Servery & Spoon

Malvern East's iconic cafe, Servery & Spoon, needs little introduction. But for those who are unfamiliar with this hidden gem among the suburbs, please, read on.

Both A and I were tossing up between the Crispy Dukkah Crusted Eggs and Morning Super Salad, and so we decided to order both to share sharing is caring ! 

Crispy Dukkah Crusted Eggs

Encrusted in a wonderful Egyptian spice blend, the eggs had a beautifully crisp exterior. Though one of our eggs was over-done, this wasn't an issue for long as our waitress happily and promptly replaced it with a wonderfully oozy one only minutes later. Together with a squeeze of grilled lime on our smashed avo, salted ricotta, juicy mushrooms, za'atar, and crusty cut of sourdough - this definitely hit the spot. 

Morning Super Salad

We also enjoyed a light and zesty salad, bursting with colour and earthy flavours. A poached egg perched on a hearty mix of leafy kale, cauliflower rice, fluffy red quinoa, sweet beetroot cubes, creamy smashed avo, and crunchy pepitas. Truly an impressive salad I must say. 

We ate, we drank and we liked it all - the tasty food, cozy ambiance and smooth service. Keep it coming, Servery & Spoon !

Servery & Spoon

137 Waverley Road 

Malvern East, VIC

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L'Olivo

It was a feast of Mediterranean delicacies at L'Olivo for us on a Sunday night. After a fun filled road trip to the Peninsula Hot Springs, we were all ready for a good feeding.

Bowl of Chips

These chips were crunchy and salty in all the right places. Dip, double and triple dip these in teacups of tomato sauce or garlic aoili for a delicious starter. You can never go wrong with hot chips.

Gnocchi

This smelt divine as it was placed in front of me. The gnocchi was cooked perfectly- firm yet cheesy and melty. Absolutely delicious paired with a creamy rich pumpkin sauce, chewy mushrooms and spinach. It was a hearty dish that was enjoyed by all, though it did get quite salty as the night went on.

Risotto Primavera

The Risotto Primavera that followed was quite similar to the Gnocchi. Smooth earthy pumpkin, mushrooms, onion, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach swirled into al dente rice made a comforting dish. 

Cannelloni

Beautiful cannelloni tubes piped to the brim with a smooth spinach and ricotta filling. Topped with rich traditional tomato sauce, roasted pumpkin and a crunchy parmesan crust resulted in layers of texture and much flavour.

Linguine Calamari

Endless twirlings of linguine, calamari, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in a rich napoli sauce. A simpler dish of the night, but still equally tasty.

Paella

A dish that was highly recommended by a friend, which did not disappoint. A seabed of prawns, calamari, mussels among chicken and chorizo were infused in a yellow saffron and herb rice. This Spanish classic was wonderfully fluffy, flavoursome, and was lifted to another level with a squeeze of lemon.

Grilled Haloumi Wrapped in Prosciutto

Parcels of firm squeaky haloumi pieces wrapped snuggly in prosciutto. These tapas were a strong savoury bite, which were a touch too salty - even for the salty haloumi dish we all love.

Chilli Calamari Salad

A salad ! What a relief it was when the salad arrived at our table. Following such rich and creamy dishes, the fresh zesty salad of mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, capsicum, red onion and grilled chilli calamari was greatly appreciated. 

Oh, how I L'Olivo'd this small family restaurant. Food was generous, fresh and genuine. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, coupled with service that was attentive throughout the night. After three unsuccessful attempts to dine here, I finally made it. Having said that, learn from my mistakes - call ahead as bookings are essential at L'olivo. Don't say I didn't warn you.

L'Olivo
171 Waverley Rd
Malvern East

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Ped's Kafé

On a cold Melbourne winter night, our spontaneous Friday dinner date meant a rather late booking. Having just parked, I rang in to ask if they could squeeze in two hungry girls in the next two minutes. Escaping the gustling winds and endless downpour of rain, my friend and I were warmly welcomed into Ped's Kafe.

Golden calamari 

Served on a delicate rice crisp were four perfect pieces of golden calamari. The fresh calamari was sweet, juicy and encased in a crunchy well seasoned batter. A sweet peanut sauce accompanied the dish, however I was happy to just gobble down the calamari on it's own.  My friend enjoyed the sauce though, and with quick hands transferred the sauce dish onto the table so she could have it with her mains. A Thai-riffic appe-Thai-ser !

 Spicy Lamb

The first to our mains was the lamb backstrap, button mushrooms, basil and chilli stir-fry. Dissapointingly, the flavours of this dish was a little too boring for my tastebuds. That is, the flavours that we could taste that was hidden under the excessive use of salt. Maybe there was a mistake in measurements, spillage of condiments or whatever may have happened, however we found this dish far too salty.

Soft Shell Crab Dry Curry

Next up was the soft shell crab curry wok tossed in a dry curry. Four generous halves of soft shell crab were found to be wonderfully deep fried and lathered in a dry curry sauce that had just the kick and spice a curry should have. Topped off with a fresh salad of carrot and cucumber provided a refreshing contrast to the strong curry. I could see this dish having a lot of potential, however the over use of salt was also present in this dish. Again, much too salty.

The restaurant had a really nice vibe to it - warm, friendly and inviting. However,  the use of too much salt was just too much. Something endless glasses of water and spoonfuls of rice could not save. On a positive note, sneaking glances and other diners' meals and of course observing our own, we did notice that a lot of thought and creativity had gone into the dishes as they were presented magnificently. 

Ped's Kafé

319 Waverley Road 
Malvern East

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