Perth Voice Interactive

WHAT a little marvel Garden Cafe on Guildford turned out to be.

It was pure pot luck stumbling across this Maylands newbie, as I was on the non-glam stretch of Guildford Road and in need of lunch between photo shoots. The frontage was a touch unprepossessing (it used to be the hydroponics shop) but the sign promised homestyle food.

I was quite taken aback stepping inside; it was cool. Melbourne cool!

The decor’s simple, bright, and soothing to the eyes after zipping up and down Guildford Road. Bench seats line the walls, with thin tables allowing more people in without anyone rubbing noses. My only gripe was my table was a little wobbly and not adjustable.

The welcome was also notably friendly. At first I thought it might be because I was the only customer and they were desperately happy to see anyone in these grim budget times, but it soon became apparent they’re genuinely warm people with a passion for what they do.

Garden Cafe’s owned by Merrellyn O’Callaghan, who spent a miserable year wrapping toasties for tradies in Morley while dreaming of a funky cafe. When the old hydro shop came up, she jumped at the chance. A keen gardener, it’s got a covered outdoor area she’s in the throes of transforming it from a Gaza strip horror into a green oasis. She reckons it’ll be ready in a month or two.

The menu’s not extensive, and heavily weighted towards brunchers, but there’s a good selection of bagels and rolls at the counter ready for taking away.

I went for the angus beef burger and fries ($16.50) and realised that someone in that kitchen really knows their stuff.

The pattie was perfectly juicy and richly flavoured, I can’t even recall biting into the bacon it was so tender, and the shoe string fries were hot, crisp and beautifully salty.

Lifting it all was an oh-so-sweet onion jam that was something special.

Intrigued, I did a little digging and discovered the secret was the divine Connie, out the back whipping fresh seasonal produce into all sorts of delicious food.

And that’s where we get to the baked treats.

It’s citrus season and she’s just produced a batch of lemon curd that’s been baked into the most divine lemon and almond cupcake I’ve ever tasted. The top was thick and crispy and the centre light and fluffy, and every bite with that sweet/sour curd just made my mouth water.

Connie bakes all the cakes, cupcakes and muffins (there’s also gorgeous-looking savouries) in-house and I bet it won’t be long before her fame spreads.

With a couple of mugs of coffee under my now-stretching belt, I walked out $30 lighter, which given the quality of what I’d just eaten, was great value.

by STEVE GRANT

Garden Cafe on Guildford
317 Guildford Rd, Maylands
7am – 3pm, Tues – Sat