Located in the heart of Chapel Street in South Yarra stands a cafe called Amba. They’re the new kids on the block and have only been around for a few months.Another cafe you say, but if you need to get away from all the hustle and bustle, just take a step inside Amba.
When you step into Amba, you’re transported to a tranquil cafe where you can’t’ even hear the cars drive past out in front. The interior is very simple but very beautifully designed, very minimal – so very charming.
Mr D got a latte because, well, we were at a cafe and boy did he enjoy the coffee. Very smooth, not too bitter and he was LOVING it!
We were super duper hungry so I opted for the penne garlic chicken with onion, tomatoes, spinach in a white chive creamy sauce and parmesan cheese. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the penne was al dente. I found that the dish wasn’t salty enough even after mixing the cheese through and needed to season it more with salt. Other then that, I quite enjoyed the dish and found the portions to be more on the generous side.
Penne Garlic Chicken – $15.50
Mr D went for fortnightly special and got the Fisherman’s risotto which consists of tiger prawns, grilled salmon, broccoli, tomatoes and garlic chili in red pepper sauce. Mr D found it to be a tad under seasoned as well and needed to top up with the salt. Everything else on the dish was cooked perfectly, from the salmon all the way to the risotto. Oh, when the dish says it had chili in it, trust me, it’s a real kicker and even Mr D had to choke down some water.
Fisherman’s risotto – $23
Finally, dessert was up and I decided to get the new york cheesecake because I ADORE cheesecakes! This cheesecake was pretty average and wasn’t as soft and smooth. It had more of a flaky texture. The flavour was quite intense nonetheless.
New York Cheesecake
Mr D got the chocolate mousse which was super duper rich and a tad on the sweeter side. If you LOVE chocolate, this is the dessert for you. Inside had a mixture of dark and white chocolate and very fluffy on the inside.
Chocolate Mousse
Finally, we had the iced drip coffee from Columbia which had a hint of chocolate and orange to it. This was AWESOME SAUCE. It was refreshing and the coffee flavour wasn’t too intense for me and I finished it without a hitch.
Ice Drip Coffee – $5 (60mL)
Amba Cafe is a lovely hidden gem that gives you serenity with excellent food at affordable prices. Staff are so warm and friendly and the service was awesome. Lots of choices on the menu and will definitely be the new hip and happening spot for brunch.
Disclaimer: I was invited to dine by Amba cafe and all opinions expressed are my own.
497 Chapel Street, South Yarra, VIC 3141
Tel: (03) 6122 0328
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