LIKE many great ideas, Pearl Oyster was inspired by necessity.
''We signed the lease the same week our daughter, Jean, was born,'' says Philip Smiley, who runs this cruisy neighbourhood cafe with wife Angella. ''The next two years were a whirlwind.''
They took possession of two big-windowed Preston shopfronts, smashed a hole in the wall to connect the rooms, built a fab deck in the now leafy backyard with the help of Angella's dad and plundered her collection of kitsch (Thermos flasks, artworks and retro paraphernalia), stripping their house of ''the cool stuff''. The front room became a film location for TV series The Slap.
Chef Brent Weijendorp was there from day dot, along with many of the crew (low turnover is always a good sign in hospitality, like frogs in a healthy ecosystem) and Smiley describes his staff as ''family''.
What's lovely about this cafe is that it hums along. Not fast, not slow, unhurried yet efficient. You feel looked after and the friendly gang - many tattooed, some in '50s dress - seem genuinely interested in you having a nourishing meal and a good experience.
An ethos of sustainability and ethical eating runs through the business. Mondays are all-vegetarian, in support of Paul McCartney's Meat Free Monday campaign, and, bar the pork, the Asian-influenced menu is free-range.
Tasmanian salmon is bought whole and cured in salt, dill, vodka and brown sugar. It's luscious and juicy. One of three main sides - organic smoked tofu and ham from a free-range co-op are the other two - it is served all day, with eggs, in rolls or with salad.
The food is simple but almost everything is made from scratch.
''Lean Green eggs'' are soft-poached and dusted with dukkah. Enfolded in the Indonesian-style omelet are a spicy sambal, chilli flakes and spinach, with crisp-fried shallots adding texture. If you're of the shaved-ham persuasion, the centimetre-thick slab as a side is pretty full-on.
The colourful Tokyo rainbow salad is a sprightly mix of red cabbage, carrot, pickled ginger and avocado, with delicious house-made Japanese mayo, sesame dressing and finely shredded nori.
Especially noteworthy are Pearl Oyster's salad rolls. The soft sourdough ciabatta is barely warmed, with fillings such as char siu pork with yummo chilli-pickled daikon and carrot and Dijon mustard-mayo. Or plentiful double-smoked ham, quality cheddar, Dijon and cos lettuce, not just plonked on but dressed with an Asian-style vinaigrette. It's the details that make the food so great.
I've returned five times now. Pearl Oyster is a keeper.
■ Fandango
Laid-back and home-style, with a cute courtyard and great breakfasts.
97 Errol Street, North Melbourne, 9329 0693.
■ Palomino
Busy hipster cafe with a similar kitsch aesthetic.
236 High Street, Northcote, 9481 0699.
nrousseau@theage.com.au
Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.
Sign up