Review: The Wooden Elk, South Melbourne

Yesterday I went past a cafe that had opened recently on Park St in South Melbourne. What caught my eye was the advertising on the window for Paleo pizza. It took a while, but I eventually found it via Google, as they had no signwriting on the outside at all.

So, we went to The Wooden Elk for a Valentine's Day brunch this morning!

First thoughts- small inside. Only 4 or 5 tables inside, but a big bar wrapped around the back, perfect for evenings when they sell tapas and pizza. The decor was neat- lots of wood and stone. Some tables outside, which filled up quickly as the weather turned sunny.

We took a seat, and our menus were delivered to us. The menu looked pretty good, a lot of very popular Paleo options. Pancakes, eggs benedict, rosti, a big breakfast style plate, omelettes, and even Paleo granola- including a fruit free option! They also had a lot of juices, smoothies and even Bulletproof Coffee.

We ordered the pancakes (banana and walnut option; they also had pumpkin and pecan) ($15.50), and eggs benedict on Paleo toast ($16.50), plus an almond milk latte for me ($3.30 plus $1.20 extra for almond milk).

Banana and walnut pancakes, with coconut cream and fresh berries

Almond milk latte

Eggs benedict on Paleo toast

The pancakes were great- nice and fluffy, not too sweet, reminded me a lot of banana cake. The walnuts appeared to be ground, so there were no lumps of nut through out the pancake. It came as a stack of 2 big, fluffy pancakes, with a garnish of fresh berries and cinnamon. There was also some coconut cream, but as the plates were warm, it was melting by the time it was on the table. If anyone from the cafe reads this, maybe put it in a small bowl so it retains the texture.

Eggs benedict was really good. The eggs (free range, of course) were perfectly poached, with bright yellow yolks oozing. The sauce was delicious, and there was also a butter (maybe have been olive oil?) drizzle. The bacon was nice too, though I would personally would have preferred it crispier. The paleo toast was a real hit. It soaked up the egg yolks and sauce nicely. It was a little crumbly, but it was a fairly thick piece, and really filled me up.

I had probably the best almond milk latte ever! The milk was sweet and creamy, totally unlike the usually watery ones I've had previously. 

I would definitely recommend The Wooden Elk for a lazy weekend brunch. They have a good selection of options, even vegetarian ones!

Score: 8.5/10

The Wooden Elk

52 Park Street

South Melbourne, VIC 3025

03 9645 9006

thewoodenelk.com.au

What I Ate - 4-10 August

I tidied up my pantry last week- I found 2 bottles of salad dressing (Ranch and Creamy Caesar) which need to be used this month- so I guess I will be eating a lot of salad!
I also got an order of low carb products from groceryrun.com.au so I have been using them as quick meals.

Monday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Salmon pate with a packet of Fine Fettle Flats
Dinner: Chicken wings with my awesome dry spice rub for chicken wings, bok choy, zucchini and baby broccoli.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, and a pack of Aussie Bodies Low Carb Apple and Raisin cookie bites
Lunch: A small steak with garlic butter. I had intended to make a salad, but I forgot!
Dinner: 2 salmon patties and salad (salad greens, romaine lettuce, smoked cheese and Caesar dressing)

Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Salad with romaine lettuce, mixed salad greens, ham, smoked chicken, avocado, sunflower seeds and creamy Caesar dressing.
Dinner: Roasted lamb shoulder chop with roasted cauliflower

Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, a piece of smoked cheddar
Lunch: Got carried away with a project I was working on, so had a Vanilla Atkins shake and a pack of low carb cookies.
Dinner: 2 salmon burgers with peri-peri mayonnaise, and steamed broccoli and zucchini

Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, smoked cheddar cheese (this is cheese was GOOD, and now it's all gone :( )
Lunch: Salad with chopped romaine lettuce, mixed salad greens, smoked chicken, ham, avocado, sunflower seeds and creamy Caesar dressing.
Dinner:

