Cacao Green, CBD

Cacao Green's newly opened Bourke Street store

Last Sunday, I attended a food tasting session with a few fellow bloggers at the new Cacao Green store on Bourke Street. They were introducing a whole set of menu items to their outlets, beginning with this store, and we were basically invited to try and give our honest opinion on each of them. Even though most of these were breakfast items, they are sold throughout the day (and night).

I was happy to go because I thought it'd be a good opportunity to FINALLY pay Cacao Green a visit and try their Fro-Yo after hearing about it from so many people. Seriously, the Swanston Street store has been open for so long and yet, I was probably one of the last few people who still hasn't been. Sad...

And I must say, I really like the interior of this new store. We were indoors but it has quite a "garden feel" to it with the little potted plants/flowers, wooden accents and ample natural lighting. I felt quite comfortable being in the store. Plenty of seats too.

Parfaits:

Mixed Berry; Tropical Parfaits -- $6.90

First, I thought it was quite interesting how the crumble tasted like blended granola (with hints of oats and seeds) which gave it a natural crunch. Compote (that was made themselves) wasn't too sweet and the froyo itself was pretty good. It was light, smooth and acted as a good vessel to all the other ingredients in the parfait.

Ahhh... Was glad I finally tried their froyo for myself and it was thankfully delightful =)

Organic Yogurts:

L - R (from top): Fruit 'n Crunch; Apple 'n Passionfruit; Orange 'n Honey Yogurt -- $6.00

It was good to know that they only used 100% Organic Yogurt here in the store. I think out of the 3, my favourite would have to be the Orange 'n Honey. I just liked the combo of tartness of the fruit against the sprinkled cinnamon. The others were a bit simple and straightforward.

Bircher Muesli:

Mixed Berry; Tropical Bircher Muesli -- $8.00

Now, the birchers... I LOVED. First, I liked how they used finely rolled oats which made it easier to be soaked and eaten. Also, the flavours were much more exciting because they were soaked in orange (and a bit of lemon) juice instead of milk, apple juice or what not. Interesting... Enjoyed the Tropical more because it had dried fruits and organic chia seeds too. The whole bowl just felt so healthy, mmm...

Honey Bread:

Honey Bread with Mixed Berries -- $8.00

Well... I thought this was just okay. Was the same compote as earlier, which I liked and the almonds were toasted really well. But, it was just a bit thick so it was still chewy in the middle. And so the sides weren't toasted enough for my liking too.

The toast was also drizzled in agave syrup, which they seem to use in quite a few of their other items as well. Good because this means that Diabetic people wouldn't have to worry about cane syrup or any other harmful sweeteners. We had a small spoonful of this to taste too, lol...

Gourmet Waffles:

Blueberry Almond Waffle -- $9.00

Hmmm... Personally, I've never really preferred waffles with fruits in general. Still like to have them with peanut butter, chocolate, Nutella or something along those lines. The waffles itself could have been a tad sweeter but overall, it was alright.

Quinoa Pudding:

Warm Quinoa Pudding with Strawberries -- $7.50

First, I'm glad that they're getting with the program and have quinoa in their menu too. I mean, Quinoa really is everywhere these days (not that I'm complaining). I like the stuff and it's such a versatile ingredient too. But what I loved most about this is that it's made with coconut milk and palm sugar, aka "Gula Melaka"! Blame my Asian palette and upbringing. Still, this was delicious and I enjoyed it a lot also because it was warm and comforting.

The final shot of the "crime scene". So, so much food!

Another thing I noticed was that the owner really knew the facts of his products and ingredients inside and out. He knew exactly what he wanted in each dish and why, which is always reassuring to customers. Also, I particularly enjoyed listening to his ideas and inspirations behind each dish.

By the end of it, we felt SO stuffed to the brim but was glad to be able to sample all of the new items at Cacao Green. Though, we felt quite bad because we barely finished half of it even though we tried, sorry! We really were just being served and eating non-stop which was fun haha...

I think Cacao Green's new expansion towards a health-centric and breakfast driven crowd is a good direction for the brand. At this point, I think most customers still go for Froyo-to-go but there were quite a few things that I particularly liked (namely the Bircher and Quinoa). That said, this is definitely a place I'd return more often from now on. Also makes for a great place for healthy dessert option, which is not something you get every day ;)

Finally, just want to thank Josh and Jesse again from Cacao Green for attending to us the whole time and being such wonderful hosts. Had a great afternoon chatting with you both and wish you all the best with the launch of this new menu and store!

So tell me, what do YOU normally like to get when you're at Cacao Green? =)

Disclaimer: Winston attended the Cacao Green Tasting as a Guest. All opinions are honest and based on own personal experience at the time.