Cheesesteaks and more at Cafe Cui

Know the phrase, "A big fat waste of makeup"?  Well, some meals are a big fat waste of stomach space.  The first cheesesteak I ever had was kind of up there - sliced beef that struggled valiantly to be heard, buried under oodles of cloying cheese.  Its only redeeming quality was that it was indeed eaten in Philadelphia.  Now, our beloved Footscray might be a long way from Philly, but newcomer Cafe Cui sure do make a tasty cheesesteak.  Read on.

This spot was previously the F. L. Y. sandwich bar - a rather unfortunate choice of moniker, and perhaps unsurprisingly it never really took off.  It's now taken shape and become the very smart Cafe Cui.

I first popped in on a Sunday morning.  Walking through the almost-empty streets, dotted with only a few pedestrians, it was a treat to step into a bustling cafe.

Coffee is Di Bella on a Wega machine and is pretty good.

This is "the Omelette Arnold Bennett" ($12), an open-faced omelette with creamy bechamel and - instead of the classic smoked haddock - smoked salmon.  Decadent and delicious.

Don't you love the Footscray lunch dilemma - banh mi, thali, giant bag of donuts?  Now you can add this tasty behemoth to the mix.  Cafe Cui's cheesesteak ($14) is yummo - warm, thinly-sliced beef, mushies, mozzarella and provolone all tucked into a warm, crusty roll.  Crinkle-cut chips and spunky little gherkins complete the picture.

Cafe Cui's lunch menu also includes pork sliders, plus salads like spiced chickpea with roast pumpkin and feta.  There are also well-priced foccacias and wraps at $8.

This is Phuoc Duong, Cafe Cui's proud owner.  He's a Sunshine boy and certainly has an eye for a top spot, setting up right opposite the tram terminus and train station.  Read more in Charlene Macauley's article in The Star.

What I'd like to see in Footscray is continuing diversification of businesses.  (Hairdresser or $2 shop, anyone?)  I am loving our newest cafes, Cafe Cui and Guerilla (PS:  Evan and Jag are now serving some hot brekky items, including a lovely hummus and avo number, the hummus made by a bona fide Lebanese grandma from Footscray Market Deli).

Indeed, there's been a sudden bloom of cafes in downtown Footy - Cafe Roha in the old Royal Hotel site, Kaldi on Irving Street, and another in Paisley.  My favourite is the halal butcher in the Mall which now has a coffee machine.  "Almond croissant $1.50.  Goat 1 kg $7.99."  ONLY IN FOOTSCRAY! 

Cafe Cui

58 Leeds Street, Footscray

Phone 9687 6967