Coffee Quest #17: Bench Coffee Co.
Small but bustling, Bench Coffee Co. is a bit different from the other coffee places in Melbourne. I didn't expect such a white and sterile environment in HIPSTER CITY, and I felt like I was being served by the ghosts of Steve Jobs given how many black turtle necks there were. This is a place more famous for their dacquoise, but I'll get to that in a bit.
First off, their coffee. Their espresso uses their own Bench Coffee Bauhaus Blend. You get the tart notes very early, and I see why they compare it to green apple. My partner really like this one. It took a while for me to get used to it because it's very different from the usual milk-chocolate/malt coffees you get around here, and I was pleasantly surprised. It lingers very nicely too!
Okay, their dacquoise. It's...expensive. There's no way to mince words around it, it's just extremely pricey for what you get. A dacquoise is a type of almond and hazelnut meringue served with different types of cream. At first glance, you might think you're about to bite into a hard, dry cookie, but it's actually very, very soft.
I liked it. I really did. It had a very interesting texture, and the larger almond meal bits gave a certain grittiness that I felt added interest to every bite. I also really enjoyed the uji matcha cream I had in the middle. The vanilla and sea salt one was a lot saltier than I expected, but that's in a good way. Too many places are afraid to bring the salty notes to the forefront.
If you'd like to go, just be prepared to shell out a lot more money than you expect. There's also a line to wait for despite being near closing time.