Review | Las Chicas

Las Chicas has been on my foodie list for ages now, and what a better day to pay this lovely cafe a visit than on a sunny Melbourne sunday morning. E and I arrived at the bustling Balaclava location expecting to wait for a table.

After putting our name down and waiting for a good 20 minutes, the waiter came out to check the name we had put down, and we found that my name had already been crossed out! It seemed like some other patron had perhaps mistakenly (or purposely) taken our table! :( However, about one minute later we were hurriedly shown to a table in the warm courtyard area, and we noticed that the Las Chicas staff had relocated another table to make room to sit us down - which was very accommodating of them (and also showed that they had recognised their mini mistake).

Walking through the Cafe there was so much to take in! From the colourful and streety graffiti and music posters on the walls, to the textural bricks and wood panels, my eyes were going nuts! When we arrived at the rear courtyard we were greeted with friendly smiles and lovely fresh greenery. There is a really cool vibe about Las Chicas - I think it is a combination of the sweet tunes playing in the background, the great interior and exterior decoration, great staff, and because of all this, a great bunch of fellow customers.

We were quickly served some water and presented with menus, and I must note that throughout our meal, the service by the Las Chicas staff was great!

The Las Chicas mission is to serve up fresh, local and sustainable produce, with speedy and friendly service. This is outlined on the first page of the menu, which I think is great - Las Chicas should be commended on their support to local businesses to source their ingredients, and also for the fact that so many of the kitchen's staples such as bread, muffins and chutneys are made freshly in house.

Early morning drinks.. of water!

For drinks, E ordered a latte and I ordered my regular Hot Chocolate. These came out not too much later on and looked delicious. The latte had a cute love heart designed into the froth which made us smile. My Hot Chocolate was perfect! It came with a marshmallow, and in the space of about 2 minutes, I had cleaned out that glass. E was really impressed with his latte as well, he said it was really nicely flavoured, and not bitter at all, so he didn't add any sugar.

Latte and Hot Chocolate - $3.50

For brunch I ordered the Baked Beans Breakky which was served with a poached egg, spinach, chipotle flavoured baked beans, with housemade slices of sunflower seed and polenta loaf. I added an extra serve of Rosemary and Honey sausage, since it sounded so good I just had to try it. When the meals were brought to our table, I was so impressed, they looked so colourful and fresh! The spinach was so so green, and tasted pure and fresh. The baked beans had the great chipotle flavour, along with the addition of onions and tomatoey goodness, which for me, tasted very 'homey'. The sausage was so tasty! I could really taste the sweetness of the honey coming through with each bite, which was well complemented by the familiar flavours from the rosemary. Lastly, but not at all least, was my poached egg which was cooked so perfectly. I gained great pleasure from slicing it open and letting the golden yolk cascade down my delicious housemade loaf.. Mmm!

Baked Bean Breakky with Sausage - $21.50

Mmmm perfectly poached Egg!

E's breakky was just as impressive. Served upon a perfectly crisp, warm bagel, the salmon was the base for two delightful poached eggs and a healthy serving of creamy hollandaise. E's sides of avocado, roasted tomato and sausage all looked amazing. The avocado was so green, and tasted so fresh. The tomatoes were really well cooked, with a bit of crispness on the flat sides to bring out extra flavour, and E loved the taste of the sausage.

Egg Benedict with Salmon, Avocado, Tomato and Sausage - $29.00

Overall, I was super impressed by the serving sizes at Chicas - everything was so generous. This also goes for the breakfast extras, which is usually where items are priced highly but the portions are quite small - The sausages were GIANT, and I was surprised that E received two tomatoes and such a heaped ramekin of avocado.

Throughout our busy munching, the main topic of conversation was what we would be ordering next time we visited Las Chicas, and who we would bring with us! Still undecided on whether to sample the lunch menu, or try some other favourites on the breakfast menu, I am hoping that it will not be too far in the future!