Hammer and Tong 412 have a creative menu that they execute well. The food displays a high level of quality in flavour and technique. You can find this restaurant on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy and it’s a great place for coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack, a sweet, basically any eating occasion. When the food is this good, you can always find a reason to pop by.
The space looks a bit industrial but has a homely feel. Even though the food is top class, the environment is down to earth and relaxed, which makes it all even better.
The renowned soft shell crab burger has street cred for a reason. It is undeniably one of the best burgers I’ve eaten, ever. The buttery brioche bun is a little bit toasty, a little bit fluffy and a whole lot of buttery. It complements the light crispy battered soft shell crab with the creamy hot sriracha mayo and the slaw and fresh coriander to balance the richness. This burger is defs in my top burger list. To say it is insanely, mind-blowingly delicious would be an understatement. Sometimes Hammer and Tong pop up at food events and admittedly I can never walk past the stall/truck without getting one of these in my belly.
Breakfast ramen is a brilliant concept. It’s a bowl of egg noodles with bacon dashi, a 62 degree hen egg, bacon, mushrooms and spring onions on top. This was egg and bacon but with a major twist. When the dish hit the table, the aroma of bacon filled the air. The soup was beautifully clear and flavoursome. It had a prominent bacon flavour and was absolutely delightful. The texture of the egg was delicate and melted in your mouth and the yolk leaked out onto the noodles and soup. The bacon pieces were big and thick and the mushrooms were thinly sliced and then it was topped with spring onions, which added a freshness to this warm comforting dish. It balanced out perfectly and was a really satisfying meal.
The squid ink fettucini looked fantastic. Black coloured pasta always has a wow factor. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the calamari was shaved so thinly. The watermelon was stained and flavoured by the beetroot pickle and took on a vibrant magenta colour. And the goats cheese looked just like a campfire-roasted marshmallow, toasted on the top. It was a really fun meal and had a great balance of flavours.
When we saw this item on the menu we had to try it because it just sounded so unusual. Salt and pepper french toast, fried duck egg, maple, chorizo, smoked oreo crumbs, duck egg & salted caramel ice-cream. WTF? You wouldn’t think these flavours go together but they really do. It was an interesting experience. It was smooth and crunchy and warm and cold and sweet and salty and fresh. It was sensational. There was a circular piece of salt & pepper french toast with a fried duck egg on top. Then there was a bed of chorizo and smoked oreo crumb (sweet, salty and smokey) with a scoop of duck and salted caramel ice- cream (sweet, salty and cold). Then there was some fresh micro herbs and some mint, which lifted the flavour. There were so many different textures and flavours that worked in harmony. It was so strange and absolutely delicious.
The food served at Hammer and Tong 412 is out of this world delicious. Everything I have tried has been a pleasure to look at and an even bigger pleasure to eat. The menu is inventive and meticulous in a down to earth environment. With their quirky menu and exceptionally executed meals, you are sure to leave this place feeling satisfied.
I heart Hammer and Tong 412!
Olives x
Hammer and Tong 412
Address: 412 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Website: http://hammerandtong.com.au
Phone: 03 9041 6033
Trading Hours: Sun-Mon: 7am-4pm, Tues-Sat: 7am to late
