Muharam Cafe

My favourite type of interior decor

MUHARAM CAFE, HAWTHORN: A small cafe featuring a white + timber aesthetic (my favourite) with hanging plants to give a real fresh and nature vibe. They’ve been quite famous for the donut freakshakes for a few years now but it seems that the trend has really died down – I was looking forward to trying their Golden Gaytime milkshake only to find out that they didn’t have the appropriate ingredients available. Opting for the Malteaser one instead left me quite disappointed, as it was merely a chocolate frappe with whipped cream on top. Otherwise, the menu features quite simple, classic dishes but the red velvet pancakes were the highlight for us.

Slightly disappointed in my freakshake 😦

Spiced Sweet Corn Fritters (Red Pepper Salsa, Avocado and Halloumi) – $17.0 (+$2.0 eggs)

Halloumi is just the best!

The good fat: I’m in a bit of a fritter phase and these ones were tasty with the halloumi! It interesting to have flat corn fritters! They were tasty and smooth, but slightly crisped and oily on the outside. The red pepper salsa added a great, slightly spicy taste.

The bad fat: The red pepper salsa could’ve been a bit more flavourful as it was a bit strangely sweet. I wasn’t a huge fan of the smashed avocado and preferred if it was sliced on the side instead of mixed and a bit too runny for my liking.

Fat-o-meter: 3.5/5

Mexican Bowl (Black Rice, Charred Corn, Red Spiced Beans, Roasted Sweet Potato, Fresh Greens, Crispy Quinoa Crumb, Avo and Cashew Sour Cream) – $18.0 (+$4.0 Smoked Salmon)

Poke bowls always make me feel so healthy

The good fat: A very refreshing and healthy option! It was interesting to note that the bowl was warm. The texture of the black rice was great, with a slight bit of crunch to work well with the Mexican aesthetic and style of the dish. The corn, mushiness of the beans and the sweet potato were highlights in the combination of side options. The smoked salmon was a very necessary and delicious addition just to add that fresh seafood and protein!

The bad fat: The cashew sour cream was slightly too grainy and bland in flavour that had been suspected as hummus. Once again, including smashed avocado in a guacamole style was a little moist and wasn’t able to preserve the soft density of the avocado texture.

Fat-o-meter: 3.5/5

Red Velvet Pancake (Cream Cheese, Berries and Warm Chocolate) – $17.0

What a stunner!

The good fat: Definitely the highlight of the meal. The pancakes were presented in a stunning manner, laid across a beautiful wooden chopping board. The berries gave little bursts of fruity moisture and the dollops of cream cheese on top complemented everything nicely. Warm chocolate sauce oozing over the pancakes added another level of rich sweetness.

The bad fat: The great choice of sides and aesthetic unfortunately were let down by the dryness of the pancake itself, it was crumbly and hard on the outside – but this was luckily made up for slightly by the chocolate sauce.

Fat-o-meter: 4/5

SHOULD YOU GET FAT HERE?

Yes – A nice, brunch cafe in a quiet suburban area with a beautiful interior aesthetic

FAT-O-METER: 3.5/5