Restaurant review: Hype around Left Field in Carnegie won’t be dying down anytime soon

AND just out of left field, it has arrived — Melbourne’s hottest cafe. There’s no inner-city address, just a knockout menu, great foodie vibe, and oh, up to a 90-minute wait for a table on the weekend.

Oreo doughnut sliders from Left Field. Picture: Eugene Hyland

AND just out of left field, it was here — Melbourne’s hottest cafe. There’s no inner-city address, just a knockout menu, great foodie vibe, and, oh, up to a 90-minute wait for a table at the weekend.

If you’re delaying a visit to suburban sensation Left Field until the hype dies down, it’s unlikely to any time soon. So best rug up, suck it up and get thy name on the clipboard.

Ryan Lording is the man in the kitchen at this Carnegie newcomer, which opened last month. After 2½ years at Prahran’s Tall Timber cafe, he’s on board here, not only as chef, but as a part-owner with four others who’ve collectively opened a string of hospo hits, including Short Straw, Rustica Canteen and Marquis of Lorne.

Opening in 2013, Tall Timber was Lording’s first cafe gig. He’s quickly become the cafe whisperer, thanks in part to his Insta-savviness, with more than 11,000 followers on his @chefryan85 account.

Left Field’s Scandi fitout has inner city vibes. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Before that he was sous chef for five years to Pierre Khodja at Hawthorn’s Canvas, serving Moroccan and Middle Eastern fare.

Lording’s brought a little of that spicy journey (think dukkah, pomegranate and orange blossom) and a lot of Tall Timber to Left Field, conjuring an exciting, interesting yet accessible all-day breakfast menu that strikes a balance between health-conscious and extreme decadence.

It doesn’t hurt that everything’s so pretty it’s social-media clickbait, with floral touches to many of the dishes — as evidenced when your partner spies dishes en route to tables and declares, “Wow, the kitchen must be churning through the nasturtiums.”

Several of the owners live in the ’hood and saw the area was ripe for an inner city-style cafe for the funky foodies who’d moved out to the southeast to buy houses and start families.

After an extensive renovation, a vacant corner spot — an old Indian restaurant once painted bright pink — is now home to Left Field.

FOOD

Whether making a hero of kale or Oreos, dishes are tasty and inventive; plates busy and bright.

With about 80 per cent of the menu in the realm of healthy, the Oreo doughnut sliders ($16, right) are novelly naughty.

Two baked, cinnamon-sprinkled brioche buns are piled high with cookies ’n’ cream — smashed biscuits mixed with mascarpone whipped to fluffy.

They sit pretty with hunks of honeycomb, salted caramel, banana slices, fig segments and pistachios.

It’s a sweet sensation into the stratosphere that’s become Left Field’s calling card, and while I’m happy for its picture to rack up “likes” on my Instagram page, would I order it again?

Probably not, but I’m glad I did it once.

I would come back though for the beef short rib ($20), which riffs off Mexico’s huevos rancheros.

Left Field beef short rib. Picture: Eugene Hyland

A tender, sweet-tinged strip of beef smoked and braised in pomegranate is crisscrossed on the plate with a slice of Turkish bread and filled in almost noughts-and-crosses-style with a fried egg, and scoops of a vibrant beetroot hummus and spicy black beans.

Coriander, a crumbling of feta and a lime sauce for acid finish it perfectly. Imaginative and mighty delicious, with a different taste hit with each combo of ingredients.

As well as a dozen or so breakfast dishes, there are several under the “something more — from 12pm” list. I have my eye on the slow-cooked Middle Eastern chicken salad ($18.50) with coconut, chickpea, mint and quinoa.

Being in family-ville, there are three kids’ options, including toad in the hole ($6.50), while Rustica supplies a tempting array of cronuts, croissants and stuffed doughnuts in the cabinet.

Look out for special event dinners by summer.

DRINKS

Milk coffee is from Niccolo, with a rotating range of single origin, filter and cold brews.

There’s also specialty drinks, such as the Golden Grind latte, which mixes turmeric, cinnamon and ginger with soy milk.

A liquor licence may come later.

Left Field’s hype isn’t expected to die down anytime soon. Picture: Eugene Hyland

SERVICE

Your first point of contact is likely to be a staffer with a clipboard. That duty was assigned the day we visited to an even-tempered waiter who collated and corralled punters with ease and efficiency.

We keep driving by one Saturday 11am-ish after estimating there are around 50 people waiting in the queue. We return the next day about 9am and the wait is 20 minutes, as advised.

X-FACTOR

A bright and simple design with Scandi wood overtones and groovy geometric feature tiling behind the counter.

Plenty of outdoor seating is at streetside wooden booths and a little courtyard out the back.

Some whimsy on the menu may give you a grin, such as, “Don’t do it now because your friends are here but when you’re alone you might like to mosey on over to our Facebook page.”

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

Pricing is more on par with the inner city than suburbia but the standard of fare is well worth shelling out for.

VERDICT

An early play for 2016’s best cafe opening, rocking the suburbs (and beyond) with impressive food, coffee, fitout and service. Collingwood, you’ve been served.

Left Field

358 Koornang Rd, Carnegie

Ph: 9578 2043

FOOD

Mod cafe

HOURS

Weekdays

7am-4pm

Weekends

7.30am-4pm

CHEF

Ryan Lording

BOOKINGS

No

TIME BETWEEN ORDERING AND EATING

15 minutes

PERFECT FOR

Bragging rights to the “it” cafe

DESTINATION DISH

Oreo doughnut sliders

NOISE FACTOR

Conversable

ONLINE

leftfieldeatery.com

REVIEW BY

Megan Miller

PICTURES

Eugene Hyland

REVIEWS ARE UNANNOUNCED AND PAID FOR BY WEEKEND