Oppen Cafe

Oppen Cafe

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Posted 2019-01-24 by Fiona Andersonfollow
Tucked away down a little side street, conveniently located right next to Windsor railway station, is a stylish new cafe - Öppen . With the umlaut on the 'O', the pronunciation is more like - well - 'open', and in fact, if Wikipedia is to be believed, Öppen comes from an old Norse word, and does indeed mean 'open'.

Certainly, the Scandinavian influences are evident, both in the decor and the menu; the former in terms of the clean lines and simple, elegant furniture, the latter via an impressive selection of open sandwiches on rye bread (as well as an all-day breakfast menu).



While Öppen has only been open for a month, it is very much open for business. On arrival, I received a friendly greeting from the barista, Ollie, whom, it turns out is also a supervisor. He whips us up a couple of quality coffees; Öppen uses the ethically sound Disciple Coffee as its roaster.



Time to browse the menu - and that's where the dilemma begins. It's one of those menus that has a number of dishes we'd happily try - so, what to choose? Perhaps the carrot and chia pudding with coconut, pineapple, lime jelly, ginger and coriander ($18)? Or the hot smoked salmon, with grilled asparagus, wild garlic, fennel, snow peas, watercress, dry rye and mustard sauce ($21)? Or one of the open sandwiches - perhaps the avocado, Danish feta, dukkah and radish sandwich with the Vegemite shard ($14).

Ultimately, I chose the buckwheat waffle, with cacao sauce, saffron pear, berries, buttermilk foam and popping liquorice ($19), while my partner Dave opted for the more healthy sounding cauliflower steak, with quinoa, chickpeas, charred broccoli, radish, currants, sunflower cream and pepitas ($18).

The waffle dish arrives with the cacao pouring sauce on the side. How much of this luscious sauce to add? I try not to overwhelm the flavours of the other ingredients, so pour generously but without drowning the dish. And what a delight it is to eat. The saffron pear is perfectly cooked, soft enough to readily cut into, and delicately spiced. I loved the slightly chewy texture of the waffle and the fluffy lightness of the buttermilk foam.

The dish is unified with the beautiful, rich cacao sauce. I didn't use all the sauce in the jug, and when my partner Dave realised this, he took it on himself to make sure there wasn't a drop left - pouring spoonfuls of it for himself! Definitely a hit.



Dave also enjoyed his more wholesome cauliflower dish. I had a taste, and particularly liked the flavour of the sunflower cream - not dissimilar to a hummus, and the nutty taste and crunch of the toasted chickpeas, which beautifully complemented the roasted cauliflower.



Overall, it was a very successful visit to Öppen, and a place we'd happily return to continue our exploration of the menu. Come for the service and stay for the food!
Öppen is also fully licensed, so you can enjoy a beer, wine or cider, or a 'pre' or 'post' midday cocktail (per the suggestions in their drinks menu ) with your meal.
Öppen is located at 20/2 Maddock Street, Windsor. It is open from 6.30am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 4.00pm on Saturday, and 8.00am to 4.00pm on Sunday.

%%Image credit

The images in this article were taken by the writer.%%

#breakfast
#brunch
#cafes
#food_wine
#inner_south
#lunch
#windsor
%wnmelbourne
176464 - 2023-06-15 17:06:16

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