Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Cafe Ancheto

Have you seen this wonderful map of the world at night?  It sparkles with little baubles of light created by urban metropolises, which contrast with swathes of peaceful, midnight blue.  Brightly-lit South Korea, of course actually on a peninsula, is rendered an island against North Korea's darkness, while the Himalayas provide a stark boundary between booming India and the peaceful Tibetan plain.

If you will indulge me, you could compare this to a map of great Melbourne coffee.  Sydney road and surrounds sparkle all the way to Coburg, and South Melbourne glows.  Heading west it's patchy, although Seddon and Yarraville glitter proudly, but once you hit Braybrook it's pretty much a Saharan desert for awesome coffee.  That is, until Ancheto.

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Hidden away on the southern side of Sunshine, Ancheto is in the old Euro Masonic Hall.  It's run by the new owners of the Hall, Bob and Aneta, and is only open Saturday mornings.

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Let's get this straight - this is not "pretty good", "satisfactory" or "acceptable".  This is seriously awesome coffee!  They use Sensory Lab beans and the owner Bob really knows how to work the espresso machine.  Just gorgeous - smooth and balanced, the foam silky and with body.

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Eggs ($8), mushrooms ($2), homemade hash brown ($3)

The menu encompasses well-loved eggy breakfast classics with Eastern European touches, like ajvar relish and cevap skinless sausages.  Sunny yellow free-range scrambled eggs were perfect with well-buttered sourdough toast and juicy, fat mushrooms.  The homemade hash brown, made with grated potato, was crispy and delicious.

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Step inside to check out the homemade cakes.  The old cloakroom has been turned into a tiny kitchen.  The owners are lovely.  They explained how they got sick of travelling to Seddon and Yarraville for a great cafe, so decided to start their own, focussing on awesome coffee as the base and letting it grow from there.

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The main hall is full of retro chairs and tables, perfect for spreading out the Saturday papers.  They occasionally have theatre performances here too.

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Ancheto has plans to open Sundays and possibly even Friday nights.  Bravo, and welcome to the neighbourhood!  Long may they glow as a much-needed beacon of great coffee in the wider west.

Thank you reader Jo for writing to me with this great tip!

Ancheto
93 Hampshire Road, Sunshine
Hours:  Saturdays 9am - 2pm



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14 comments:

  1. Very cool! Gotta give props to a place that is only open on Saturdays! Love the furniture. Homemade cakes, too, I expect?

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  2. Have you had the coffee the Granary on Harvester St? It is seriously good too.

    Really looking forward to trying this place out - I never would have found it of my own accord. Thanks, Lauren!

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    1. Granary has terrible coffees. Their hot chocolates are tasteless and food is bland. Their old chef was way better.

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  3. This place looks awesome! Though I'm not sure it's closer than Seddon or Yarraville for me ;) Will check it out soon!

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  4. Aahaha, love the way you built up the story from lights linking cities, into beacons of coffee. : ) Nice to see that quality coffees has taken a step further up...!

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  5. Oh I've been waiting so long for somewhere like this in da hood!! Finally, a little bit of Fitzroy is actually creeping in.

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  6. And I'm happy to see that they've set up an umbrella outside. Excellent when the pups are in tow.

    Can't wait for Saturday.

    Jocelyn - I agree about the Granary. The people here are good too. And the baked eggs are really excellent - especially with chorizo! Alas, they freaked me out recently by playing some Richard Clayderman-esque piano muzak...

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  7. Looks fantastic. I am definitely gonna check this out...

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  8. Hi
    Thanks for the review. We have just got back from a wonderful brunch. The coffee and food was great and the staff very friendly. Nice change from our regular.
    Just a tip - make sure you have cash. There is no electronic payment.

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  9. Hi all and thanks for stopping by. AlliC thanks for the info and glad you enjoyed it!

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  10. It's ALL about the coffee isn't it? I will travel for a decent lovingly crafted brew. I don't really care if there is nothing else on the menu.

    Thanks for sharing! :)

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  11. Ashwee AGREED. Would go even if it was just an espresso machine on a trolley with a couple of milk crates, if the coffee was right.

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  12. Oh my GOD I can't believe I only just read this post and have missed out on months of great coffee finally FINALLY in Sunshine. Walking distance from my house! With breakfast!

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    1. Woohoo! I'm so excited for you!! They also do monthly dinners - ask to go on the mailing list.

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