There was never a dearth of choice for brekky options in Collingwood, but now the choice is even tougher. Proud Sprout, located on Smith Street, blends Australian breakfast and lunch classics with a Nepalese and Sri Lankan twist.
Owners and operators Karishma and Waseem (who also run Little Temper in Hawthorn) grew up in Nepal and Sri Lanka before migrating to Australia a decade ago. Karishma handles the kitchen while Waseem, an architect by trade, handled the fitout.
Karishma's menu combines the best of both of their lived experiences. Expect the expected with a bit of a twist — dishes like eggs benny made with smoked trout, sweet potato rosti and avocado hollandaise. Or a French toast rendered truly indulgent with custard crème, strawberries, pistachio crumb and maple. Or the special, the Rikshawwala, a dish of spiced cauliflower, potato, fried eggs and roti paratha.
Like a good Melbourne cafe, they're sourcing their coffee exclusively from Padre and the drink menu features a broad range of caf and de-caf options (think smoothies, juices, and chais as well as turmeric and matcha lattes).
They also do a mean lunch salad and specialise in takeaway build-your-own lunch boxes (no more sad sandies from Coles for the Smith Street lunch crowd).