RIDDIK Cafe Brings Inner City Excellence To Templestowe
RIDDIK is an all-day café (licensed from morning to night) and game changer bringing inner city excellence to Lower Templestowe and the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. RIDDIK is serving up Code Black espresso brews all day and Code Black espresso martinis all night. The menu provides an incomparable foodie experience; offering up breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner options that will appease the big and little kids alike, including six ways to indulge in the classic eggs Benny! The World Loves Melbourne was invited along to experience RIDDIK for lunch.
Great vibe and design. Cocktails are a standout. I can recommend the Cherry Riddik $19 Hendricks gin, St Germain, cherry syrup, lemon juice, lemonade. As well as the Aperol Spritz $19 aperol, prosecco, soda water.
It's a family run, family friendly food destination, holding all the hallmarks of a cool urban eatery, but unpretentious in its welcoming atmosphere and exceptional service. The name may be derived from the famous Nightwalker of the same name, but it is the simplicity and boldness of the name that was key to its selection. We summised that someone had a big bold vision for a large top notch cafe in the eastern suburbs and was prepared to put the coin behind it.
Riddik smashed Avo, (V) $19 with poached eggs, house made sumac and thyme shanklish hazelnut dukkah, figs, mint and finished with pomegranate molasses on sourdough was a revelation - then I added extras such as rosti and thick bacon to make it a chartopper! Healthy bowls abound - Hawaiian Ali tuna poke bowl, (GF) $19 sushi grade tuna, cucumber, avocado, pineapple, sprouted seeds, puffed rice, black sesame and macadamia was a sensation. Fresh quality ingredients and beautifully put together. All dishes were large - you don't leave here hungry!
Strawberry cheesecake stuffed (V) $17 French toast sandwich, fresh berries, choc banana syrup, toasted coconut, and vanilla bean ice cream (below) is decadent, artistic and freakin delicious!
Come here at a weekday lunchtime and the place is packed. The menu shows imagination and is brilliantly executed. Chef, Adam Robins, has curated a menu that truly speaks for itself through its use of excitable ingredients and flavour combinations you won't find anywhere else. It's set to provide diners with an all-encompassing gastronomical experience with something for absolutely every taste. A few dishes to tantalise your taste buds are:
- One of the Six Benes: Crispy skin, sweet soy braised pork belly, poached eggs, apple walnut, coriander slaw and blood orange hollandaise
- Strawberry cheesecake stuffed French toast sandwich, fresh berries, choc banana syrup, toasted coconut, and vanilla bean ice cream
- Brandy infused fried Camembert cheese, quince jus, bitter leaves and toasted bread
- Coffee rubbed beef burger sliders with cola infused BBQ sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomato and American cheese
- Meatballs stuffed with buffalo mozzarella baked in tomato sugo served with crusty bread
- Apple cider braised lamb shoulder, pearl barley, fresh peas, mint and salsa verde
- Layered strawberry and chocolate mousse, fresh berries, lemon balm and choc mint crumble
