Settling in nicely amongst the dumplings and Asian grocery stores, Workshop Brothers number four brings all-day dining with an Asian spin to Glen Waverley. Yes, you heard that right. This is the first Workshop Brothers branch to offer dinner.

Brothers Nolan and Brian Taing and business partner Joe La are still the brains behind the newest addition to the Workshop Brothers family. Designed by Studio Esteta, the space features circular arches and soft pink hues, in a sort of modern take on the circular elements and red tones of traditional Chinese restaurants of old.

Coffee is by Axil, and there are a range of lattes, smoothies and cocktails too sip on throughout the day. The Peanutella is a must for chocolate and peanut butter lovers. It’s your two favourite things in latte form.

With ingredients like lap cheong, Chinese doughnut sticks, gochujang, miso and kewpie, the vast majority of dishes on the breakfast and lunch menu call on a variety of Asian cuisines. A comfort food for many people, at any time of the day, Workshop Brothers have their own version of congee: Keep It 100, which comes with Century Egg, tasty caramelised pork belly and doughnut sticks. There are not one, but two Hong Kong-style waffles on offer. The Spicy HK Waffle is topped with five spice chicken wings, and today we try the one with sticky gochujang chilli sauce. The individual elements of glazed chicken wings (which aren’t that spicy) and the crisp and slightly sweet waffle are good, though I’m not too sure about them in combination.

The Kimchi Risotto is what I was looking forward to, and it doesn’t disappoint. Cooked in a chilli broth, the large serve of prawn risotto is topped with gruyere cheese. The tangy, and only slightly bitter kimchi goes surprisingly well with the cheesy and creamy nature of the risotto, and it gets the thumbs up from everyone around the table.

The Sweet HK Waffle is teamed up with a dark chocolate parfait, vanilla fairy floss, white chocolate shards, hazelnuts, and pumpkin caramel. The parfait provides spoonfuls of rich and smooth deliciousness, even when eaten alone.

There have been a number of new cafe openings in Glen Waverley over the last year, but none quite like this. Workshop Brothers will no doubt be a welcome addition to Kingsway.

Disclaimer: I was invited to Workshop Bros as a guest, however, opinions expressed here are purely my own, and are based on my experience at the time

Workshop Brothers Glen Waverley
97 Kingsway
Glen Waverley, VIC, 3150
(03) 9078 6533
workshopbrothers.com.au