Hammer & Tong has been on my list for months and months. Enough time had elapsed such that I couldn't quite remember why, but after coincidentally walking past the Soviet-looking logo off Brunswick Street, I ended up going the next morning. Funnily enough for a Sunday mid-morning I expected queues but was met with several empty tables including the window bench with people watching ability.
After looking at the menu I remembered why - breakfast ramen. I admit the thought of it months ago initially seemed a little odd, but one couldn't come here and not try the most interesting dish of all.
- Golden Gaytime milkshake $6.5 - considering the Gaytime (and probably Bubble O Bill) are my favourite childhood icecreams, how could I resist this milkshake? It certainly had the flavour and some crumb texture, but it lacked the thick texture of the classic. I suppose it was simply a thin milkshake as advertised whereas I'd have preferred a thickshake that used icecream;
- Breakfast ramen (62c hens egg, bacon, mushrooms, spring onion w bacon dashi) $19.5 - nicely cooked ramen in a ham hock broth (but nowhere near the smoked intense David Chang Momofuku version I didn't like) with some good quality ingredients. Overall very nice and different to a standard cafe breakfast;
- Duck egg & candied bacon waffle (sriracha caramel icecream, toffee popcorn, maple & seeded mustard syrup) $21 - Sriracha icecream? It tasted like it sounds with a hint of spicy and a slightly odd taste. It was a quite sweet breakfast which generally isn't my thing, but I can appreciate the concept.
There's so many things I'd like to try here. Ox cheek benedict, krispy fried chicken sandwich, lamb ribs, soft shell crab burger, briostie - or just go for the breakfast ramen again.