Wow, such a crowded place for a Wednesday afternoon! Came here as a party of two and we were lucky to get a seat quickly during the lunch rush. We ordered coffees and a muffin to share. Yummo! Will be back to try their menu items next time!
Was having an hour lunch break at Blackburn area and stumbled across this little gem. Honestly I didnt expect much from the look of it but it definitely delivered!
We ordered Seafood Linguini and Japanese chicken curry. Both dish were with amazing flavour and good portion size. The scrambled eggs in my chicken curry was absolutely perfect! Also had a cold brew, very refreshing, great coffee! Thanks for a great lunch!
Our waitresses were the most lovely people although I am only giving 4 stars as I had an upset stomach fir the rest of the day after waffles I ordered which I am very upset about. Outstanding customer service from the two kind women though which is why I lifted my star rating:) very upset about my food though although my girlfriend said she felt fine after her meal! Presentation was so beautiful though and tasted nice, will visit again but mention this to kitchen :)
ps fairy floss was foul!!!!
The Veg stack just beautiful and delicious!!!!
You need come here and try it.😁😁😁😁😋😋😋😋🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Good job black alchemy chefs.
Melbourne Food Wanderer
+4
🍗 A WAFFLEY EGGSQUISITE HOLLANDAISE 🍳
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What do cafe travel agents do? ✈️
Answer - Book your HOLLANDAISE 💦
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📍 Blackburn
🏠 @blackalchemycafe
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🍗 Fried Chicken Waffles w/ Pesto Hollandaise
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Great cafe opposite Blackburn station that, along with your breakfast favourites, serves up a brilliant menu with an Asian twist! 🥡 get down for some comfort food! 🤤
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☑️ 7.5/10! GREAT PESTO HOLLANDAISE!
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🔥 HIT - Pesto Hollandaise was a massive winner for me! Creamy and smooth with a decent basil pesto hit 👌🏽works so well with the texture of the waffles and also the salt of the fried chicken 🍗 the pesto adds a delicious acidity to the dish as a whole. Fried chicken was tender and moist while the eggs were cooked to a sunny side up lover's dream! 🍳 You can't ask for much more portion-wise 😍 massive waffle with a generous serve of fried chicken and two fried eggs.. oh and they don't hold back on the hollandaise 😉 only puts you back $20? Happy with that considering the portion and quality 💰
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💨 MISS - waffle was great but would have loved a little more crunch through it. Likewise with the fried chicken 🍗 the chicken itself was juicy and tender but could have used a little more seasoning and crisp on the outer batter 😁 this would have added a distinct texture dynamic to the dish 👌🏽
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💡 TIP - if you get there around lunch definitely give one of their Japanese bowls a try!
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We ordered the Japanese curry bowl and Smashed avocado dish.
The Japanese curry bowl was delicious. It was hearty and plentiful. The chicken wasn't dry, the scrambled egg had a nice creamy texture and the curry sauce was just yum.
The smashed avo was plated beautifully but it was a little small imo. I think having two slices of bread would have been nice and the bread was a little burnt too. The lemon juice in the little squeezy tube was unique and added a fun factor.
Coffee was fragrant and would recommend!
Instagram @Flabnbone_Food
With a name like Black Alchemy you could be forgiven for expecting a dark and sultry atmosphere with possibly a crystal ball perched on the shelf but no it was quite the opposite.
Very clean and fresh modern country type decor with pale floorboards, exposed brick wall and dado panelled counter.
I had the Japanese Breakfast Bowl which looked and tasted great. Only possible negative was maybe a little too much batter for me on the mushrooms but it did add a good crunch.
We also had the Salmon Gravlax Benedict which was cured beautifully and the Alchemy Beef Burger which was good quality meat and a very satisfying feed.
Coffee was lovely and service was pleasant (our waitress could have been a little happier but nothing major).
Overall a great experience - excellent food and ambience.
Nicest cafe I have come across in ages.
