Food- Little Ox

Little Ox-

452 New St. Brighton 3186

Since becoming a resident of St. Kilda I have made little time to go back to my hometown of East Brighton. Whether it is because of my undying obsession with my new surrounds or perhaps I was just a bit over the ‘Brighton’ type, there honestly has not been anything luring me back to that side of town.

Until now.

When I first drove past Little Ox I couldn’t help but comment on how cute the shop front looked. It’s taken me quite a while to get here but I finally made it, and can’t help but gush at how impressed I am of Brighton’s latest addition.

Little Ox is in a prime location; the shop stands alone and can’t be missed with its big egg yolk artwork on the grey exterior. Located just outside of Elwood village, yet far enough away from the likes of Bay and Church Street to be considered ‘Brighton’.

Interior wise this place is very clean cut with a cute French/country twist. White walls from floor to ceiling are complimented with spots of colour, even down to the yellow-rimmed glassware. The cutlery is housed in an old school desk, while bookshelves display random kitsch and several cookbooks. There are old English themed posters and canned tomatoes stacked high above the kitchen, as well as cute flowers arrangements adorning each table.

On the two occasions I have been, I indulged in my regular order of all things sweet.

First up was the banana and pistachio bread with cinnamon marscapone. A delightful combination for a cold winters day. Secondly, poached pears with raspberry coulis and brioche. The banana bread is definitely the winner, but by the exclamations from Jess, her order of buttermilk pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream and topped with a crispy meringue appeared to be the best ever eaten- sweet, fluffy goodness.

From where we were sitting we were able to converse with the three male chefs, all happy to persuade us into eating more cake. Evil.

Coffee here deserves a long mention. Mine was so good I actually had to think twice about what I was drinking and what my tastebuds were clearly having a dance about. I wondered if I had mistakenly ordered a mocha, as the chocolate undertones were so apparent. This full-bodied latte with both berry and chocolate notes made me feel as if a black forest cake had come to party in my mouth. Nom nom nom.

A big surprise when I found out the blend was Red Star, a fairly unknown commercial blend roasted in Port Melbourne. These are sustainable beans sourced from areas including South America, Africa and Asia with a fully transparent supply chain.

Chatting with Tommy Collins, we came to the conclusion that even a standard blend can be amazing- if made by the right barista. I went to chat to the young, tattooed cutey and to thank him for my amazing latte and upon banter discovered that this kid really knew what he was talking about. At the young age of 21 he proclaimed he should know something about coffee as he’d been doing it ‘for years’. Turns out since the age of nine his father had a coffee cart and had taught him all he knew. Practice makes perfect.

Conclusion? I’ll be back to Little Ox, not just for the cute staff but also for the incredible coffee. Kudos.

Date rate: Brighton you can finally impress
Coffee cure: I think I have found my take away haven.
Hangover happy: This place attracts the young and the old, so as long as your happy sitting next to grandma when you feel like shit, go for it.
Price: It won’t kill your budget, but bring a few extra pennies.