The Vertue Of The Coffee Drink
8 Raffa Place, Carlton
03 8060 6987
Breakfast, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee and Tea
$$$
Food
- Return of the Mac
- Pulled Beef Burger
- Flat White
The Good
We thoroughly enjoyed the Return of the Mac. Sitting right in the centre of the dish were the two sizeable Mac and Cheese Croquettes. The light, golden brown crumbing was thin and fried to perfection, it’s crunch enclosing a soft and gooey inner. While not overly cheesy nor flavoursome, the inner was rich and tasty enough when complemented by the delectably soft and bold braised ham hock. As the yolk of the runny poached egg slowly dripped down and combined with the beetroot bearnaise, this bold and hearty breakfast dish definitely satisfied the tastebuds.
The Pulled Beef Burger Seemed to continue the running theme of beetroot in our dishes, but this isn’t necessarily a complaint as the earthiness of the relish really worked well with the sweetness of the caramelised onion and the beef. However the stringy pulled beef wasn’t as tender as it possibly could have been, which is interesting enough texturally, but was a little lacking in moisture and mouth-watering juices.
The Mediocre
It’s rather disappointing to see that the latte art was obviously overlooked. Granted, this has no impact on the taste of the coffee, but having established itself as a premium roaster and cafe, you’d think they would pay more attention to all aspects of the coffee. Fortunately though, the coffee tasted great, full-bodied, with a lovely and lingering aftertaste that definitely keeps you wanting for more.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
Despite being hidden away in the back of an alleyway, their reputation for great coffee and amazing food definitely precedes it. Having been on our to-go list for a long time, we are glad to report that the dishes we sampled today were overall rather tasty, and coffees tasted undeniably solid.
However, given all that we’ve heard, it’s a shame that there was nothing so remarkable that blew away our tastebuds, especially given your higher-than-average price tag.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Sure. More coffees and Mac and Cheese for me please!