Milk and Honey

Milk and Honey recently opened in Northbridge, looking fabulous with a great decor and design, adding a vibrancy to an already old-looking James Street. But how was the food and coffee? I went there to find out.

Entrance to Milk and Honey

Milk and Honey Logo on the window

Something inside me was screaming for the poached eggs on toast, but given that it was already 12:00pm, I opted for the Salmon special – Crispy Skinned Salmon on a Creamy Leek Mash finished with Saffron and Lemon Aioli ($17.90). I also ordered my regular – a cappuccino ($3.50). I was given a table number, and told to grab some cutlery, napkins, sugar, water, and plonk myself down anywhere where I saw fit. I thought to myself, “Cool, great service. I’m loving this already….hmmm”.

While I waited for my meal, I took time to observe the space. I could see it was a very large cafe – probably meant to cater for the Northbridge early-morning hangover crowd. There were a lot of tables and seats too. As people walked by, they were intrigued by the outside of the cafe, but were afraid to go in – there weren’t that many people. Perhaps it takes time when you are just starting out.

Back of the cafe

Front of the cafe

My cappuccino was served first, which had a nice foam on the top. There was a little bit too much chocolate on top. The liquid was watery and piping hot and I had to wait a couple of minutes for it to cool down.

Cappuccino top-down shot

Cappuccino side shot

When the salmon dish arrived, my eyes lit up with glee. A large piece of fish slathered atop warm grilled zucchini, and then perched upon a mound of mash, with aioli drizzled all around the outer edges. A roast tomato lay next to the mash, and looked lonely like a little puppy in an alleyway. So I ate him first. The salmon fillet had a nice crispy seasoned skin which crackled in my mouth. It was great. But that’s all I can say about the salmon. It was cooked unevenly throughout, with some parts raw, and other parts overcooked. I just couldn’t eat it. The mash on the other hand was very leeky, and you could taste the large chunks of potato. It didn’t have a puree texture, nor was it too chunky. The consistency was just right. The only problem was the amount of aioli drizzled over the top – it was like eating a sponge of oil. The tomato was roasted nicely, but the zucchini was the highlight of the dish. The outer skin had a crunchy texture whilst the flesh was buttery and sweet.

Crispy Skinned Salmon on a Creamy Leek Mash finished with Saffron and Lemon Aioli

Top down shot of the Salmon Special

The Salmon

Zucchini

Raw and overcooked salmon

I had high expectations coming to this cafe but was overly disappointed in the end. The food was average, the coffee was mediocre, and the cafe did not show any love for its customers. The area space in Milk and Honey (in my opinion) was too big. It didn’t feel homely – there just wasn’t enough funk to the music if you know what I mean. However, I would say that Milk and Honey adds a bit more flair to the old Northbridge look on James Street.

Milk and Honey
82 James Street, Northbridge
Tel: +61 8 9227 0500

Opening Hours:
Breakfast/Lunch:
Monday – Friday: 7:00am – 5:00pm
Dinner:
Saturday: 5:00pm – late

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