Long Story Short Cafe
40, Crockford Street, Port Melbourne
03 9646 5697
Breakfast, Cafe, Coffee and Tea
$$
Food
- Slow Cooked Cold Drip Coffee Pork Ribs
- Activated Charcoal Fish and Chips
- Deconstructed Souvlaki
- LSS Beef Burger
- Buttermilk Tim Tam Pancakes
- Fairy Floss Dessert Burger
- Cold Drip Coffee Tiramisu
- Matcha White Chocolate Sphere
The Good
We started off with the Matcha White Chocolate Sphere & Marshmallows. This drink was not shy on the theatrics, and requires you to pour the hot Matcha drink into a the perfectly round white chocolate sphere into the cup, thereby melting the chocolate. Initially hidden within the sphere, the marshmallows slowly bubble up to the top as the sphere is melted, and provide a sudden burst of sweetness through the slight bitterness of the matcha.
We also enjoyed the Pork Ribs. Cooked to great tenderness, the protein fell off the bone with ease and was incredibly flavoursome and juicy. Accompanied by a fresh Vietnamese slaw and lemongrass balsamic vinegar, the dish delivered plenty of flavour. However, the much sought-after coffee flavour failed to permeate through the smokey barbeque aroma that coated the ribs. The occasional cuts of pineapple were a pleasant surprise and did wonders, adding an interesting tang to the dish.
The Tim Tam Pancakes looked mighty spectacular. Topped with generous chunks of Tim Tams, the hotcakes were piled high and finished with, yes, Tim Tam Gelato. With an abundance of crunchy chocolate crispies dotted throughout and drizzled with a thick chocolate soup, this dessert was definitely any sweets lover dream come true. The pancakes themselves were rather dense and can be best compared to having the texture of a poundcake. While we would’ve preferred a more airy and spongey variety, these worked well in soaking up the pool of chocolate sauces resulting from the melted gelato.
The long-awaited Fairy Floss Dessert Burger was another highlight. Shrouded in a cloud of pink fairy floss and topped with edible flowers, pouring the coconut milk on top causes the popping candy to sound and breaks down the fairy floss, revealing the brioche burger hiding within. Sandwiched within is a generous scoop of honey crunch gelato that was sweet and creamy, and was accompanied by bits of fresh fruit that provided a balancing tartness.
We ended the evening with the Tiramisu, which was beautifully smooth and creamy. The coffee flavour was well balanced, mixed with just the right amount of custard and chocolate that provided a nice sweetness that permeated throughout.
We also enjoyed the juxtaposition created by the coffee soil spreaded throughout as well as the occasional crunch of chocolate crispies.
The Mediocre
We felt that the Charcoal Fish and Chips were unremarkable. While the use of charcoal in food items seem to be all the rage these days, we felt that the presentation of the dish could definitely use a lot of improvement. Fortunately, the dish was more palatable that it looked, with a crispy outer shell enclosing some tender fish protein that was soft without being overly flakey. While this was well complemented by the flavoursome beetroot labneh, the dish overall were certainly nothing to write home about.
The Long Story Short Beef Burger could’ve been a real winner. With an exceptionally runny duck egg yolk poking out of the burger as well as an abundance of crispy bacon, it was definitely a sight to behold. Unfortunately, we found the beef patty the weakest point of the burger, which felt over-processed and the meat was definitely a mixture of a variety of proteins. The result was flavourful, though the spongey and bouncy texture was less than desirable.
The Bad
Unfortunately the Deconstructed Souvlaki was the biggest let-down of the evening. While the lamb itself was incredibly tender and juicy, it was altogether much too salty. While the fresh heirloom tomatoes and raw onions did assist in balancing out the flavours, we felt that the salt was nevertheless overpowering and made the dish inedible for the most part.
The Verdict
Long Story Short has been on my to-visit list for a very long time. We arrived with high hopes from seeing those Instagram-worthy pancakes and beautifully decorated brunch dishes.
While their lunch menu is well thought-out and many of the dishes theoretically could’ve worked incredibly well, it was unfortunate that the execution was far from perfect on this occasion and delivered some mixed results.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
I’d definitely be back for more of their spectacular sweet treats for sure! The savoury stuff? I’m yet to be convinced.
Penguineats would like to thank Long Story Short for inviting us.