http://www.metrocafe.com.au/
When I was in Melbourne for a couple of nights in May, I marvelled at how well Mochi organized our dining itinarary. I didn't fully appreciate how difficult it is to be responsible for showcasing a city's dining highlights until Marc came up to Toowoomba for a weekend. Granted that Toowoomba is in no way in the same league as Melbourne... but still, I actually think it makes it harder, rather than easier!
There are a handful of nice cafes around Toowoomba that I don't mind going to. The thing is, when it comes to taking someone else there, you start second-guessing everything. That rule doesn't just apply to cafes in town. I feel EXTREMELY nervous every time I take someone to one of my favorite restaurants in Brisbane. "What if it's not as good tonight" "what if they don't like it?"
On this occasion, I took a risk by foregoing all the cafes I'd actually been to and trying a new one that always seemed to look busy but that I'd never walked into. Metro Cafe it was.
The cafe is small with a couple of tables set up outside. It was quite busy when we got there though. We arrived during the transition between breakfast and lunch. It was too late to order from the breakfast menu but the kitchen wasn't set-up for breakfast yet. We ordered drinks to tide us by.
Banana nut smoothie and peach smoothie
My beverage of choice, the banana nut smoothie, was definitely enough to curb my hunger pangs. It was practically a meal in itself! Or a blended dessert. It was delicious but a bit too thick. Bits of nut kept getting stuck in the straw and I had to come up with inventive ways to clear the blockage (unable to describe in writing without sounding dirrrrty). Marc ordered the peach smoothie.
Vego toasted sandwich on wholemeal - with roasted pumpkin, eggplant, goats cheese, rocket and beetroot chutney
For my main, I chose a toasted sandwich. I'm not sure why but I was really craving sandwich that day. The veggie one spoke out to me, as vegetarian dishes normally do on cafe menus. It arrived flat-looking (guess that's unavoidable after a sandwich press has done its business) and filled with lots of beetroot chutney and pumpkin. The sandwich was lightly underseasoned for my taste but still tasted alright.
Fetuccini - with bacon, mushroom and spanish onion in a garlic cream, and honey mustard chicken
Marc went with one of the specials of the day. The waitress had read it out to us and afterwards, he looked at me and asked "was that one dish or two?" The confusion is understandable. The main is a fetuccini carbonara WITH honey mustard chicken. That's like taking fusion food to a whole new menu! Rather than blending two cuisine styles, why not just add 2 dishes together? Marc's feedback was as expected: good tasting pasta and good tasting chicken but they didn't fit well together.
I thought Metro Cafe was really great by Toowoomba standards and would consider it as a contender next time I'm trying to think of a lunch or dinner spot. Actually, I wanted to go back later that week for lunch on my day off but I couldn't get a parking spot (there were parking spots available but I'm just terrible at parking). Maybe another time then.
I went there once for trivia, i think it was either the chip or burger that was pretty good, can't remember :P give both a try anyway haha
ReplyDeleteHi mochi...
ReplyDeleteWhat's with Tba and trivia night? I still haven't been to one yet but I know it's bloody hard to get a park on Margaret St on Tues because Fibbers is doing trivia then. I do recall the burgers sounded good. Might try that next time.