Tom Phat @ Brunswick

Tom Phat isn't exactly your orthodox breakfast / brunch place you would imagine going to dig into a plate of poached eggs, toast and maybe some smoked salmon. The coffee in the machine and the smell of coffee beans suggests that but once you take a seat especially if you are closer to the back, you should notice something quite different.


For one, the sound of the wok in action and occasional flame should pique that interest to look into the kitchen and of course followed by reading the menu.

Coffees are just as good as any brunch place in Melbourne but see what we had for breakfast!

Back to the menu, you will still find your bacon, eggs and bread but not exactly in the conventional form or dish. Every dish sounds like these items had just come back from a trip to South East Asia. Bacon and eggs can be found in a Roti Omelette while bread comes in the form of a vietnamese baguette or sourdough with some asian jazzed eggs (not really a dish, just for you to get the drift).

I don't know about Australians but Asians do fancy anything rice whether it is during breakfast, lunch or dinner. My Korean friend eats rice every morning for breakfast. So if you are that typical Asian who sulks at eating bread during brunch, I suggest you come here.

So what is served with rice? A succulent piece of pork chop that has been marinated with amongst other things; lemongrass. You also get a crispy fried egg to go with your rice. A mild sweet and sour dressing completes the dish. Of course, one must have your vegetables too, a tomato and cucumber salad fixes that up.

The Roti Omelette is pretty fascinating even though there is a chance that the Roti comes from a packet. Entwined with a soft silky omelette then topped with a tomato salsa / paste with crispy shallots, this was awesome! Loved every bit of it even if I was stuffed by the end of it and just wanted to go back home and nap.

Having come from Brisbane where breakfast / brunch comes in a more conventional form, we found it very interesting to see how far some places have taken breakfast items to. Having had English inspired breakfast and now a South East Asian influenced brunch, we are getting quite excited to see what else we will discover.

Address and contact details:

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5 stars. It is not exactly authentic South East Asian cuisine but we loved how it has been used to create a whole different breakfast menu. Don't expect and be rewarded.