Joe's Cafe (Yehud Israel) 07/2018

This is another franchise which we ate at several times in the Canyon Mall. 
The mall is particularly pleasant with very good quality shops. It has an open clean feeling, not too crowded and not too noisy although there are always children running about. Joe's is very popular and we sometimes had a short wait to get a table. They seem to have an endless number of young, attractive wait staff with cute aprons

.

It's light and airy 

and quite decorative.

Food is typical Israeli café style with dips,

pizzas omlettes, salads

and cakes

Score: 13.5/20

Hobba (Prahran, Melbourne) 11/2017

To the best of my knowledge there are lots of hoggas but only one Hobba, named apparently after the owners father.
Names aside this is a hugely popular no nonsense cafe. 

Formerly a tile factory it is simply outfitted, practical, largely unadorned space  in a large high ceilinged area,

.with a bit of 'philosophy' on one wall.

Service was slow perhaps because they were so busy.
One of their specialties, sous vide eggs Benedic on a bed of pulled pork was almost cold by the time it got to the table. 

Sixty two degrees is a bit too low a temperature for many people and I much prefer one hour at 68 degrees. The whites of these were just too soft. Pulled pork gets stucki n ones teeth too and I didn't like that either.

Bircher muesli on a bed of yoghurt was a dull dish although it looked quite nice.
There is a buzz about the place, most of their customers seemed to be in their early 20's, but it has little to offer older patrons who may not wish to be surrounded by noise.

Score: 13.25/20

Secret Buddha Cafe (Burnie NW Tasmania) 08/2017

Perhaps this name means something to someone, certainly I’m not that person.

It’s a small cafe at the entrance to a nursery,

a bit out of the way for a cup of coffee or a a lunch but well attended doubtless because of the nursery.

It occupies a hexagonal shaped room with a central pole supporting the ceiling. I don’t know the architectural term for this shape structure.

Bits of it have been cut across to give room for a ‘boys’ and girls room,

for a fireplace 

and a larger part has been isolated for the kitchen and serving area.

Menus are on blackboards but there is table service.

The furnishing is eclectic auction room or roadside discard style. 

There’s a rack of odd magazines and a local newspaper. Comfortable and unpretentious. I liked it equally as much my waiter’s old and well worn tartan trousers (he didn’t know what clan they represented)

They make there dishes in house but virtually everything is ready to heat, or toast and serve.

I started with the pate.

A good size serve with fetta cheese, cornichons and leaves and plenty of warm toasted baton.

It was straight out of the refrigerator - too cold to be experienced at its best. It was quite lightly seasoned with pleasant taste. The cap of duck fat was easy to remove if desired.

I went on to the sea food chowder. They offered me a half serve.if I wished. I took them up on that so as to try something else.

Stuffed with prawns, mussels, strips of calamari and some salmon in a thick sauce this was very nice but again under seasoned.

for a finale I  had a toasted Panini with mushroom, garlic, lettuce and fetta.

It was as promised with a little red cabbage and bean shoot salad. 

They have an excellent fetta that made the panning a pleasure to eat. The garlic was very good too, just there but not unbalanced.

They served me a good large cup of coffee with a palate cleansing small glass of soda 

but I skipped the cakes and cookies.

It cost me $43 for a very decent lunch.

A beaut little cafe for lunch or a snack.

Score: 13.5/20