Trend-focused cafe guy Ben Luo (ex-Hash Coffee Roasters) has shipped his Hardware Street cafe formula, White Mojo, and its soft-shell crab croissant burgers to Balwyn, opening at the base of ritzy apartment complex the Andalusian on Wednesday.
At 100 seats, it's bigger than the six-week-old CBD venue but it's more or less business as usual: blond wood panelled walls, hexagonal marble print tables and washed concrete floors.
Luo says it's intentionally 90 per cent the same as the city venue and he's brought over some key staff.
Head chef Jason Pribadi and his social media-friendly menu have set up camp; think squid ink buns stuffed with maple pulled pork; cauliflower panna cotta; and a too-pretty-to-eat compressed watermelon with gin and lime sorbet (hello, breakfast booze).
Head barista Jia Wang is in residence too, overseeing espresso coffee only (for now) and a roasting program for a single origin blend using green Sumatran beans.
Open Mon-Fri 7am-4pm; Sat-Sun 8am-5pm.
182-184 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn
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