Hash Specialty Coffee & Roaster
113 Hardware Street, CBD
03 8899 6680
Breakfast, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee and Tea
$$
Food
- Magic – Hash Blend
- Hot Chocolate
- Pork Benedict
- Pork & Mushroom Money Bag
The Good
Being a coffee roaster on the (over)popular Hardware Street, the Magic at Hash does not disappoint, giving a really rich and smooth cup of coffee.
Any visit to Hash is really based around their famous Hot Chocolate, which comes with as much pomp and circumstance as you would expect. A beaker of 85% Mörk hot chocolate is poured over a heaping ‘cloud’ of fairy floss which dissolves and leaves behind a sweetened and wonderfully rich cup.
The Pork Benedict was a very tasty spin on the classic Eggs Benedict. The toasted sourdough was topped with grilled Grana Padano cheese with the traditional ham circumvented by wonderfully spiced and seasoned pulled pork which was really enriched when the perfectly poached oozed into the meat, balanced with the rich and slightly tart apple cider hollandaise sauce.
The Pork and Mushroom Money Bag was as delightful as it sounds, consisting of a beautifully flaky filo pastry envelope filled with a flavourful mix of mushrooms, pork and cabbage. This all rested on a bed of fresh salad combined with a lively red wine dressing.
The Mediocre
The filo pastry Money Bag made for a delightful filling cover, but there was perhaps an opportunity missed in making it stand on its own as well, as, despite the dusting of sugar, it seemed more of a textural and novel part of the dish rather than strictly delicious.
The hot chocolate was no doubt fantastic, but there is an addition that I would implement from the source hot chocolate (Mörk) and that is the optional addition of salt, which really lifts the richness of the drink.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
Hardware Street (and the Lane) is no easy place to open up a cafe but Hash offers a unique brunch experience based around the simple premise of good food and even better drinks. The menu contains a well-considered range of brunch classics and new additions, all backed by a suitable drinks list. Maybe we don’t need two hashtags for #brunch and #lunch if they’re both available all day, though.