'Let's go to Butcher 128'. Cue 20 minutes of confusion. Are we going to have lunch or supermarket shopping? The shop facade clearly says butcher but there are people sitting in the window having a coffee. Are butcher shops selling coffee the new hipster thing?
Butcher 128 facade
Butcher 128 counter
The butcher's counter has been converted into a cake counter/kitchen. Tables sit under abattoir lights. Single origin coffee packets line the shelves. Here you can have filtered coffee and read magazines while waiting for your meal.
Eat under abattoir lights
The menu concentrates on breakfast and brunch items. The philosophy is apparently from the Maling Room in Canterbury. I chose the Butcher's Breakfast. it consists of a mushroom truffle sauce poached eggs on a roll with bacon. The eggs were best where slicing into the thin egg white released the golden yolk. Mixing it together with the strong truffle sauce and roll made for a very filling lunch. The bacon complimented the dish, however on this occasion it was too salty.
Butcher's Breakfast
the bright dining area
plant garden bed
When you have finished devouring your brunch, there is more to explore. The backyard dining area offers a sharp contrast to the butcher shop front. Bright, corrugated metal, wooden, plant gardens and a hidden toilet. The very back of it even boasts a children's garden/playground. Unlike a park playground, this one is more a home playground. There are blackboards, monkey bars, and lots of grass. There's even some inspired advertising. It offers children a sanctuary to play while the adults chat away over their coffees.
The children's playground
Butcher 128's advertisement
Butcher 128 is a surprise. The old architecture is put to a new use. The two vastly different dining areas allow you to set the mood. Your coffee connoisseur friends will love you even more. Whether the kids need to play or you need a conversation changer, the unique setup of Butcher 128 can be used to full advantage.
Experience Summary:
Service – 4 stars; service was good.
Atmosphere – 5 stars; two very different settings for you to choose
Food – 4 stars; brunch is centre stage but coffee lovers will swoon over single origin and filtered coffee
Uniqueness factor – sharply contrasting dining environments, single origin and filtered coffee, as well as a children's playground
