Feast of Merit

Need an excuse to eat mouth-wateringly good food and actually feel good about it? Then look no further than Feast of Merit on Swan Street in Richmond, which directs 100 percent of its profits to YGAP, a movement of entrepreneurs who launch ventures in developing countries to improve the lives of people living in poverty.

From Head Chef Ravi Presser (previously at Circa, Bar Lourinha and Cumulus Inc) comes a Middle Eastern inspired menu that makes the most of locally sourced and seasonal produce. Middle Eastern being my favourite cuisine, I must admit that I was already bias even just looking at the menu. But biases aside, I must say that the breakfast I had at Feast of Merit was probably one of the best breakfasts I've had in Melbourne.

So what was this incredible breakfast?  Pressed and spiced 12 hour Cherry Tree lamb, burnt carrot puree, fried egg and fattoush dressing ($18). Sounds pretty mouth watering right? And indeed it was.  The pork was juicy and flavoursome, the salsa light and refreshing, and the burnt carrot puree added an element of creaminess that tied all of the other flavours together.

The service was a tad slow, taking quite a while for our meals to come out after we had ordered.  However, we had come at a peak time, so this delay could mildly be forgiven.

Feast of Merit is the type of place I would be happy to return to time and time again to experience all of the other delicious looking items that appear on their menu.

Food: 4.5/5
Décor: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Total: 12/15
Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon.