St Ali

Tucked down a graffitied lane-way sat this old warehouse turned cafe. As expected, upon arrival there was already a line. As there was only two of us, it wasn't long before we were seated. As we walked in, the place was buzzing. Music was pumping, people chattering on large communal tables and the warehouse was filled with natural sunlight. 

However, this didn't last long. We were led around the corner to a table where we were smooshed onto a not-so-large table next to four others for brunch. There was no more natural sunlight to be seen, there was hardly any room to move. The ambience had suddenly changed for the worse.

Coffee orders were taken instantly. I liked this. Coffees in hand, we just tried to ignore our location in the warehouse. In our little corner, lit by a small lamp hanging over our heads, we scanned through the menu.

Having read and heard so much about St Ali's famous My Mexican Cousin, I had to try it. Meanwhile, the friend chose the Breakky Burger with the Lot.

My Mexican Cousin 

Secret recipe corn fritters with poached eggs, 

grilled haloumi, rocket & tomato relish

To be completely honest, for $21.50, I was expecting a little more. 

Corn fritters had crispy exterior yet encased a tasty fluffy interior. Don't judge these little things by their size though, they proved to be very filling. A little on the oily side if you ask me.

Brekkie Burger with the lot 

Breakfast bun w fried egg, istra bacon, breakfast sausage,

 flat mushroom & home made brown sauce

Unsure of what brown sauce was, my friend asked the waitress. She responded "'BBQ sauce." Not a big fan on BBQ sauce, my friend asked if they could substitute it with something else. The waitress happily informed us that she could swap it for aioli. In the end, the $14 burger was disappointing.

... I really wanted to like St Ali :(

St Ali
12/18 Yarra Place
South Melbourne, VIC