Will most definitely be back to sample more on their very interesting and appetising menu!
Had a really good breakfast and coffee here, the service was great! Had a lovely chat with the chef and he was really informative. We’ll be back here soon!
Had a very delicious breakfast this morning! The food was very tasty and freshly made. The staff were very friendly and the coffee was fab!
Will defiantly return!
Black Alchemy Café is now a go to breakfast spot for me. Food was delicious and very filling. I had the big breakfast and left feeling very satisfied with my meal and my mocha coffee hit the spot. It's great to find a good local cafe that meets the needs for good food and coffee. I'll aim to try the Waffles next.
safe to say I'll return here.
This cafe is situated right next to the train station. We popped in here one morning before catching a train into the city. I enjoyed the big breaky and can happily say it was one of the best big breakfasts I have ever had. We met the head chef afterwards and thanked him for such a wonderful meal. This cafe also has an outdoor courtyard for when Melbourne decides to turn the weather on.
Came here on the weekend for brunch and couldn’t have been happier. We got in just before 10am on Saturday and were allowed to seat ourselves. Staff are friendly and attended to us straight away to take drink and food orders (I had already pre-looked at the menu so I knew what I wanted). Really liked the ambience of the place and really vibed with the fact that it’s a dog-friendly cafe. Food was super tasty and I love the fact that they only use one piece of toast. I’m all about bread but it’s so filling and I can never finish two pieces at brekky/brunch no matter how hard I try. They are obviously going for the “quality not quantity” approach. Staff (both wait and kitchen) at the Black Alchemy definitely are a credit to this place. Will definitely be back.
I like this place. The staff are friendly and the coffee is great. I’ve tried both the brekkie burger and American burger so far. They are sooo delicious. The ingredients are high quality and the food is fresh. The portion sizes are plenty too. I’d recommend trying it out.
Have been a long time customer of Black Alchemy, usually coming with my dog and enjoying the pancakes. Today I tried something different after not visiting for a little while, and was absolutely blown away! I had the okonomiyaki and added some wagyu bresaola, along with a French mint Mocha made with almond milk. It was stunning, and can't wait to try more the expanded menu!
Very friendly staff and fast service. They have very interesting menu. I had latte and my mother in law had fried egg on toast and it's looks fresh.
Tried this the other day with a bunch of friends and it’s not a bad new cafe! Loved the outdoors area at the back. The food is also healthy and trendy, coffee is good and service was excellent.
Came here with a girlfriend and ordered poached eggs on toast with a side order of avocado smash. The eggs were cooked nicely but I was given a thin, single piece of toast that was burnt around the edges and with a big hole in it! Personally, I'd never serve that to a customer. The avo smash was ok but it comes with added lemon. I'd suggest the Chef serve the smash with lemon on the side and let the customer decide how much (if any) they want to add. The long black coffee was very good and it arrived with hot milk on the side just as I'd asked. The waitress was lovely.
I tried the Okonomiyaki (Japanese fritter with 5 kinds of mushrooms, for starters!) which was very flavoursome and also very filling. Coffee - I had a flat white which was pretty and delicious. I looked at the menu and several interesting and appealing options on there that would be nice for a lunch with a friend; Japanese breakfast bowl and a range of gourmet burgers looked good. The cafe is pleasant - bright, with a courtyard out the back which would be nice on a cooler day. People were out there with a dog so I guess there's a rear entrance. It may have been recently refurbished, as it all looks pretty new and fresh. Service was friendly and attentive, the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed. There were a few home-baked things on offer - scones caught my eye but there was no way to fit them in after the main meal! - another day!
Casual rainy day walk-in. Great friendly staff. Spacious, nice relaxed atmosphere. The eggs Benedict came in a flash and...wow that was the ticket! Fantastic flavour, fresh made and served to the table by the very cool head chef. Great job all round. Will be back with the missus for a Sunday breaky. Highly recommend. Paul
Lovely food and staff, and I want to go there everyday if I can. Good service and the coffee in here is so good that I can’t stop loving this cafe. I like there so much!
