Cafe Melange

We stopped by on a Friday afternoon for lunch. We were the only patrons in the restaurant, but the way the space is utilized we didn’t feel like we were in an empty restaurant. We sat by the fire place which was roaring, perfect for the cold dreary January day. Everything about this place whispers cozy. My boyfriend a d I like to try out new flavors and new places and so we ordered from the Asian part of the menu. Everything was amazeballs. His meal came with a spicy pepper paste. Oh. em. Gee. For serious. I have been looking all over for this sauce. My favorite Asian restaurant in toledo Ohio serves a spicy chicken dish that is based in a red pepper sauce. I have never found anything close to it until today. We asked the owner where she got it and turns out she makes it herself and wouldn’t give out the recipe! Just that sauce alone will having me come back. It’s slightly spicy, slightly sweet, paste made from red peppers. The vegetable dumplings were great, as was my chicken teryiaki, but for sure it was my boyfriends beef bulgoni thing that stole the show! I wish I could remember exactly what it was called.
For those not into Asian food they have a great selection of sandwiches and paninis as well. A the salads seemed mouth watering as well. I can’t wait to go back in the spring to enjoy the outdoor seating.

Went here for lunch yesterday, and I now have a new favorite lunch spot in Carbondale!
Food was AWESOME, service was great. I had the Spicy Pork Bibimbap and it came in a huge ceramic bowl and all the veggies were seasoned just right. The pork has awesome flavor, and I really enjoyed the whole meal. This place is way better than Kaya! Go here! Just stick with the Korean dishes, they’re authentic and great. And ask for the yolk of your egg runny – they tend to hard boil ‘em.

Had the place to ourselves for Sunday brunch. The mimosas were excellent, the baquette french toast with almonds and berries was delicious, and the fresh fruit that accompanied the meal was presented beautifully. Definitely will be back!

Really a 3.5 out of 5
Sunday Brunch
There’s a separate menu for Sunday Brunch that isn’t a typical selection. A definite Asian spin. My husband got the Bulgogi Skillet. It was good, but said he’d try something different next time. I got the French Toast that came with a good amount of fresh fruit and a really nice sausage. The egg was cooked harder than what I had asked for. The French toast itself was very good and the plate was beautiful. The service was very good. We ate outside in the covered area rather than inside. There was hardly anyone there, so we were happy to support a local business that needs business.

A 1-​star café in a 4-​star space.
This place could be so great: A quaint little café tucked in off «the Strip» with good coffee and good-​looking desserts. How can you go wrong? Well,…
We went for dinner at 6pm. They were open, but it felt like they were closed as no one was there. Playing music could have helped a LOT in creating an atmosphere. As others filed in, the absolute stillness made it feel like strangers were listening in on our conversations – like when you whisper to your friend at a funeral. Food was just okay, but the menu is all over the map. They could benefit from pairing down the menu and figuring out exactly what type of cuisine they are going for – perfecting a few dishes instead of offering a hundred. Finally, considering there were only three tables occupied, the service was abysmal. Once we got our food, no one checked on us for over an hour.
It’s all disappointing because this is exactly the kind of place I would want to linger if I lived nearby, but the whole place just feels like it’s being run by people who don’t quite know what they are doing.

This fine establishment sets itself comfortably within the heart of the Carbondale strip, offering an ability to withdraw from the traffic and bar-​goers only to take refuge in their well maintained garden patio.
Whilst surrounded with the cooling ambience of Japanese maples, one can peruse their extensive menu to find what exactly matches the mood of the day. Although the menu is cumbersome with so many options, it allows any patron to comfortably find their taste-​identity for the day. Start off a Spring lunch with their edamame whilst enticing ones taste buds with a bowl of Soondubu Udon. Recap with colleagues or friends over flutes of mimosas or bellinis just to partake in sharing a Caprese salad for a Sunday brunch.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of this walled Eden is its ability to comfort the heart, regardless of season. Its warm interior and red wines are a perfect pair for weathering a brisk fall or winter day. That coupled with their meticulous arrangement of dishes allows one to build relationship with this restaurant that far exceeds a first timer’s expectations.
Although it may seem dead inside, its reserved character allows our conscious to realize that the hustle and bustle of the outside world can’t possibly interfere with this gastronomic paradise.
Definitely a go-​to place if one wants to break away from the standard dining establishments and seek something other than «normal».

