East Row Specialty Coffee opening Forrest cafe in Westfield Belconnen with $1 ONA coffee

Located on Level 1, right next to Priceline, Forrest is set to raise the bar on dining options in the mall. The $1 coffees will be available between 8am and noon.

Head chef Yokas Wu said the team always felt as though Belconnen needed a finer dining brunch spot.

"And that's exactly what we hope to bring with Forrest," Wu says, adding that the name was a play on "for rest" .

"Forrest offers people a place to have a break, while enjoying great food and coffee. But the beauty is that it's also in the most convenient location to run errands, go shopping, head to the gym, or entertain the kids.

"We're just around the corner from Club Lime, so we've got plenty of healthy options on the menu.

"We're also opposite the kid's playground which is an absolute advantage as parents can easily watch their kids while enjoying their coffee."

Forrest will be serving ONA coffee and a menu, much like the beloved East Row menu, which works around sophisticated cooking techniques used in inventive ways.

For Wu, it was important to create a menu that looks just as good as it tastes.

"For sweet lovers, I would recommend the waffles," he says.

"It's all of my favourite ingredients and basically just a party on a plate - chocolate anglaise, caramalised banana, waffles, caramel popcorn and ice cream,

"There's also the breakfast panacotta, jiggly cream pudding, crunchy oats and a blueberry compote with extra seasonal berries. Mix them up and experience an explosion of creaminess and freshness."

Savory enthusiasts will indulge in Forrest's take on breakfast classics such as mushroom benedict, Three Mills rye English muffin topped with mixed exotic mushrooms, double brie cheese and hollandaise, finished with a dusting of paprika dukkah to add extra crunch and colour to the plate.

Vegetarians and vegans are well taken care of with dishes such as vegan meatballs served with Napoli, roasted cashews, pickled cucumber, onion salsa, and corn chips, to mop up the saucy goodness.

The fit out, completed by Unison Interiors, is light and airy. White brick is surrounded by plenty of greenery, wooden textures and brown leather for an element of warmth and cosiness.

"You'll forget you're inside a shopping centre entirely," says Wu.

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