Admiral Cheng-Ho

Healthy kick this morning. Fabulous coffee followed by interesting bircher breakfast, Being greeted by friendly staff always a way to make you feel right at home.

The absolute worst thing happened to me upon my first visit to Admiral Cheng-​Ho… I suffered from a terrible case of food envy. You know. When your meals come out and your mate’s breakfast looks about ten billion times better than yours?
Yep. And I normally pride myself on my ordering skills.
After looking at the ultra-​healthy Vego menu, I strangely decided to go for the Acai Bowl and when it arrived I was baffled. It was a smoothie in a bowl — a breakfast soup if you will. What had I DONE?! While my friend ordered the Crazy Jimbo, which included crusty polenta bread, sauteed kale and some delicious feta.
I’ve never hated myself more. I must remember to google meals I don’t know about before I order them.
I pushed my breakfast soup around the bowl for a while and sneakily picked at my friend’s yummy breakfast when he wasn’t looking. I also ordered about a million coffees (which were delicious) in an attempt to fill myself up.
A great spot otherwise — service was first and there was no wait on the Saturday morning (a clear win in my books). Just take my word for it — steer clear of the acai. Unless you’re a fan of soup for breakfast.

This is my favourite local for coffee. Granted, its not the type of place where you go for your super fast efficient but soulless service, these guys actually want to chat and not rush things.
I’ll admit, I don’t really eat here, just drink the coffee.
But if you do want to eat, I would try their muffins or sometimes they have special truffles which are a natural sweet treat to go with your coffee.
As a black filter type person, they have an extensive filter menu and also a batch brew. Batch brew is quick which is great for on the way to work kind of coffee. Interesting blends too.
If you are in the area, take the time to drop in and try the coffee!

If ever you feel the need for excellent coffee & ridiculously healthy food then Admiral Cheng-​Ho is a must.
Situated on an unassuming corner of a busy intersection, this little café is very welcome indeed. The predominantly vegan menu is concise yet tempting &, as mentioned, the coffee is sensational. Décor is simple, toned down, yet modern, & service is great.
It’s a yes from me.

Having been to Monk Bodhi Dharma I wasn’t aware this was even related until I walked in and saw similar guys on the counter.
Disclaimer first up — they don’t serve eggs here so if you or someone you’re going with is likely to have their day/​week/​life turned upside down by this (as a girl eating with her boyfriend did, then left), maybe think twice.
Jokes aside the Admiral serves up some extremely tasty vego fare. There’s a wild mushroom/​feta dish that’s really tasty that I’ve stuck to on a few visits.
Coffee is above average but not specialty material. Roasts are fairly dark and a touch characterless. Cuts through milk fine, certainly not a letdown or negative.
Staff are always cool, calm and collected here. Nothing’s a chore and you’re greeted, served and farewelled like a friend, not a customer.
Recommended.

Monk Bodhi Dharma has come to the Northside. Which is great news if you don’t want to make the trek, because their coffee is freaking delicious.
Coffee would be the 5 star rating for my experience here, everything else fell just a little bit short.
The menu is interesting and like MBD, all vegetarian or vegan with loads of gluten free options. As I’m neither vego nor coeliac, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here again. I had a mexican bean stew that was so scolding hot that I couldn’t eat a single mouthful before my dining partner had finished theirs. Even after that, by the time I struggled through a couple of painfully hot mouthfuls, there wasn’t enough flavour to keep me going.
My friend had the umami mushrooms, which were delicious. Although she noted that the polenta bread was really stodgy and didn’t make her feel very good either.
The space itself is tiny and cramped. It’s not comfortable and it’s LOUD. Really loud. We had to perch at the window and huddle to hear each other, while getting almost burnt from the sun rays blaring in.
However, like I said, the coffee is amazing. If you were in the neighbourhood I would definitely say go in for a coffee. If you’re looking for an all Veg/​GF menu, it would be worth seeking out to have it paired with great coffee.

This place is Monk Bodhi Dharma all over again.
Well, actually, there are a few little differences. I walked in today off the main street (yes, the main street. It’s not down some little alleyway) to be greeted again with that somewhat rustic feel that both cafés display. The Admiral has a floor of varnished concrete or something along those lines. Whatever it is, I like it. It’s got the old brick walls much like the original and also some vintage 50’s looking green kitchen tiles behind the counter. The thing that got me was the old plumbing. They have copper pipes all over the place; the stool legs were made from it and the coffee bean board hung from pipes on the roof. Cheng-​Ho has an amazing feel to it. Marwin has, yet again, produced the perfect representation of Melbourne’s coffee culture in his second fantastic café.
Monk Bodhi Dharma already did a fantastic job with their coffee but Admiral Cheng-​Ho has gone that one step further; six grinders, yeah, SIX! They’ve got one of the largest selections of single-​estate coffee in Melbourne that rotates continually all day, every day. The grinders are frequently home to geisha or Cup of Excellence roasts that are ever so hard to resist. I spend half an hour in the café and somedays realise I’ve spent twenty dollars on all manner of absolutely spectacular brews. There is a coffee style for every person out there and trust me, you will not be disappointed. If I can give you one tip, go for the Nikesse if its on. I’ve had it a couple of times in the last week and find it goes quite well as a Long Black (though an Espresso is probably a more suitable choice). The coffee is simply unparalleled.
The lunch menu is quite similar to what it is in Balaclava. I couldn’t resist going for the smashed avo. I’ve enjoyed it half a dozen times and I simply cannot get enough of it. Always keep an eye out for the specials though because the chefs consistently invent amazing meals that define deliciousness. One of my personal favourites is the mexican beans that they serve in Balaclava and I’m sure the recipe will make its way to Abbotsford soon enough. Then again, maybe you’re not after lunch, maybe you’d like to try one of the home-​made muffins or slices. I’m not stopping you, I can’t walk in the door without my eyes wandering over to the snacks and my mouth watering a little.
What makes Monk Bodhi Dharma and Admiral Cheng-​Ho my favourite cafés in Melbourne are the people who work there. I’ve come to know them over the last couple of years to a point where you get that friendly smile of recognition from the moment you walk in the door (even when you’ve been away for two months). From the days where my flat white was being made before I even ordered it to now, when I more or less roll a dice to decide what kind of coffee I’ll enjoy. The crew are spectacular, always friendly to every face and always willing to have a chat about the roasts or just life in general.
I cannot recommend Admiral Cheng-​Ho enough.