Coffee Quest #32 - Operator Diner (Melbourne, I miss thee)
/// Oh jeez, this was stuck in my drafts for almost a year and I completely forgot about it. Drafts jubilee can have this one. ///
I remember waking up and my friend telling me in the airbnb that she needed pancakes. Like, this was a non-negotiable thing. She had to have pancakes. Moreso, she had to have HONEST pancakes.
When she googled Operator Diner's location, there were two branches in Melbourne. One was on the west side of the CBD, but we went to this one in the east because according to reviews, this was the better one. The one in the west doesn't seem like to be open anymore (or at least I can't find it on google maps).
Here's the Stack on Stack; the 'honest' pancakes my friend craved. She told me that she couldn't stand flashy 'instagram-worthy' cafes with their 'unicorn fluff' (candy floss) or fruity compote--no, she had to have honest, good ol' fashioned pancakes and it would be criminal to deny her.
She loved it. It's pecan butter on top and the maple syrup had a nice aroma without being disgustingly sweet. When she let me have a taste, I felt the pecan butter could do with a bit more salt for flavour contrast. The pancakes were soft and moist, if a little sticky in the center? She said it felt a tiny bit stodgy and could be cooked a little bit more.
I had the Sausage Egg McMuffin with Bacon Chutney and Cheese. The patty was slightly red with a nice crisp. Muffin had a soft chew to it. Egg was half-cooked scramble and wonderfully light. The bacon chutney...ehhh...kinda just okay. Suprisingly light and not salty, mostly there for texture. My biggest gripe was that the muffin bun was a bit cold and I wished they toasted it properly.
Operator Diner was very packed though. We lined up to get in, so I ain't holding it against the workers, they were struggling.
This was the berry taste batch brew. It's rather dark. It's also Code Black Coffee. (fuck yes)
God. I go to Melbourne and people will talk about the coffees I like and say, "y'know maddie, that one's kinda mid so you can't say all Melbourne coffees are good."
To which I'll say: You do not know the sheer sorry state of coffee in New Zealand. The damn swill I am forced to drink. This is why I make coffee at home.
I WOULD DO TERRIBLE THINGS FOR A CUP OF CODE BLACK.
Anyway, I liked Operator Diner, just be wary of the queue lines. There's a nice old bar called Caretaker's Cottage nearby and we kinda just stood outside admiring the old stonework while waiting to be admitted.