EAT: CORACLE CAFE, YARRAVILLE

I often find that Asian inspired brunching is quite a bit more exciting than the standard brunch fare. Which is why it was so surprising that it took me so long (too long) to get around to visiting Coracle Cafe, located in a neighbouring suburb from home and only a stone’s throw from my pilates studio. Visit number one took place earlier this year over the Christmas break… and making up for lost time, visit number two took place a mere few weeks later. The food was that good.

I first visited on a super warm day (iced coffee, tick!), so I ended up with the chilled ebi soba, one of many options I was tossing up between on the menu. The charred juicy prawns, crispy fried prawn head, and veggies made quite the tasty combo of flavours that teamed beautifully with the silky soba noodles. It was a refreshing and light pick that was fitting for the hot weather. On my return visit, I ordered another dish that I had eyed previously - the yuzu tori karaage brown rice bowl. This dish was quite a bit more substantial in size, featuring juicy pieces of crispy fried chicken, topped with a zesty yuzu mayo and served with brown rice and roast veggies. Much like the soba I had, the dish was beautifully balanced in flavour and an absolute treat to eat.

At the time of writing this review and the covid-19 stage three restrictions currently in place, Coracle Cafe remains open for takeaway and also have a selection of grocery items for purchase.