My boyfriend and I took a friend to dinner at Mélange tonight, and overall it was an eclectic and fascinating experience.
The atmosphere is interesting, a little dark, a little close, and we sat up on the stage at a low table surrounded by comfy chairs and couches, which made the whole evening feel very much like a comfortable living room supper with friends. Very conducive to conversation and laughter, and we were entirely at ease. Especially when our waitress appeared from a hidden door in the wall of the stage.
The menu is huge. Probably a bit too big, as they’re doing so many things. There are salads, sandwiches, panini, pasta, and a variety of asian fusion options. We started with the shrimp, bacon and cheese canapé, which was, in essence a thick cut piece of bacon, wrapped around a cold boiled shrimp, wrapped with provolone cheese on a crostini with a touch of balsamic glaze. It looked strange, but we generally enjoyed it, the flavor combination was surprising and pleasant as a starter.
My boyfriend got the seafood pasta, my friend got the steak salad, and I got the Soondu Udon noodles with seafood. The seafood pasta and the Udon noodles had mussels, squid, shrimp, and I think cod as the seafood. All were cooked nicely, although the squid was a little rubbery, the flavors were quite nice. My friend said his steak salad was tasty. The portions, on the other hand, were HUGE. There were at least three servings of noodles, broth, and meat in my dish, and my friend’s salad could easily have fed three people. The seafood pasta was more reasonably sized, but we still ended up taking about a quarter of it home. The flavor in the Udon noodles was lovely — just spicy enough to compliment the delicate seafood, but the star of the dish was strangely the tofu. It is delicate and absorbs the complex flavors in the broth beautifully. If you order the noodles, I suggest sticking just with the tofu.
Dessert was a little less satisfying. I got the tiramisu, my boyfriend had the cheesecake, and my friend had the apple pie a la mode. The main issue was that both my tiramisu and the cheesecake had been frozen, and were still partially frozen, so you couldn’t really taste them. My friend enjoyed the pie, but it was a bit smushed and overwhelmed by the huge amount of ice cream over the top.
I had an espresso that I was completely pleased with, and my friend had a delicious americano.
On the whole, an enjoyable, eclectic experience. I will definitely go again.

We didn’t know what to expect, but the ink raw filtered saki on the counter with a stone fireplace gave us a clue. The inside seats 18 at the most, but it is cozy, the don burro is a light Japanese stew on rice, crunch on a mild broth. Bibimbap skillets, Ustashi rice, sandwiches for lunch and pastas. Lovely coffees and teas, I’ll be back to try the honey Apple Brie panini. They have an enclosed outdoor patio that will be fabulous in the Spring and summer. Enjoy! What a surprise to find!

Food was not good. Service was inexperienced. Coffee was good. No one else there should have been a sign.

I am really glad that I found this place because I had pretty much given up hope on finding a decent place in Carbondale. We had: vegetable dumplings as an appetizer, chicken bulgogi, chicken pasta gratin for the entrees and cheesecake and Limocello cake for dessert. Sooo, they are reasonably priced, serve quality goods, have good service and the food was tasty.

The food here is worth every penny. I’ve come here a few times and I always leave satisfied. I added some photos but everything is as beautiful as it is delicious. I highly recommend Sun’s French Toast for breakfast and the Chicken Cutlet Bibimbap for lunch. The service is good, and any waiting time someone has is probably due to how much thought and preparation goes into each dish. Mélange is my new go-​to café/​restaurant in Carbondale.

This place is so good and neat looking. The avocado & salami wrap is delish. New favorite restaurant in Carbondale.