Having an egggasm at Moore and Moore, Fremantle

First there was #foodporn in the world of hashtags...

Like any other social media checking, photo sharing, double tapping, #hashtagloving addict, Instagram is my go-to inspiration for looking up food to lust after and for new restaurants to put on my wishlist that's currently suffering from exponential growth. On many more than one occasion, a picture of a perfectly poached egg surrounded by other tastefully arranged food and drizzled with a decadent, gleaming sauce of some kind will prop up on the app, and clicking through to the location of where such magic can be ordered usually traces back to some chilled-out, hippy café in the sun-kissed, café capital suburb of Fremantle.

Moore & Moore

This laid-back town is a heaven of places to eat, drink and discover where the sun always seems to be out to play. Moore & Moore is one of an endless list of cafés in the area with a personality that feels right at home with Fremantle's. If Fremantle were a person, it would be a stylish, chillaxed hipster dude with a cool cat character - and Moore & Moore would be its equally as cool, more youthful brother.

The place is littered with mismatched, recycled furniture, complete with an old-school boxy fridge that took me more than a few seconds to figure out how to open to get some chilled water. Some of our chairs look tired and ragged and would look distasteful anywhere else, but fit right in with the old, rugged (not ragged - yep, a huge difference there), antique feel of this heritage-listed building. As I sit down on my torn chair with a perfectly irregular bumpy surface, my friend immediately messaged his sister (lover of all things hippy) to recommend Moore & Moore. This place got swag.

Interesting light fixtures, lanterns and people hanging everywhere!

Walking through the hallway of this vintage multi-purpose warehouse has a grungy feel to it; it's almost cavern-like except it is flooded with natural sunlight. Look around and swivel your head - there's loads of eccentric décor strewn across the exposed brick walls and ceiling and plenty of weird and wonderful things to look at.

Best Christmas tree I've seen, Moore & Moore's front counter and open kitchen (check out their blackboard for special dishes and drinks not on the menu)

Regardless of whether I am five or twenty five years old, this cute Christmas tree creatively put together with teddy bears would thrill me in the same way. It's not a surprise then to hear that Moore & Moore is kid-friendly and have a kids corner in the café with toys. The one thing that truly made me smile however, was the staff member who came to take our orders, clear the table, and attend to every other customer, all done effortlessly with a baby straddled on her back.

Short Macchiato - $3.80

After cleaning our cups for water (which were admittedly a little dirty), all the drinks arrived shortly after ordering and the food not long after that. The waiting time is kept down to a minimum here.

Iced Chocolate & Iced Mocha - $5.50

I had a sip of the iced chocolate, and contemplated ordering my own when its creaminess hit me. All of Moore & Moore's cold drinks are made using their homemade syrup and don't taste artificially sweet.

Smoked salmon and poached eggs on turkish toast - $19.50

I was pretty envious as I slid Yvonne's plate of smoked salmon down to her end of the table, because it looked like a true stunner. It was a sturdy construction of flaky salmon pieces and two poached eggs, broccolini, asparagus, lemon fetta cheese and crowned by a slow roasted tomato, all atop a slice of turkish toast as the strong foundation. There was an inconsistency with the salmon however, with a second plate of the same dish using smoked salmon while this dish seemed to use grilled salmon instead. Wouldn't be a worry for me, salmon is good in any shape or form!

Tuscan Style Sambo - $17

DJ ordered a dish from their lunch menu, which starts from 11:30am. The breakfast menu thankfully runs until 2:30pm and is good news for any late-riser (Because really, getting up early only seemed like a great idea when you were starving at midnight the night before). The monster of a sandwich was a falling jenga tower of a spiced organic beef patty amongst a party of grilled pumpkin slices, cheddar, caramelised onions, homemade hummus, fresh greens and tomato salsa. A colourful medley of vegetables accompanies the light and fluffy couscous that complements the already massive sandwich. And that there, is a decent sized lunch!

There is also a vegan option for this dish, featuring a no beef burger, avocado and cashews.

Little Pot of Moore - $16.50

I originally had my eyes and heart set on this 'Little Pot of Moore' but upon requesting it to be made without parmesan, I was told this wasn't possible as it was already an ingredient in the mixture. In hindsight I'm just a little glad this happened, because the serving looks a little insubstantial for a big girl like I!

The 'Little Pot of Moore' is a Tuscan style breakfast that stays true to its name - it is indeed served in a little (bordering tiny) rustic pot covered with a lid. Upon lifting reveals a baked combination of roasted capsicum, garlic, tomato, herbs and pesto under a blanket of parmesan, thyme and a cracked egg. I watched my friends dip and dunk their turkish toast with glee, but think they would be more satisfied with a 'Big Pot of Moore' instead!

Burnt butter, sage and roast pumpkin mash - $16.50

Upon being told my parmesan-less breakfast was not possible, I quickly scanned the menu at the counter for key words that caught my eye first. To put it in over-exaggerated terms, I think this was a blessing in disguise because, I frickin' loved this! This dish of burnt butter, sage and roast pumpkin mash was my rebound choice, but this goes to show rebounds aren't always the bad choice eh?

I know delicious is overrated and is completely meaningless to use, but I can't think of a better, more eloquent way to describe my ecstasy with this dish. The pumpkin mash is gorgeously moist, creamy and has that distinct, indulgent buttery taste throughout. I didn't care for the sprigs of rocket or 'tomato relish' on top (which were essentially just pieces of sundried tomatoes) because the show was taken over by that damn good mash.

Is this is egggasm or what?

The two eggs were poached perfectly; when pierced ever so lightly released a brilliant gush of yolk that screamed at me to snap a picture. First there was #foodporn in the world of hashtags, then Liz from Breakfast Confidential introduced me to #yolkporn but in my humble opinion this could surpass the ranks of both phenomena. In the face of obscenity I would definitely coin this an #egggasm. A good ooze to start the new year is a great sign of perfectly poached eggs to come.

The big inviting entrance that leads to a big courtyard at the back of the cafe

This old warehouse set-up of Moore & Moore means the place is very spacious with ample seating. The courtyard is great for relaxing with its big, shady umbrellas and communal tables while interior has been through a long period of restoration from its former days and has a great ambiance to it with its rough walls, cracked cement floors and wooden ceilings.

Indoor seating

The other face of Moore & Moore is a contemporary art gallery and exhibition space that features local designers and artists' work as it shares in the same premises of the historic heritage-listed Moores Building, and helps to promote the local art community. The cafe promises homely fresh food that leaves you full and happy - and full and happy I was. I'm already hoping to return soon and for some positive self-reinforcement, I'd love me Moore and Moore every day.

Moore & Moore, Fremantle

Moore & Moore
Open everyday from 7am - 4pm
Serves all day breakfast: Kitchen closes 2:30pm, display cabinet food available until 4pm

Tel: (08)9335 8825
The Moores Building
46 Henry Street Fremantle WA 6160