The food at Finally Mine has always been a cut above. 62-degree eggs, confit pork belly, house-made relishes - that's the standard Kade set from day one. Lee's in the kitchen now keeping it exactly there. Here's the technique behind what's on your plate.
The 62-degree egg
In most cafes, a poached egg is a poached egg. You crack it into simmering water, hope for the best, and serve it before it overcooks. Some days it's perfect. Some days it's not. That's the nature of the technique.
A 62-degree egg is different. It's cooked sous vide - sealed in the shell, held at exactly 62 degrees Celsius for an hour. The white sets to a silky, barely-there consistency. The yolk is molten. Every single time. No variance. No bad eggs. Just precision.
That's what Lee brought from Melbourne. Not the pretension. Not the prices. The precision.
Why it matters for brunch
Brunch in regional Australia has a reputation problem. It's either a greasy fry-up or an overpriced avocado toast that looks better on Instagram than it tastes on the plate. There's not much in between.
Lee's approach is the in-between. Take cafe staples - eggs, bacon, toast, avocado - and apply restaurant technique. Confit the pork belly overnight instead of frying bacon. Roast the tomatoes on the truss so they hold their shape and concentrate their flavour. Make the hollandaise from scratch, every morning, no shortcuts.
The plate looks like brunch. It's priced like brunch. But it tastes like something you'd get in a restaurant that charges twice as much.
Local produce, not imported prestige
One of the first things Lee did when he arrived in Gippsland was drive around. Not to the tourist spots - to the farms. He found a producer in Thorpdale growing heirloom tomatoes that taste like tomatoes used to taste. He found a dairy doing small-batch cultured butter. He found a smokery in Moe that cold-smokes salmon the old way.
The menu at Finally Mine is built around these relationships. The avocado is still from Queensland - we can't grow them here. But the eggs are local. The bread is local. The relishes are house-made with whatever's in season. The cheese boards on bar nights feature exclusively Gippsland producers.
What you'll find on the menu
- Confit pork belly - 12-hour cook, crispy skin, served with a 62-degree egg and truss-roasted tomatoes
- House-made granola - toasted in-house with local honey, seasonal fruit, and cultured yoghurt
- Smoked salmon toast - Gippsland cold-smoked salmon, pickled shallots, caper cream, sourdough
- The big breakfast - same components every cafe has, but each element is done properly. No shortcuts.
The menu changes with the seasons. Lee writes a new menu four times a year, built around what's available locally. Spring looks different from winter. That's the point.
Fine dining skills, cafe prices
Lee could charge restaurant prices and justify every cent. He chooses not to. The whole idea of Finally Mine is that you get an exceptional experience without the barrier. Walk in at 7am in your work gear. Order a flat white and the pork belly. Pay under $30. Leave feeling like you just had the best breakfast in Gippsland.
Because you probably did.
Two Hat technique. Cafe prices. Gippsland produce. That's the pitch. Come taste it.
