EAT: MERCEDES ME X ST ALI
What do cars and dining have in common? Nothing usually, but the two converge at Mercedes me Store Melbourne; a new concept store launched by Mercedes-Benz in collaboration with cafe elite ST. ALi.
A first for Australia and joining six other Mercedes me stores that have opened up across the globe, the Collins St destination allows visitors to enjoy the food, coffee and hospitality of ST ALi while learning about and interacting with the Mercedes-Benz brand. The Mercedes-Benz vehicle that practically takes center stage at the venue certainly makes for quite attractive eye candy.
We sampled a selection of the menu at a breakfast-meets-dinner brinner event, kicking off with some tasty canapé bites; chicken & waffle (wholemeal and spelt waffle with chicken liver pate and confit blood orange) and vegemite & avo toast (simple but very tasty) before diving into degustation-sized portions of some of their dishes. None of the dishes were straightforward, featuring several ingredients that came together seamlessly. The results: an incredibly balanced and tasty mouthful followed by another. The favourites that seemed to be echoed by many were the braised greens and land-air-sea dishes; the first of which managed to pack much oomph (gotta love a good hit of garlic) into veggies, and the latter comprising silky fresh salmon paired with crispy crunchy potato.
It's worth visiting Mercedes me Melbourne to check out the gorgeous interior that's dressed to impress alone. But while you're at it, the food and coffee are both also great; a given with ST. ALi.
Chicken & waffle - wholemeal and spelt waffle with chicken liver pate, confit blood orange & grains of paradise.
Vegemite & avo toast - with fresh avocado, Vegemite & coffee BBQ sauce on caramelised brioche.
Braised greens - with chlorophyll, crispy garlic, smoked raclette on milk toast.
Land - Air - Sea - with cold smoked salmon, roe, crispy potato, dill cream and pickled shallot.
Sweet & sour - roasted Portobello mushroom with green onion, potato, whipped ricotta and slow fried egg.
Mango & granola - with lightly cooked mango, granola toasted with agave & coconut charcoal, fresh mango, caramelised mango and frozen orange blossom yoghurt.
Mercedes me Melbourne
525 Collins St,
Melbourne, Victoria, 3000.
(03) 8568 0400
https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-me/mercedes-benz-stores/mercedes-me-store-australia/
Disclosure: I dined as a guest of Mercedes me Melbourne. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.