I used to grab take-away lunch in Woden from a cafe called Pure Oxygen. They made some fantastic toasted sandwiches. To my dismay, they closed down the Woden shop to move to Deakin under new management and a new name – Doubleshot. That was late last year. I finally made it there over the Anzac Day long weekend to check it out. Located at the Deakin Shops (facing Hopetoun Circuit), you can’t really miss it with the cafe’s bright yellow and white striped sun umbrellas and green foliage hanging down from the overhang.
Herbs sit in little boxed crates affixed to the brick wall.
There’s lots of seating under the overhang, or out in the sun.
The first thing you notice when entering inside is the super cool feature wall of wood log ends stacked on top of each other and the neon sign (iphone couldn’t get a good shot of the wording) that states, ‘I wake up wanting to kiss you’. Sweet. I like that this is also printed on Doubleshot’s takeaway coffee cups.
Below the ceiling, hangs thin black beams with coarse rope weaved and wrapped around it covering the length of the cafe. Light bulbs and upside pot plants hang down on ropes giving the space a lot more depth. It makes the whole cafe seem warm and cosy. I like it 🙂
A long bar-style bench lines one length of the cafe, with bi-fold windows that open up to let fresh air in (I couldn’t get a good photo of the whole window). It was too chilly to open them up that morning but would be lovely during the warmer months.
There’s some additional seating in the back room with a beautiful mural of a woman on the wall (which I didn’t take a photo of).
The log theme continues on the front counter.
The cake display cabinet looks delicious.
I love bonsai trees and this one sitting above the cake display cabinet is too cute.
I had already looked at the menu online and knew exactly what I wanted. I ordered the Lexi juice ($8) consisting of green apple, banana, celery, mint, kiwi, cucumber, lime, spinach and ginger. Probably the most healthiest juice EVER. Served in a large glass bottle, I could taste a lot of apple and subtle hints of everything else. The ginger hadn’t been juiced properly as I found a few chunks here and there, but I enjoyed this green juice. Happy with the quantity too (it’s bigger than it looks in the photo).
I ordered the carrot and potato rosti stack ($16) which came with oven roasted tomato, buffalo mozzarella, chard and red mojo sauce. Mojo sauce? My mind couldn’t help wandering to Austin Powers and getting his mojo back. After a bit of research, I found that mojo is a sauce originating from the Canary Islands made up of predominantly olive oil, garlic, paprika and cumin. Red, green and orange mojo sauces are the most common. The first thing I thought when this dish came out was how clean and neatly it was presented. The vibrant and colourful rosti and mojo sauce looked great against the dark grey plate.
The rosti were crispy on the outside and filled with grated carrots and potato. I thought a pinch of salt, some pepper and other seasoning was needed as the rosti was slightly bland. That is until I mixed it with the mojo sauce and understood why it was left this way. The sauce packs a punch in flavour. The dominant flavours were spicy capsicum and paprika. And wow, it worked so well with the rosti. The mozzarella was a neutraliser to the overall dish, lending a soothing cold creaminess to my palette (not that the dish is majorly spicy). I found this was a very light and healthy dish.
My friend ordered the poached eggs ($13) on gluten-free toast (he wasn’t charged extra for gluten-free bread).
I was so impressed with my meal and the overall ambience of the cafe, that I went back the very next day for another brunch. This time I ordered my usual soy mocha ($4.50) and could see the melted chocolate at the bottom of the glass. I love the cafe’s cute green mugs and saucers.
As it was a chilly grey morning, it was perfect weather for some baked eggs. Doubleshot’s baked eggs ($15) have white beans, eggplant, tomato and onion cooked in garlic and sumac, topped with fresh herbs and fetta. It was accompanied by one slice of white toast, sliced in half, with a drizzle of oil brushed on top.
The dish was thick with beans and tomato, with just a few chunks of eggplant. I was worried the eggs on top would be overcooked, but was happy to find there was still lots of runny yolk to mix through. I didn’t think there was enough toast for the baked eggs, but apart from that, this was exactly what I needed that morning and really hit the spot.
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| A close up |
My friend ordered the Healthy Start ($18) of tomato, basil, avocado, herbed ricotta, and King Salmon gravlax with soy linseed toast. The herbed ricotta was different and my friend could only eat it in small doses. She also found the salmon was slightly icy, as if it had just been defrosted. Not the best choice for brekky on a chilly morning.
It’s great to see that the majority of items on the menu are gluten-free and/or vegetarian. Next on my list to try is the Brioche French Toast with nutella ganache, salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Sinful but sounds awesome.
On both days, I noticed people walking in after the gym, cyclists stopping by for a coffee, and locals getting their morning coffee fix. It seems like a very friendly neighbourhood. Service is pleasant and there is always someone near the door to show you to a table. Drinks orders are taken as soon as you’re seated which is good. However, after that, it seemed quite difficult to get anyone’s attention when I wanted to enquire about something on the menu, or when I was ready to order (especially during peak brunch time of 10-12). When we did manage to get someone’s attention, staff were helpful with our enquiry.
Doubleshot is a hidden gem in Deakin. Get down there if you want to try a new brunch spot. Weekend bookings are recommended. For some more great photos of Doubleshot, have a look at the OutinCanberra webpage on the cafe.
Things to note:
- Sunday surcharge of 10%
- Public holiday surcharge of 15%
- Credit card surcharge of 1% (or 3% for Amex/Diners)
- Corkage $3.50 per person
- Limited parking on Hopetoun Cc, but you can find more parking along Duff Place (just behind the shops).
Foodgasm 8/10