Very nice service and great food in here. People are very friendly and kind.Pork belly is so nice!!! I love here.So nice coffee with beautiful pattern. I‘m quite satisfied with this cafe
Lobster nasi lemak was good - it could be warmer when it came out but I still enjoyed it. Interesting place as they have a mix of western and malaysian food. Will come back and try other dishes next time.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Menu above is not up to date.
It's a cold, but absolutely stunning Sunday morning - only a few of the population seem to be out and about though, many must be snug and warm at home. The small cluster of tables at Black Alchemy however were full of smiles if rugged up for the cold. The sun shone in through the big front windows.
This location, way back in the day, used to be the local shoe shop. Every year, once a year, my Mum would take me here for my school shoes. The tiles out the front remain, the big first step (difficult for the elderly to negotiate always) remains, but within, it's quite a different sight. It's a lovely space, with lots of friendly welcoming smiles.
Our drink orders were taken immediately, and my companion and I had no trouble committing to a dish that tempted.
The toastie of egg and bacon usually comes with either mayonnaise or tomato sauce, but upon request for hollandaise instead was happily ratified. I couldn't go past the eggs Benedict. On the above menu the salmon is listed as an option, on the current menu, it simply says 'Benedict' $13.00, with no mention of a choice, but again, the staff were happy to do this for me. We ordered two sides, the hash browns (it was a cold morning) and the sauteed mushrooms. We also ordered a juice, a mix of freshly squeezed orange and freshly juiced green apple - really delicious.
My dining companion really enjoyed the toastie, the bread was golden, and the egg yolk runny, the bacon and hollandaise were both declared delicious. Her mocha, heavy on the coffee was also deemed worthwhile.
I also felt the hollandaise was a winner, and my eggs were poached to perfect, golden runnniness. The salmon slices on the side were three large rosettes of quality salmon. The dish did not contain capers and rocket as above, but rather spinach and a bit of cherry tomato. I thought the spinach was undressed, but found the dressing was under the leaves on the plate. My bread was also nicely toasted.
The let down was the commercial hash brown - while they were enticingly golden, they were also rather oily, wouldn't bother with that one again. The sauteed mushrooms however, were delicious, and would be a must-have no matter what else we were selecting.
My chai latte was perfect without any additions, and the price for both breakfasts good value.
Would return.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
20 August 2017
I had lobster nasi lemak (Malaysia's national dish of coconut rice with whatever meat or seafood you wanna top it with, in this case, lobster). The lobster was topped with exquisite butter creamy sauce and curry leaves. It was divine. And when you wanna change the taste onto your tongue, you scoop some sambal and fragrant coconut rice onto your palate. The peanuts and anchovies were crunchy (not soft) and gave you a third flavour to ingest. Čost only $22.
05 August 2017:
I and my friend had honey soy belly pork with soba noodles. It was delicious. Please see photos
10 July 2017
Yummylitious belly pork on pastai
03 July :
Had one of the best croissants for ages. Fluffy layering and yummy tasting. Add on some butter and jam and it made for a great breakfast
I come here mainly for the Saturday morning Malaysian desserts called kuih muih. Very authentic Malaysian and of special mention are the kuih talam, chai kuih and curry puffs. BAC is in Facebook. Go to their pages by Friday night and BAC will inform you whether they are selling the kuih muih the next morning.
Lately BAC featured a new dish called TEMPURA BATTERED SOFT SHELL CRAB ON ANGEL HAIR PASTA IN THAI SPICY DRESSING. Yummylitious. You can take away the red hot chilli and dry pounded chilli mix if you can't take hot.
Western dish that I had was guacamole mash. Very appetising.
I will visit again.
