DELICIOUS Fingers always struck me as an odd name for a cafe.
It sounds like somewhere Hannibal Lecter might go for lunch.
But don’t let the name put you off, this eatery is somewhat of a hidden gem in Melville.
Located on Marmion Street, it’s part of a nice strips of shops that include Marmion Fresh, Liquor Barons, and the local fish and chip shop.
It’s also next door to the popular Blend restaurant, but they seem to co-exist nicely and are not cutting into each other’s customer base.
Delicious Fingers is ostensibly a cafe and shuts at 4pm or 5pm, but the menu is pretty extensive and includes all-day breakfast dishes, burgers and wraps, salads, kids fare, and a wide range of cakes and sundries.
I thought the menu was spot on and there was an interesting range of dishes like Mexican Fritters, spicy scrambled eggs, panfried sumac lamb salad, and Thai beef burger.
They also do weekday specials like a toastie and a mug of coffee for $14.50.
It wasn’t just your rote cafe fare and some thought and invention had gone into the menu.
On a sunny but cold Tuesday lunchtime, the place was super busy with a mix of retirees, couples, and people streaming in and out for takeaway coffee and snacks.
Despite the busyness, the staff were super efficient and it wasn’t long before I was tucking into my Mushroom Magic ($23.50) from the all-day breakfast menu.
At first I thought there wasn’t many mushies on the plate, but they were hidden beneath a mound of rocket and a smattering of chips.
The sautéed mushrooms had a lovely soft texture and a nice meaty punch.
Every so often you would get a little creamy hit from the halloumi and it tasted delicious.
Adding to the concoction of flavours was a nice wedge of avocado and a tomato, which could have done with a little longer under the grill.
The thick slice of sourdough bread was filling and added a nice carb hit to the meal.
Rounding things off was a nice fried egg with a slightly runny yoke.
My only gripe – there was a few seeded chillies in there and I got a spicy surprise during one mouthful. This should be listed on the menu.
That aside, it was a delicious dish and very enjoyable.
I washed it down with a freshly squeezed Morning Detox ($10).
The drink had a lovely dusky orange colour, like some Broome sunset, and I couldn’t wait to try it.
It had a refreshing medley of carrot, beetroot, celery, apple and lemon. Plus a little spicy reprise from the ginger. Another hit.
The display cabinet had a lovely assortment of cakes, but I decided to take some wraps home for the clan.
The wraps were ginormous and had a huge girth. They were more like the bulging burritos you get at eateries like Zambrero.
We got pulled pork, beef and tandoori chicken (all $14.50).
I was impressed with the amount of meat in the wraps – a lot of places bulk them out with salad and veg – and they were all delicious.
The highlight was probably the pulled pork, which had great depth of flavour and super tender meat.
A close second was the tandoori chicken, which included soft red peppers and wilted spinach.
They were all high quality and super filling.
I was really impressed with Delicious Fingers – the service, menu and food were great.
Even Clarice Starling would have approved.
Delicious Fingers
350 Marmion Street, Melville
deliciousfingers.com.au
by STEPHEN POLLOCK