MELBOURNE | Halaya opened late last year, an evolution of Elbert Estampador and Laurice Fajardo’s previous venue on the same site, CEREE. The change in focus resulted from Elbert and Laurice pausing to think about what they truly wanted to achieve with the space, and by looking at what customers were responding to and what regulars were asking for.
The name Halaya, comes from ube halaya, the ubiquitous Filipino purple yam dessert. House-made ube halaya is used in most of Halaya’s treats. You’ll find it in cinnamon scrolls, Swiss rolls, and sponge cakes, and in almost all of the sweet menu options.
There’s shokupan French toast, filled with baked peaches, silky ube crème anglaise, topped with caramelised brûlée; ube buttermilk pancakes topped with ube halaya, seasonal fruits, and maple whipped cream; and ube champorado – glutinous rice and ube porridge with coconut clusters, strawberry compote, and toasted milk powder.
The savoury menu while still rooted in traditional, is more playful than before. There’s still traditional Filipino dishes on the menu, but now there’s a wider selection of dishes that fuse Filipino flavours and ingredients with Western-style “Melbourne” brunch dishes. It’s a way for Elbert and Laurice to introduce Filipino flavours to those who might not be familiar with the cuisine.
If you’re a fan of eggs bennedict, you have to try the Halaya version. Toasted pandesal is topped with a house made longanisa patty, banana ketchup glaze, poached eggs, and hollandaise. It’s brilliant. Feel like a sandwich? Get the Brisket Bistek Melt. It’s a toasted sourdough sandwich of tender bistek-inspired beef brisket, calamansi soy glaze, onions, cheese, roasted garlic mayo, and pickles. If it’s fried chicken you’re after, Halaya takes the flavours of the classic pork dish, Bicol express, and turns it into a bowl of garlic rice topped with crispy buttermilk fried chicken, and lashings of coconut cream, shrimp paste sauce, and green chilli salsa.
To drink, it’s top quality coffee, along with signature lattes like strawberry matcha, ube cloud, and turon iced-coffee. There’s also tea and cold-pressed juice, and a new liquor license that allows for a small wine selection, plus popular Filipino beers, and beer from Manila-based craft brewery, Engkanto.
Halaya
285 Spring Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9329 8000
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Mon – Fri: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 4:00pm