penny university.

You may have heard about the new 'retro salad' place that's popped up opposite Burger Theory on Union Street, but if you haven't then let me make the formal intros - Penny University, you, you, say hello to Penny University.  Loads of fresh baguettes, wraps and salads adorn the front of the small (and I mean, small) cafe but dine-ins are welcome so long as you don't mind sharing the table with other randoms.

My friend and I unfortunately arrived 20 minutes too late for the breakfast menu (darn! the french toast looked so good) but their selection of salads and breads are definitely not a shabby choice.  They have around 7-8 different salads to choose from - broccoli, quinoa, pesto pasta, sweet potato, rice noodles etc - and generally have a Soup of the Day.  Coffees, teas and juices round out the drinks menu.

Bocconcini Baguette ($9.00) & Pesto Pasta Salad ($4.00)

The baguette was everything I needed it to be - a crunchy, toasted crust and deliciously soft and pesto-filled inside.  The melted bocconcini made it all stringy and creamy, perfect for complementing the fresh tomatoes and pesto.  The pasta was a little bit too dry for me but it still tasted pretty yum.  Loved the fact that it was a fairly big serving and the addition of salted olives and sun-dried tomatoes made it taste much better.

Turkey Wrap

This I didn't get to try, but apparently just half of it was enough to fill my up my ever-hungry friend.  It did look really fresh and the bread looked so soft and pillowy.

Hot Chocolate: $4.00

This was huge.  Like, needed-two-hands-to-hold huge.  The foam was super thick and creamy, just how it's supposed to be done, and the chocolate would probably have been amazing had I been smart enough to stir my drink.  Unfortunately, being the idiot that I am, I ended up drinking hot milk for most of my meal and didn't realise that all my chocolate powder had settled to the bottom.  Hashtag first world problems.

I'm quite excited by this new salad place, mainly because the salads they offer are actually interesting and not just the boring old chicken caesar or greek salad.  The layout of the cafe is also pretty cool.  It's a mix of hippy and retro, which is pretty fitting with the food choices.

I should warn you about the lack of space though.  The sharing table inside is comfortable for eight, and tight for ten.  They have window sill seating and another bench below the window sill for those who couldn't get a seat inside, but that's it.  Don't come here expecting to get a seat unless you're early.