Kingston Foreshore might not be well known for its cheap eats, but it’s possible to find lunch for less than $15 – if you know where to look.
I bought my first apartment six months ago. The good thing is that it’s only a few minutes’ walk from Kingston Foreshore. The bad news is that I’d prefer to smash my mortgage repayments than spend money on expensive meals.
While there are plenty of higher end restaurants on the Foreshore, I’ve spent the past few months compiling a list of less expensive haunts. Brodburger and Paleo Perfection Espresso Bar both make the cut, as does Local Press – but only if it’s the weekend after pay day.
After lunch this Monday, 38 Espresso also makes the list. I usually only visit for coffee, but I’d been curious to try the food since discovering that its lunch options are also available to takeaway (thank you, Instagram).
The blackboard menu is small, but the dishes are reasonably priced and the serving sizes always look generous. Most of the lunch items are variations of things on toast, like avocado on rye ($7), bacon toasties ($10) and garlic butter mushroom melts ($10).
I ordered the mixed plate (poached egg, avocado, bacon, capsicum, tomato, rocket and caramelised onions, $13) and an espresso. The man at the counter let me know that the mixed plate would take a couple of minutes to prepare and asked if I was happy to stick with my choice, which I appreciated.
It was sunny enough to sit outside to wait, and early enough in the day that the winds hadn’t picked up. When my espresso arrived a few moments later, complete with a fat medjool date on the side, I was feeling pretty good for a Monday afternoon.
The mixed plate came out soon afterwards. The egg yolk was soft, the vegetables plentiful and the caramelised onion sticky. I’d spent the weekend eating mostly cake and drinking mostly wine, so it was a welcome change to eat food with actual vitamins and minerals.
I like that 38 Espresso offers a couple of hearty and cheap lunch options that aren’t bread- or pasta-based. I love carbs as much as the next person, but I don’t love that they make me drowsy and grumpy a couple of hours later. It’s definitely one to keep in mind if you have a similar mindset.
What: 38 Espresso
Where: 4/2 Trevillian Quay Kingston Foreshore
Opening hours: 7am to 3pm (Monday – Saturday), 8am to 3pm (Sunday)
Website: https://www.facebook.com/38espresso
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