There is room for improvement but this place is with visiting. The corn fritters are delicious! My partner had the glutenous rice pudding and enjoyed that too. So tick on the food front. Coffee was nice but took a while to come out and the service was hit and miss
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Live and work in Blackburn my first visit to Black Alchemy was with work our Dr's, nurses and reception staff decided to have a get together. There were 8 of us we all ordered a variety of meals from Smashed Avocado, Corn Fritters, Eggs and Bacon to the most amazing Souffle Pancakes i have ever eaten. I have eaten in many many resturants all over Australia and the world i cannot fault this place. The qualitty of the staff are friendly bubbly and welcoming, Vincent a wealth of knowledge about coffee and serves up fantastic coffee. While sitting here drinking my coffee i over heard gentleman walk in and say he will always pop in going out of his way to do so after finding this place as the coffee is amazing. A few weeks later i brought my 4yr old granddaughter in for a treat with nanny for her birthday. She was so excited and proceeded to tell the staff it was her birthday. A few minutes later all the staff walked out with a cupcake and a candle in it singing happy birthday to her, she felt so special. I can highly recommend this place with 3 of the most important things a restaurant should have and Black Alchemy has nailed them, great food, service and very reasonable price. I will continue to go back and each day my Dr's send me to get their coffee from there, i believe returning customers speak for itself.
This place is refreshing it didn't claim to be a top notch resturant nor a boring cafe it's a great place to eat be comfortable and changing the menu to suit your needs isn't a death sentence. Nothing is to much trouble. Sticky purple rice pudding is refreshing, Japanese pancakes with soy honey pork and Japanese mayo beats boring old quiche anyday and that is what l love about this cafe l can have soft shell burger or bacon and egg sandwich and neither disappoint. If you haven't given black alchemy cafe a go l strongly suggest you do and by the way specialty coffee is there thing best coffee ever
What a fantastic find! Such a cute interior with beautiful exposed brick walls. The decaf soy latte was fantastic (a hard feat to accomplish) and the selection of cakes is impressive. I was lucky enough to have the pulled lamb burger on offer as a special because oh my god, this burger!!! Juicy, spiced Moroccan lamb combined beautifully with beetroot and organge *swoons* it was incredible! The service was also fantastic with such attentive and friendly staff, I can't recommend this cafe enough!
Just discovered this cafe in the last couple of months and it has become our frequent spot. The food is great and staff are friendly. The coffee is smooth and every now and again there's some scrumptious Malaysian delicacies to try.
Black alchemy is about as trendy as one can expect from the
Blackburn shopping strip - not quite hipster but not greasy spoon either. It is popular and noisy with people chatter, and reasonably spacious with several tables in a linear configuration. The table settings are plain but the decor features an interesting exposed render and brick wall. A few outdoor settings with shade umbrellas are provided for sunny weather. There is also a small courtyard out back. There were a few vegetarian options on the menu but it could benefit from some more, and some interesting ones - no vegan items, so lose a point. The coffee was very good and I had the "healthy delish" minus the eggs (why always eggs?) which looked good and met expectations. Pleasant and welcoming table service, and points for attentiveness and water on the table.
I finally got here after living a block away for the last 8 months. Busy place Saturday's which is great. Coffee was good and the big daddy was yummo. Would have liked to have seen something slightly smaller on offer without having to hold my own meal however; it was one or the other. Egg cooking options weren't asked either, is there an option??
Skinny cappuccino was nice, no burnt beans. Tangy hollandaise sauce! Bacon on sour dough. Place was quite busy, a hot spot for the locals. Eggs cooked well, runny times :)
Well done Black Alchemy Cafe! Your Beef Rendang with Roti is simply awesome! The gravy burst with flavours best dip for the Roti, beef is super tender-licious plus the salad is specially refreshing.
Will surely come back for more delicious food by Black Alchemy 😋
Went here on the weekend to have a father's day lunch... surely enough it was packed, but the lovely girl behind the counter politely asked us to sit & wait.. the food were good, we had to wait quite a bit for them to come out, & when they did, the food did not come all at once... might be because they were super busy that day. I might come by again some other day to try the sweet treats they have on display.
