TL;DR: Just as much as it is about the love of wanting to run their own cafe, the owners here showcase the love of their pet dogs with a cafe dedicated solely to the sociability of the animal. That is the name of the game with Little Black Pug, which is just as much about being a coffee house of sorts as it is good quality customer service. The small stretch of road here desperately needs something to liven it up, and this may well be it.
There was a couple of good factors for my house mate for choosing this to be the place for breakfast. One of them was that it was a local, and the other hand to do with the dog theme that they had going for them. Another local place had this idea down pact showing some success over the months, and here was another place showcasing to dog people. What also did not hurt was the reception and the presence on social media - it appeared that it was doing its job and that is good enough for us.
This is a good example of customer service. They have a friendly aura going around that will entice many patrons to enter, and give many returns on the side. They are up for a chat, always busy cooking and bringing the meals proficiently to the table. These folks are friendly, have a good vibe about them that still has that professional edge about them - getting the waters, checking if the meals are good and everything. This suits it well to be a place for dog people.
The setting for a place is a bit on the plain side in a number of ways. They do what they can with it, and as a hole-in-the-wall right on a busy street it is fine enough. Credit goes to the ergonomics, with the kitchen being centrally located ensuring the quickest delivery, and small touches here and there give it a bit of character. Right out the front on the pavement is utilised well, some small tables and guard rails. Inside some of the aspects would not be out of place in the hipster parts of Melbourne.
I will certainly give credit to the menu. It does lean a bit on the hipster side of things, that is with some of the offerings that they have and giving twists on some of the classics as well. This time around, the twists are more organic and just figuring another way around a waffle or whatnot, and not just for the sake of being showy.
It is split into two different sections, with an all-day breakfast and lunch being served from mid-morning onwards (another strength in their favour). This is a rotating menu that will change depending on the season, and what is available. A good range of the favourites are here, some left with little alterations and others with a different take on how they are prepared. Both sweet and savoury mingles together here. As per normal, you get a burger here, some pasta there, and basically a checklist of each basic staple. On top of that, expect the usual case of the dessert cabinet.
The biggest draw card with the menu here is the focus that they have on dogs here. Dog friendly cafes are dotted all around the place, but very few seem to give anything in mind to the animals bar some water to drink. This goes a step beyond, and incorporates the old puppy-cino, some in-house dog treats, and small ingredients such as egg.
Plus, of course, the drinks. The normal tea and coffee, specialty smoothies blended in-house, as well as milkshakes and the ilk. A bonus here is that a "discount" goes towards drinking the coffees in the cafe as opposed to to-go.
What I also like about it is some of the names given to the meals. For the most part, I will take it or leave it if the restaurant does that while giving credit to making it a little more lively. When it works the best is when it is incorporated into the theme and the of the restaurant. Here the multi-faceted approach encompasses canines, the canine's owner(s), and a bit of pun-play that works this time around.
This was one more place that I was trying to decide what to have, and the decision jumped around several of the dishes that sounded both good and as something a bit different. Even adding something onto the side that sounded unusual was in the back of my mind, but for that I relented.
In the end, it was some savoury waffles - or as they called them here "Woofles". These waffles were infused with cheese, and had a choice of being served with either ham or smoked salmon, I went with the latter. On top of that, there was a herb-based cream cheese, and a 63-degree egg (I still can't make heads of what this is in all honesty). Even with some of the ones sounding alluring and tempting afterwards, I reckon a correct choice was made.
Throughout the whole meal, not one aspect took the spotlight from any of the others. In other words, the in-house cooks gave good attention to each component making the meal not only delicious, but additionally high quality.
Let's put it this way. Often when smoked salmon is ordered for breakfast from a restaurant, the slicing is pretty thin and the presentation usually lacks. Right here, it was fairly thick, practically house-cured and the portion size given was exceedingly generous - particularly given the price of the meal.
Add on the strong but subtle taste of salmon to everything else, it all complements nicely and did not look too bad on the plate. The cream cream was smooth, had a bit of a stronger flavour than it normally does and the herbs included dill which definitely suits salmon - smoked or otherwise. I could take or leave the 63-degree egg in all honesty. These are alright, and I guess trending on the side of being soft as opposed to hard does suit my preferences. All of this tied well onto a perfectly done waffle, one that had the middle all soft and fluffy, with the finish around the outside having that slight bit of crunch. What this added up to, was a meal that tied together really well due to several quality and inventive components - sort of improvising upon a classic, and running with it.
Like what seems to be a common occurrence, my dining buddy opted for a good old bacon and egg roll. It was served on a ciabatta roll, which itself was solid and a generous size, and the additions of a tomato relish and some rocket really rounded it out. All honesty, just another decent one of these.
Now it becomes apparent that we are in for a treat, all that needs to be seen is the coffee they use here. That is Toby's Estate, which is when I get excited. You always know that it is going to be a strong number when it comes to this blend, and the notes are apparent with most baristas at the helm. These notes are chocolate-based, and the texture is often pretty smooth.
I am not sure if the same sort of beans were used in the drink I got, which was a Hong Kong style coffee tea - one of those that has a base of condensed milk. This was for something a bit different, and these beverages work a treat whenever they are gotten. It had the texture of an iced tea with loose leaves, the flavour certainly had distinctions of coffee in it - none of the aforementioned chocolate-notes, plus the condensed milk adds creaminess and sweetness into the palate mix.
One thing is certain here, and that is that they have hooked into a good niche. That niche is big enough that the term might be a bit of a stretch, but as of now not many places around town seem to be doing it - so for the time being, they have a good, solid market that is distinct enough to pay attention from the outside, and the friendly service to go along with it certainly helps its case. But if all must be said in honesty, it is not just the theme's novelty, but a range of idiosyncrasies that really put it on the map - from the vibe of the place, to cheaper drinks in house, to its aesthetic that does have a modern look to it while keeping it low-key and relaxed. Each of these aspects manage to combine into a rare kind of hot-spot that has more of the relaxed and slow-paced vibe as opposed to always on the go - even with the service being fairly fast-paced.
I will finish this review off by saying that it works for a lot of dog owners - the Staffy that I have at home would be awful here, not being a dog-social fellow (that's putting it mildly), and he would happily eat whatever fell off your plate onto the floor. Not that it matters, just thought it should be shared being a dog place and everything and some dog people here.
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