TOUKS

77 Charles St Seddon 3011. VIC
(03) 9687 7194.


Touks is the 1st restaurant/cafe to stay at this address. Before Touks
there was the Charles St. Bar and before that there was ... oh, can't
remember, but what I am trying to say is that there must be something
good at this place because it has succeeded where others have failed.

Matthew and Carrol Thurley obviously know what they are doing. The restaurant looks great, modern, airy(the garage style doors are great for these wonderfully unseasonal hot spring nights we are having) and it has what a lot of other restaurants in SKY don't have and that is SPACE. You can easily wheel your pram in here, you can sit down without fear of sitting on someones bag or skirt and you can get to the bathroom without having to hold in your stomach as you pass through tables.

On my first breakfast ever at Touks I found it really difficult to decide what to order. The menu is lovely. So many delicious items to choose from it took a while to make that most important decision. However as it was the first time I thought it would be a good idea to try my standard brekkie. It's like my benchmark now. If they can poach an egg well that is always a step in the right direction. For a twist to the norm I added the 'many ingredient beans' as a side. It was
delicious. Perfectly cooked, everything on the plate was delightful.

The cost of a brekky here is on scale with most other cafes in SKY. Eggs and Toast $9 and sides 2.5 - 3 . I was a bit disappointed to see no muesli or porridge choices on the menu but at the same time I understand that just because every other cafe is doing that doesn't mean that they
have to as well. As my younger kids were with us this particular day they had the toast with rhubarb jam, they loved it . But the Prize of the day went to the Ricotta Pancakes with orange blossom cream. It was light and fragrant and melt in your mouth stuff. Highly recommend this
dish. Lovely cup of tea and I have heard that the coffee is okay here.

Touks is only open on weekends for breakfast, after some research I found out that on Sundays Emma Mackay is the chef for the day. Emma used to run the Commercial in its HEY DAY when the food was Top Class but is now a mum of three. Not only does she doing the cooking on Sundays but she supplies Touks as well Petit Tou (review to come) with her magical cakes. And if that is not enough (with three children in tow) she runs a cooking school for children (contact Touks), which apparently is fabulous. Emma also has recently been seen on Ian Hewitson's television cooking show as his pastry chef , what a busy lady! Touks is more about dinners than it is breakfast, but they still do a mean one so I would recommend getting down there on the weekend and trying it out.

MONICA

I haven't had a chance to go to Touks for breakfast in ages - I'm a fan of their hot chocolates which come with a variety of different flavoured chocolate buttons. Such a lovely idea.

Rachael