One Plus Piece Cafe - Balwyn

So this review was meant to be about Fat Staks at Uni Hill but as luck would have it, Fat Staks is closed on Mondays (and Tuesdays). As devastated as we were, we decided that burgies were still on the menu and went to One Plus Piece Cafe in Balwyn, continuing our tour of the eastern suburbs instead. The burgies there didn't disappoint.

One Plus Piece Cafe is a Japanese American cafe inspired by the Japanese manga series, One Piece. The cafe is pretty much decorated in everything related to it, and even though I'm not a fan of it, I did like the overall vibe. It has a decent burgy menu as well.

I ordered the Devil Mushroom, which contains a battered portobello, avocado, tomato, cos lettuce, red onion, cheese and chilli sauce between two green buns. The battered portobello is crispy af, and the avocado zings like zesty guacamole. It is a surprising burgy, full of fresh taste and quite filling as well, however, the chilli sauce is pretty much absent (Chloe also thought the portobello is missing flavour-wise).

Chloe got the 1+ beef with cheese. This comes with Angus beef, tomato, lettuce, bacon, pickles, mustard, aioli and of course, cheese. This oozes sauce everywhere and tastes like a cheeseburger should. Chloe loved this burger, enjoying the hint of spice that the yellow mustard added. I was less enthusiastic about it as it lacks a distinctive flavour to set it apart from other basic burgies but it was still good (I just liked what I got better).

The chips here are really good. They are golden and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. They come with garlic aioli and ketchup.

For drinks we shared a Red-Haired Shake. This is a strawberry milkshake that comes with strawberry fairy floss, Tim Tams, M&M's, Oreos, sour worms, wafer sticks, waffle biscuits, ice cream and pocky. It was brilliant. The fairy floss is spun to resemble hair and it certainly achieves this. The combination of sweet and sour works really well, allowing me to enjoy the shake without getting sick of all the sugar. 

Pricing
The burgies are reasonably priced, with the Devil Mushroom and 1+ beef with cheese coming at $12.50 each. The beer-battered chips are $6.50. The Red-Haired Shake is a little expensive at $13.50.

Ambience
One Plus Piece Cafe has a quiet, relaxed atmosphere (although we did go on a Monday).

Dietary Requirements
Vegetarians are catered for here, as are those seeking gluten-free options. Vegans might have to ask for alterations to particular dishes.

Address
266 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn.

The Last Bite
I strongly recommend this joint. I didn't think I could get behind a Japanese American cafe, but here we are. Get around it.




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