I would highly recommend this cafe, I went in today for a coffee and also ended up trying their delicious homemade pear and walnut cake, which I was excited about as not many cafes offer homemade sweets. The staff were attentive and extremely friendly, I will definitely be coming back!
Updated 28 May 2018 - I tried a strong soy latte here over the weekend and was impressed by the quality. The barista takes his job seriously and knows what he’s doing.
Black Alchemy is light, open and spacious. I have a tip: paint the West wall black and get some bigger indoor plants.
The food display needs to be improved with fresher looking items.
I find it strange that their specials are only available on weekdays.
Will be keen to try their food.
Foods are sooo nice n tastey. Will come again～ the beef burger so much🎉🎉🎉. The location is easy to find, just near the Blackburn station, simply walk there~ Like the environment here～
Delicious food and excellent coffee with lots of different seating choices inside and outside. Only criticism is the service, not all staff were responsive when ready to order or top up an order, and would not clear table when taking orders.
I love this place so much i try to keep it a secret.
I always have the guacamole mash breakfast when i come here. Im addicted to avocado mashed with the jalapenos and combined with the feta is just divine!
The chai latte here is very nice here too as well as the baguettes. The service is also brilliant. Definitely my favourite place to come for brunch!!
Food was great, we ordered the souffle pancakes, big breakfast, pasta of the day and roasted duck. Loved the roasted duck! It was really juicy and tender. Matcha latte for all the green tea lovers too! Strong, authentic taste of matcha. Service was faultless, the waitresses were helpful, polite and smiling all the time, which added even more to this cafe! In terms of ambience, the decoration was simple but nice. Will definitely come back again!
Fantastic coffee. Really enjoyed my corn & zucchini fritters. Very generous serve.
Friendly staff and great ambience to catch up with friends.
Lovely breakfast with my daughter at Black Alchemy Cafe. The coffee and babycino was a hit at this local cafe. My daughter's breakfast looked tasty and was enjoyed by my little girl.
Courteous service bright modern atmosphere. If you are on low FODMAP diet be aware - The avocado mash with gluten free bread contains a very large serve of avocado mash. Good coffee.
Ordered a cappuccino here, the coffee is very good here plus nice and friendly customer service and caters for people with kids. One of a few good places to have a coffee close to the station.
Conviniently located near Blackburn station this place offers lot of room. We ordered a hot chocolate, milk shake, Ham tomato sandwiches, Pasta in white sauce grilled chicken mushrooms, Egg benedict and some potato wedges. The serve size for all dishes was truly BIG! Food especially pasta was very tasty as well the waitress was very courteous. I will ve visiting again!!
Lovely place for coffee - have eaten brunch and lunch here a few times and always nice food. Service is friendly and efficient. Only gripe: Kids menu needs a healthy option
The place looked nice and modern, the service good. The selection on the menu was small and nothing too fancy. I ended up with the big brekky and although it was definitely plentiful and well-cooked, it was a bit pricey for what it was
Pleasant modern design with a convivial, almost beachy atmosphere. Friendly service, average coffee and tasty food that is a little over expensive.
Despite other reviews, I had a really good experience! Checked zomato after eating and couldn't believe it is ranked so poorly. Wait staff super nice and food came out within fifteen minutea, although to be fair we ordered a sandwhich and a salad.
This local cafe had change hands and it look so much brighter and nicer in there now. Went here on a Friday afternoon and it was quite packed. We manage to find a table near the front. I tried their souffle pancake and it was so fluffy and light. Their coffee was decent as well. Staff was friendly. I will come back and try their other dishes.
