NoOk Urban Fresh Bar

Occupying the street-facing level of a soaring office block, NoOk Urban Fresh Bar injects a little colour into the otherwise greyish CBD scene, with bundles of fresh produce and an assortment of green planter boxes on display.

A large espresso bar fronts the space, with Melbourne’s St ALi’s Seamless roast as the cafe’s house blend. There’s also a daily rotating single origin available. NoOk also showcases chosen blends, which in the past have been an assemblage of coffee-world heavyweights such as Mecca, 5 Senses and Seven Seeds.

On the seasonal menu are breakfast standards such as classic eggs benedict or fresh fruit with yoghurt and hand roasted muesli. And for autumn there is a wild mushroom bruschetta which features stacked, crisp kale, poached eggs and house-made pesto. The Urban Breakfast offers eggs three ways, plus homemade baked beans with minced beef, rosemary smoked bacon and sautéed potatoes.

At lunch there is a host of salads, sandwiches and burgers, all made to order from behind the NoOk salad bar. Or try the house special stir-fried rice with soy beef and shredded seaweed, or a richly coloured kale and squash salad filled with warm rustic winter roots and roasted walnuts. The beef bao is NoOk’s version of an Asian style bao bun, with slow-cooked beef brisket, grilled vegies, glazed onions and coriander.