Saturday
Breakfast: Skipped because I slept in!
Lunch: Bunless burger from Grill'd (I had the Simon Says burger, which had grilled chicken breast, bacon, avocado, and herbed mayo on a nice big bed of salad), and a Pepsi Max
Dinner: I let my husband cook! Hot dogs with mustard and fried onions

Sunday
Breakfast: LC cookies, a vanilla protein shake.
Lunch: 8 chicken wings and garlic kelp salad at a Chinese restaurant
Dinner: Kassler steaks, cabbage with butter. An Atkins Cappuccino Nut Bar (to review for the blog) for dessert

What I Ate - 28 July - 3rd August

Monday:
Breakfast: Leftover pork sausage and coffee with cream
Lunch: 2 hot dogs with mustard, glass of diet cola
Dinner: Bolognaise (made with ground beef, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, garlic, oregano) on zoodles, with fresh mozzarella. Dessert was a Chocolate Cream Pot (dark chocolate and cream melted together, then set in the fridge to make a very rich ganache). After dinner snack: handful of smokehouse almonds, cup of tea with cream, and a can of ham in mayo

Tuesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Half a jar of sauerkraut, 2 kassler steaks (German smoked pork, kind of like very thick cut bacon!)
Dinner: Chicken breast strips with Nando's hot sauce and bok choy. Some dark chocolate and a handful of macadamias for dessert.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, leftover spaghetti squash from Monday's dinner.
Lunch: 2 hot dogs with mustard (last hot dogs for the week!)
Dinner: Roast beef, roasted brussels sprouts, and a couple of roasted yams (NOT SWEET POTATO!). Dessert was whipped cream, half a dozen frozen raspberries and some macadamias smushed together.

Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Leftover roast beef with mustard
Dinner: More leftover roast beef, this time thinly sliced and served with roasted cauliflower.

Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Leftover roast cauliflower, sauerkraut, and 2 kassler steaks.
Dinner: Chicken breast with taco seasoning, cubed zucchini and lots of cheese. No sour cream, since my husband forgot to pick any up after work.

I forgot what I ate in the weekend, but I know it involved pork belly and broccoli for lunch on Saturday, along with a large helping of capsicum from my husbands plate- he hates them and his beef with black bean sauce was full of them! We ordered pizza on Saturday night for dinner, so I ate a LOT of pizza toppings for dinner and lunch on Sunday. We shared a fresh coconut at the Queen Victoria Markets when we picked up some vegetables for the week, and then shared a sugar free Slurpee on the way home, since I had a sore throat and felt like something cooling.

What I Ate - 14 - 20th July

Monday:
Breakfast: 3 hot dogs with mustard, and 2 coffees with cream
Lunch: 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of cheese and a serving of Blue Diamond smokehouse almonds
Dinner: Beef ragu with zoodles, fresh mozzarella torn over the top.

Tuesday: I was soooo hungry today! felt like I had the munchies!
Breakfast: Burger patty with a slice of cheese and a fried egg, coffee with cream
Lunch: 3 devilled eggs, 2 string cheese, coffee with cream, salami, slice of coconut flour brownie.
Dinner: Salmon with mixed herbs, roasted cauliflower, chai tea with cream. 2 Atkins peanut butter cups, strawberry cream cheese with ground almond.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Small can of salmon, mixed with dijon and mayo.
Lunch: Tea with cream, salami and fresh mozzarella sprinkled with oregano and basil, baked in the oven to make a kind of pizza!
Dinner: Baked chicken wings with sesame sriracha and ginger marinade, lots of stirfried bok choy. For dessert, a Quest bar, a handful of peanuts and a sugar free lollipop.

Thursday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 leftover chicken wings
Lunch: Coffee with cream, 2 burger patties with cheese.
Dinner: Massaman beef curry and green beans. Chocolate chia pudding and some peanuts

Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 burgers patties with mustard
Lunch: Chocolate chia pudding, 2 teas with cream, a handful of peanuts.
Dinner: Braised speck with cabbage and butter. Chai tea with cream, some peanuts, hot chia pudding, 2 string cheese and a handful of peanuts.

