Hot Spot: BAWA

248 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn

Say hi to the latest cafe collab from Pillar Of Salt, Barry and Three Bags Full. Head over there and introduce your mouth to the menu, which consists of all the staples with a twist: black quinoa porridge with cherry, cacao and sesame snaps — the avo on toast is served with creamed corn, feta, lime and hazelnuts — perfectly scrambled chilli eggs with pickled mushrooms, kaiserfleisch and reggiano on toast, pressed lamb shoulder, purple cabbage puree, cauli tabbouleh, barberries, pine nuts, harissa. The inventive menu items occupy the middle space between light and heavy, and there's only one item that exceeds $20 (the grass fed scotch filler — fair enough!). The coffee comes from Dukes — where one of BAWA's co-owners was previously from.

BAWA is named after Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, who popularised the 'tropical modernism' design style, which integrates buildings and natural landscape - so fittingly, the look and feel of the place is natural and plant-filled, airy and fresh. Ahh!