Like many establishments in Melbourne, New York Tomato is tricky to locate. Buried deep in Richmond’s back streets, it’s at the bottom of an apartment block on the corner of New Street and York Street (hence the name).
Locals flock to NYT for the all-day breakfast menu, chilled staff and relaxed, Sunday vibe.
The space is divided into three parts: a sunny courtyard out front filled with potted succulents, the ground level next to the busy kitchen, and an airy upstairs mezzanine.
An interesting brunch menu is peppered with the likes of labna, preserved lemon and harissa. Try the toasted pumpkin pide – sweet Japanese pumpkin is a perfect match for the more robust flavours of fetta, peppery rocket and pistachio pesto. It’s not man-sized, but it’s fresh and the ingredients co-exist harmoniously.
The scrambled eggs special is a bit of a hodge-podge meal. Two triangles of generously buttered Turkish bread – they’re not shy with the butter here – are topped with creamy eggs, smoked salmon, fetta, green olives, grilled capsicums and coriander sprigs. It’s like rush hour on your plate and would benefit from fewer ingredients. Better to go the baked eggs in rich tomato sauce.
A selection of small cakes on display includes muffins, Portuguese tarts and even pumpkin pie. New York Tomato is the perfect place for a little R&R before the working week. Lock it in. Kelly Eng