Saturday
Breakfast: Coffee with almond milk and cream (i only had a drizzle of cream left!), and a handful of macadamias
Lunch: Chinese style chargrilled chicken wings, pork belly and lamb, and a can of diet coke
Dinner: Rotisserie chicken with some mayo, hot chocolate chia pudding for dessert.

Sunday:
Breakfast: A handful of jerky
Lunch: About 1/3 of a Nando's chicken with mild sauce, and a side salad.
Dinner: Leftover rotisserie chicken, and coconut chia pudding for dessert.

What I Ate - 7 -13 July

Monday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Salami, fresh mozzarella, and a chocolate peanut butter Quest bar
Dinner: Chicken thigh ragu, with zoodles, fresh mozzarella and basil leaves

Tuesday:
Breakfast: 4 hot dogs with mustard, coffee with cream
Lunch: Caprese salad (tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper)
Dinner: Beef stew with roasted cauliflower, and a chai tea with cream.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream and salami
Lunch: Hot dogs and mustard
Dinner: Chicken thighs, zoodles and stirfry vegetables.

Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, and leftover stirfry
Lunch:  Hot dogs and mustard
Dinner: Chicken taco salad with lots of cheese and sour cream

Friday
Breakfast: Cookies and cream Quest bar and coffee with cream.
Lunch: 4 hot dogs and mustard
Dinner: Indian takeaways! Tandoori chicken, a tandoori lamb cutlet and a few pieces of paneer.

Saturday:
Breakfast: leftover Tandoori chicken and a coffee with cream
Lunch: Soft taco filling (pulled pork and beef, with shredded vegetables, tomato, cheese and sour cream)
Dinner: Leftover butter chicken curry.

Sunday:
Breakfast: last of the leftover butter chicken, and a coffee with cream
Lunch: Had a late breakfast, so nothing.
Dinner: Beef burger, topped with fried onions, lots of cheese, mayo, SF ketchup and mustard

What I Ate - 30 June - 6 July

Monday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 50g mild hungarian salami
Lunch: Beef burger patty with 2 slices of bacon and a fried egg (complete with runny yolk!)
Dinner: Salmon fillet with parmesan and black pepper, dessert was strawberry cream cheese mixed with whipped cream and macadamias.

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 cups of tea. (it's COLD, I love my hot drinks when it's cold!), roasted salted macadamias.
Lunch: Cold corned beef (cooked yesterday for my husband's lunches though we've eaten half of it already!)
Dinner: Bolognaise with shirataki noodles and zucchini noodles, topped with lots of parmesan and a drizzle of garlic infused olive oil. Dessert was lemon flavoured cream cheese, mixed with whipped cream, and sprinkled with roasted almond meal.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, leftover bolgonaise and noodles
Lunch: 2 beef burger patties with mustard and cheese slices. Cup of tea with cream.
Dinner: Creamy coconut chicken curry with broccoli

Thursday
Breakfast: 3 hot dogs with sugar free ketchup and mustard
Lunch: 2 beef patties with cheese and mustard, and a chai tea with cream
Dinner: Meatloaf muffins and broccoli

Friday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 leftover meatloaf muffins
Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad- a pan fried chicken thigh, lettuce, Caesar dressing and parmesan, chai tea with cream.
Dinner: Chicken wings from a local pizza place

Saturday:
Breakfast: Leftover chicken wings, a chocolate protein shake.
Lunch: Pizza toppings and a hotdog (no bun) from Costco
Dinner: Wasn't hungry, so I had two cups of tea while watching a movie :)

Sunday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Chicken satay from a Chinese place, sparkling iced tea.
Dinner: Pizza on a low carb tortilla (salami, a smear of tomato, mozzarella, oregano, onion, bocconcini and fresh basil), and a glass of almond milk (though I'd really really love some soda!)

