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Just Open: Bawa Coffee & Food, Hawthorn

Matt Holden

Ricotta fritters with lavender custard, strawberries and pecan praline.
Ricotta fritters with lavender custard, strawberries and pecan praline.Vince Caligiuri

Geoffrey Bawa was Sri Lanka's most prominent architect, a driver of the 20th century style known as "tropical modernism", known for bringing the outdoors in, mixing elements from different times and places, and making use of lots of greenery – a style so ubiquitous now as to be almost unremarkable.

Kael Sahely​ is a driving force, too, as one of the people behind some of Melbourne's hottest cafes, including Barry and Square & Compass.

Sahely has taken design inspiration from Bawa and borrowed his name for his Hawthorn cafe. With his father, and brother Matt, Sahely has partnered with Shrian Bhagwandas​ (Storey cafe in Docklands) and chef Chris Griffiths (APTE, Three Bags Full) in the venture, which Sahely says will have a big focus on takeaway baguettes and salads for local workers.

Bawa cafe's light- and plant-filled interior.
Bawa cafe's light- and plant-filled interior.Vince Caligiuri
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But they won't be ignoring cafe loungers. "There will be some pretty out-there food," he says. The short brunch-style menu features delights like ricotta fritters with lavender custard, a scotch fillet ciabatta with chimichurri and fermented cabbage, and an omelette of buffalo mozzarella, purple kale and roasted onion.

There are "blended drinks" – say, spinach, kale, green apple, chia, flax, coconut water – bottled cold-pressed juices from Ayomo, and espresso and batch brew coffee from Dukes.

Blackberry and lime cured ocean trout.
Blackberry and lime cured ocean trout.Vince Caligiuri

Open Mon-Sat 7am-4pm; Sun 8am-4pm.

248 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, 03 9819 6701, bawacafe.com

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