The Basement Cafe - Kurunjang

The best chicken salsa bowl I've ever had. Love the presentation, and it tastes sooo good. Definitely a must try. <br/ <br/ Love this place! Easy to find and get to via public transport. <br/ <br/ 10/10 !

I've got to admit that I was a bit doubtful when I came in because it was completely empty on a Friday lunchtime and the chef was out which makes me think this is a common occurrence. They had a list of salads and pizzas on the menu which sounded good but the pulled pork roll caught my attention. On the menu, it said that the pulled pork came with green apple and kohlrabi (never heard of this and pretty sure it was the first time I had that and chilli fried egg on brioche. They also had a number of specials including a beef stew which would have been my second choice. When I ordered the pulled pork roll, the guy at the counter called the chef who showed up a few minutes later. It is a bit dark in there because well, it is called the basement cafe for a reason but they have a cool raised area at the front that gets more light. A few tables and chairs outside too but it was a bit too cold for me to be outside today. Anyway, the food arrived and wow, it was well presented and even better, it was absolutely delicious. The brioche was toasted perfectly so it was crispy and soft at the same time and buttered (makes a huge difference! . The fried egg was on point; not completely cooked but cooked to the point that it is not runny anymore. The chillies were very subtle, you could tell they were there but their contribution was minimal and it didn't make the burger spicy at all if that makes any sense. The green apple and kohlrabi were amazing but I would say there was only slightly too much sauce for me (although it wasn't bad at all and did not make the brioche soggy . The pulled pork was tender and stringy. To be honest, I believe the pulled pork brioche was probably quite healthy; it did not taste salty, there wasn't any crazy sauces, the meat was not burnt but I can see some people might not prefer that. I was satisfied with the way that it was. Oh and there were mustard seeds which brought it up to another level. Totally recommend this if you go there. And the prices are so good too.

This place is crazy cheap, especially for Melbourne. A very cute (very small) cafe with satisfactory service. Coffee was good. Getting an eggs benny for under $12 anywhere is unheard of so I had to try it. Usually serviced with ham I requested mushrooms or spinach be substituted and it came with tomato, bit odd but I appreciate them changing out the meat for me. Hollandaise wasn’t great, lumpy consistency and somewhat curdled. If it wasn’t for the price and if at any other location I probably would’ve sent it back. Again, it’s the most affordable breakfast spot I’ve ever been to, but you do get what you pay for

The chai latte was average. Staffs were friendly. A lovely small cafe located on the busy La trobe street close to Melbourne Central. Overall it was fine.

Was drawn to the really cool vibe of the place! It's small and cosy and unique and just really chill. Enjoyed my coffee and theres a pretty broad menu which is really good. Nice staff that are up for a chat so my experience here was very pleasant.