Friday 18 September 2009

Specialty coffee: new Outpost by St Ali in South Yarra

Outpost by St Ali
9/9 Yarra Street, South Yarra (map)
no phone yet
currently open 7:30-5pm, Monday to Friday


Outpost by St Ali

Outpost by St Ali is the brand new South Yarra outpost of cult specialty coffee house St Ali (read about my St Ali coffee cupping adventures with Slightly Intense Thirty-Something Metrosexuals here). Hyper-confusingly, the address for the Outpost by St Ali is Yarra Street, South Yarra, and the address for the original St Ali is Yarra Place, South Melbourne. Not to be confused with Yarra Street in South Melbourne. Too many Yarras! Too many Souths!

Outpost by St Ali

Outpost by St Ali opened last Monday on the ground floor of a big new commercial/residential development, down a side street next to South Yarra train station. Current opening hours are Monday to Friday, just during the day. No weekends now 7 days a week, but just during the daytime. They're still awaiting chairs and tables, a phone and a proper food menu. The oven was delivered yesterday, and the domestic dishwasher will eventually be replaced by a commercial one.

Outpost by St Ali

I dropped in there this week with two other food bloggers, Jackie from Eating with Jack and Matt from Abstract Gourmet, currently over here from Perth for a week sampling the best Melbourne's food scene has to offer.

Bloody food bloggers, always taking photos! That's Matt taking photos, and Jack on the right twittering about how Matt and I are taking photos.

Outpost by St Ali

The plan is to introduce a simple menu (smaller than that at St Ali) of food that can be prepared in the oven, in addition to the smattering of pastries and rolls currently on offer. An outdoor seating area will follow. For now though, the emphasis is very much on educating people about specialty coffee - the stylish school science lab interior certainly helps! Jack and I just LOVED that matte tiled floor.

Outpost by St Ali

The siphon coffee maker (below), being heated by an eerie bright red halogen lamp.

Outpost by St Ali

I recognised Aaron, our barista, from his days at Auction Rooms. He showed us around, talked coffee geek technical talk with Matt, and gave me a taste of my first ever cold drip coffee (made using that gorgeous, steampunk-esque cold drip machine pictured below).

Outpost by St Ali

My siphon coffee and cold drip coffee side by side. Loved both. I was amazed by how light and sweet the cold drip was in particular.

Outpost by St Ali

Speaking of steampunk, how cool (albeit no doubt somewhat inconvenient in this day and age) is that antique cash register? The fresh herbs dotted about the room was another nice touch.

Outpost by St Ali

Oh and as you'd expect, plenty of single origin coffees (including beans sourced directly by St Ali rather than through a middleman).

Outpost by St Ali

Head there soon and check it out for yourself before everybody finds out about it!

15/10/09 Edited to add:
Hear ye, hear ye: as of this weekend, Outpost by St Ali is now open 7 days a week. Paul Jewson, the chef who started on Monday, is already whipping up some very interesting-looking dishes with the assistance of that gorgeous oven!

14 comments:

Brett H said...

I'm confused.... it looks like a cross between Dr Frankenstien's chemistry lab, Bunning's house and garden, and someone's kitchen.....

or it could just be that I'm just in a foul mood this morning. :-x

Esz said...

Wow what a cool place! Love the steampunk coffee machine!

That oven is exactly the one my mum wants - except in a deep red. :-D

Brad said...

Looks awesome - any other reviews on the coffee/roasts?

Did a brief review of Seven Seeds on my blog - go there regularly - will have to drop by south yarra though!

leave of absence said...

Look at those great cups of joe.

Unknown said...

Looks fabulous

claire said...

Huh. I sort of agree with you about your take on the interior, Brett... but I also really like it.

Yeah Esz how COOL is the steampunk coffee machine. As for the oven, my one concern about it is an OH&S one... what if little kids run up and touch it?! It sure looks purdy though :)

Nope Brad, no other reviews on the coffee/roasts from me. I'm afraid I'm still a coffee neophyte. But Matt from Abstract Gourmet will probably be covering it in his Melbourne posts - and he knows way more about coffee!

Oh, leave of absence!! Bravo. Looking forward to your return from absence and future cups of joe, we've missed you so! xx

It sure is, Stephen :)

Anonymous said...

Speaking of coffee - go to Little Wish opposite Bambini Barrista. Seven Seeds beans, Koko Deluxe hot chocolate, home-made bread (for toast), 95c tiny muffins, sweetest couple who run it. great coffee in an area that has more crap coffee than not.

Keri said...

I can't stand coffee, but I'm almost temtped to give this a try.

Iron Chef Shellie said...

This is right near where I work! It's so funky inside, and the staff are really nice =)

Maria@TheGourmetChallenge said...

ooooohhhhh, I heard this place was opening...its here! YAY!

Alice said...

Hi Claire,

Thanks so much, I discover this place through your blog and had a coffee there this morning.
Amazing, loved the atmosphere!!It's apparently on Epicure today, argh no!!!
I used to get my morning coffee from CRU on my way to work, I now have a heartbreaking choice to do every morning...

Anonymous said...

Outpost is amazing!

The coffee rocks and the food is excellent!
Great variation of ingredients and great roasts and delicious salads. Simply magnificent food. It was the best meal for a long time. Brilliant breakfast menu too. Cant wait to go back next saturday for more food and coffee.

The place its cosy but brilliantly designed.

Must try the coffee made with a syphon, it was just amazing.

It was about time to have something so original in South Yarra!

Very chilled atmosphere and very friendly staff.

Dont miss outpost it rocks!!!

Sam

Fabiomassimo Dell'Orco said...

Hi Everybody,
I am writing from Rome, Italy. Although not havIng the ability to be there in Melbourne to share thoughts about this new joint I felt the urge to state what follows:
Guys...you don't have the foggest idea of how lucky you are to have Paul Jewson as a chef at hand!!!
I met him long time ago in London and followed religiously his moving from place to place. I just could not miss his food as you wouldl do for a mystic experience of your life.
His departure from Europe is suffered from the moltitude of people who love sharing emotions happily gathered around
a table... It's not just about food, it's about LOVE!
Fabiomax

Fabiomassimo Dell'Orco said...

Hi Everybody,
I am writing from Rome, Italy. Although not havIng the ability to be there in Melbourne to share thoughts about this new joint I felt the urge to state what follows:
Guys...you don't have the foggest idea of how lucky you are to have Paul Jewson as a chef at hand!!!
I met him long time ago in London and followed religiously his moving from place to place. I just could not miss his food as you wouldl do for a mystic experience of your life.
His departure from Europe is suffered from the moltitude of people who love sharing emotions happily gathered around
a table... It's not just about food, it's about LOVE!
Fabiomax