What I Ate - 9-15 June

Monday:
Breakfast: Pate with a cake fork
Lunch: 6 chicken wings and some shredded kelp at a Chinese restaurant
Dinner: Creamy mustard chicken and baby broccoli. Chocolate cupcake for dessert.

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Small pack of tomato and basil Fine Fettle Flats and some chicken pate
Lunch: 1/4 of a chicken and a side salad at Oporto
Dinner: A salmon burger, half a sliced avocado, drizzled with garlic infused olive oil, lots of salt and pepper

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Toasted flax coconut bread with butter, and a coffee with cream
Lunch: Salmon burger with half a sliced avocado. Tea with cream.
Dinner: Chicken taco salad, with avocado, cheese and a few slices of tomato. Last remaining cupcake with a little whipped cream.

Wednesday
Breakfast:  Coffee with cream
Lunch: Flax coconut bread with butter
Dinner: Chicken thighs in a coconut curry sauce, with baby broccoli

Thursday:
Breakfast: Protein shake and coffee
Lunch: Hot dog (with no bun) and pizza (toppings only) from Costco
Dinner: 2 bratwurst, coconut flax bread with herbed goats cheese

Friday:
Breakfast: none! Oops ;)
Lunch: Smoked salmon and salad from Ikea, black coffee.
Dinner: Roast lamb shoulder, roast cauliflower, roast baby broccoli.

Saturday:
Breakfast: Chocolate protein shake
Lunch: Nando's- quarter chicken, chicken tenderloin, and a side salad.
Dinner: Curry made with leftover roast lamb, green beans. Dessert was a deconstructed cheesecake- whipped cream mixed with lemon cream cheese, sprinkled with roasted almond meal, and topped with a sliced strawberry.

Sunday
Breakfast: Bacon, eggs and half an avocado
Lunch: Salmon burgers and half an avocado
Dinner: Oven baked mozzarella sticks- I was too full after these to make a real dinner!

What I Ate: 2-8 June

Keto food can sometimes sound scary to an outsider. Lots of fat can definitely be off-putting. This week, I kept track of what I've eaten, to give anyone interested in keto an idea of what a week of keto food can look like. Please note not every meal has bacon ;)

Monday:
Breakfast: Bacon, and a coffee with cream.
Lunch: Shredded beef on baby spinach salad from Thr1ve, with an Island Coffee
Dinner: Beef sausages, celeriac mash, and cabbage fried in bacon grease.

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Island Coffee and Protein toast with pate from Thr1ve.
Lunch: Lamb meatballs, yellow pepper strips, baby spinach, tomato, feta, olives- and dijon apple cider vinaigrette
Dinner: Jamie Oliver's Moroccan spiced chicken breast steaks, baby spinach, feta, olives.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, chocolate protein shake
Lunch: Salmon with teriyaki on baby spinach salad from thr1ve, with an Iceman coffee.
Dinner: Lamb steaks with oregano and rosemary, baby spinach, feta, olives. A little whipped cream with cocoa for dessert.

Thursday:
Breakfast/lunch: Bag of kale chips, 200g of wild game pate, Fine Fettle Flats Zucchini and Almond crackers.
Dinner: Roast beef, mustard cream, roasted brussels sprouts, asparagus.

Friday:
Breakfast: 100g of duck and orange pate, a serving of Fine Fettle Flats Zucchini and Almond crackers, 2 coffees with almond milk
Lunch: Leftover chicken from Wednesday, cold roast brussels sprouts.
Dinner: 3 lamb koftas, baby spinach salad, feta, olives.

Saturday:
Breakfast: Leftover lamb koftas from dinner the night before
Lunch: Smoked chicken salad from Third Wave Cafe in Prahran
Dinner: Thighs from a Costco rotisserie chicken. Handful of smoked Blue Diamond almonds while watching a movie.

Sunday:
Breakfast: Chocolate protein shake
Lunch: Sausages and bacon, grilled in the local park near us on their free barbecues!
Dinner: Coconut chicken satay curry, and stirfried bok choy. A chocolate cupcake for dessert