MELBOURNE | Former Rockpool chef Ronnel “Ron” Pineda and his sister Jennalyn “Jenny” Verzosa launched their catering business, Kusinero’s Catering Company, in 2022. Within a year, it grew from a food truck popping up at parties for family and friends to a commercial kitchen in Tullamarine catering to a wider range of clients. While appreciative of Kusinero’s success, it wasn’t fulfilling the desire Ron had when leaving Rockpool: to get creative with his Filipino heritage. Enter Eli Cafe, which Jenny recently invited me to check out.
Much of the former butcher shop’s original interior has been repurposed, to the joy of the retired butcher and his family, who now count themselves as Eli Cafe regulars. It’s a small, white-tiled space with a prep counter, coffee station, pastry display cabinet, and around 20 seats. Out back is the main kitchen for both Eli Cafe and Kusinero’s.
The food at Eli Cafe is a tribute to Ron and Jenny’s grandmother and mother. It’s influenced by family recipes, their Pampanga upbringing, and time spent in the Ilocos Region of the Philippines. Ron and Jenny have always loved food, having previously run their own carinderia (local eatery) in both Pampanga and Ilocos. Ron also draws on his experience at Rockpool, alongside inspiration from fellow chefs in Melbourne’s Filipino diaspora who present traditional flavours in new ways.
Ron makes as much as possible from scratch, sourcing quality produce from suppliers he’s built relationships with over the years. The sandwich menu features items like soft, fluffy Pan De Juan pandesal stuffed with crisp lechon, pickled jalapenos, and tamarind sauce; rich and tender short rib caldereta served atop soft flatbread with pickled veg; and toasties with assorted fillings. The pandesal stuffed with juicy chicken adobo, a thick hash brown, and American cheese is particularly moreish.
Beyond sandwiches, you’ll find a rotating selection of Filipino classics: dishes like pork sisig, beef pares, and chicken inasal rice bowls. The latter is served with Ron and Jenny’s grandmother’s eggplant atchara (pickles) instead of the usual papaya atchara.
For dessert, there are treats like leche flan, ube toast, pastries, and cookies. Many sweets feature Ron’s house-made ube halaya. The ube toast is wonderfully caramelised, served with a generous dose of house-made ube halaya, young coconut, coconut ice cream, and cookie crumbs.
To drink, it’s quality espresso and filter coffee by Five Senses, plus nicely balanced creations like the ube latte, iced earl grey dulce de leche, and calamansi montblanc.
Eli Cafe
73 Moreland Road
Coburg
Victoria 3058
Australia
Telephone: 0416 966 642
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Fri: 7:00am to 3:00pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 2:00pm