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Came here for lunch on a weekday and overall it was a pleasant experience. The place was nicely decorated, looked clean and modern however outside where we were seated didn't seem to have the same amount of effort put in it. Servers were friendly. The coffee was nicely presented, my Capp had adequate amount of smooth creamy froth, it tasted excellent on first taste but the taste kind of died down when the froth was gone, as the coffee itself lacked a bit of sweetness and creaminess. 7.5/10 for coffee. The food took its time, I had to send my poached egg back since it was almost hard boiled, but staff were happy to replace it. The corn and zucchini fritters lacked flavor, however it tasted much better once I added several twists of cracked salt and pepper on top. It was flavored with some curry powder and haloumi inside, and the texture of the fritters were nice as they were soft, fluffy and chunky at the same time. I love how it comes with a generous serve of cooked spinach. The beef burger was a typical burger - nothing to rave about. Soft shell crab burger was okay, the bean sprouts kind of 'got in the way' - although they were meant to compliment the crab, when you bite into the burger all you can taste and feel is the bean sprouts. Less bean sprouts, more coriander and more sauce would've made the burger better. Overall the place has potential for greatness, right now I'd say it's "alright" but it's definitely better than what used to be here and many of the other cafes nearby!
This Whippeteer and Wasabi the super pup were promptly welcomed and seated outside today. The water was MUCH appreciated after our MSG incident at Ramen & Dumpling House, last night. Drank the whole chilled bottle. Even now. still thirsty!
The Latte was Epic. Superb texture and depth of flavor.
Ps We like the bottle of sugar idea. Awesome.
great service, comfy environment and super tasty food! A great place to meet up with some old friends 😊
The pancakes are the best one I've ever had! Its texture speaks for itself and you will never get sick of it! Will definitely come back for another brunch!
The food and presentation were amazing, both our meals contained heaps of flavour and fresh fruit something you don't usually see for such a decent price. The apple juice came freshly squeezed although quite sweet was nice. However the menu is quite limited and fussy eatters would struggle to choose something as is missing food staples like Parma and pasta on the lunch menu but if your looking for fresh and unique like we are it's the place to go.
Delicious soft shell crab burger, which was different to other brunch places. Service was excellent and environment was great for breakfast and lunch. Definitely recommended.
Railway cafe has been updated to Black Alchemy and it's a nice addition to the area. Only a few years ago Blackburnians were frothing over our first 'proper' cafe. Now we are spoiled for choice. But this one holds its own in terms of menu, service, and coffee quality. Being large with a sunny courtyard is a plus. If they keep up the opening standards it should do fine.
I found this place after our coffee machine broke down and I needed to find a cafe open in the burbs on the weekends!
Friendly service - we came for brunch. I had the chili scramble which i really liked and my partner had the salt and pepper calamari which he enjoyed
Reasonably priced. Busy but not congested. They have a small courtyard out the back
Bright airy modern cafe. Very spacious with a lovely ambiance. The staff were very welcoming with excellent service. Both the food and coffee did not disappoint.
We can highly recommend Black Alchemy Cafe in Blackburn!
Cosy but spacious, bright, outdoor and indoor seating, great coffee and food!
Had the 'Vege Stack', with halloumi cheese and pesto sauce with gluten free bread. Sooo good. $21.
Good coffee. Was made well but didn’t have a darker roast than the standard. Quality cafe with good food and coffee and a hipster vibe. Trendy addition to Blackburn. Food and service seemed decent too. Recommended for a local visit.
Nice little cafe, cosy vibes. The food is on the pricier side but worth it; every element of the meal was delicious, and the coffee was great too. The wait staff were lovely, efficient and attentive, and the food came out really quickly!
I'd like it if there were more vegetarian options on the menu, but they were able to swap the meat in the big breakfast for halloumi for me, which I really appreciated. Will likely go again!
Meals very nice, average price, chips were awesome. Lovely ambience. Went there for mums 80th luncheon with family and friends. Rear access off laneway suitable for wheelchairs. 1 hour parking out the front but 3 hour in the carpark across the road to the rear for those wanting to relax.
Great brunch spot! Lovely, bright, and spacious cafe with a variety of delicious dishes.
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