying greens further rounded out of the flavours nicely.
We finished with the blackberry buttermilk hotcake; although probably more like a lightly textured cake than pancake. The safe combination of chocolate and fruit guaranteed a tasty mouthful with each bite while the assortment of textures helped to mix things up. Given the thickness of the hotcake, the maple syrup did help enhance moisture but occasionally pushed the flavour profile into overly sweet territory.
If the hotcakes don't satiate those sweet cravings, there's also the tempting array of baked goods that greet visitors upon entry (and exit). These are baked fresh in-house on a daily basis. Strawberry Pocky donut, anyone?
Hippy bowl - with broccolini, kale, pumpkin, crispy black rice, quinoa and black sesame, furikake, lemon tahini and beet skordalia.
Kimchee omelette - 4 eggs omelette with house made kimchee, grilled broccolini, coriander, mozzarella, edamame and sourdough.
Blackberry buttermilk hotcake - with Oreo crumb, chocolate marquise, fresh and freeze dried fruit, with maple syrup.
Le Clec
727 Glenferrie Rd,
Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122.
(03) 9818 8969
Disclosure: I dined as a guest of Le Clec. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.