My head was spinning and my stomach was churning. I felt like I had just chugged down a litre of slightly warm milk and GOSH can I actually be lactose intolerant without knowing about it for 28 years? Or am I just terrible at drinking more than one dose of caffeine a day? After having a coffee already at Little Bean Blue the other day, Yuye, Tushar and I proceeded to our second coffee destination at Liaison Cafe, just a stones throw away.
I’ve been saying I’m such a coffee addict and I totally love my coffees etc and so forth, but in actual fact, I’ve never had more than 1 cup of coffee on any one day (apart from the crappy instant home made variety). So when my stomach started to feel slightly funny towards the end of my second cup, I felt a bit uneasy. Perhaps I lacked sleep, maybe that’s why. Or perhaps I just needed practice. How do those people do it who have 5 or more cups a day? I cannot imagine.
I sat there quietly sipping away, taking in the environment and trying to act cool. Tushar has at least 3 a day he said. 3. That’s 1 more than what I had that day.
I found the coffees at Liaison wasn’t as good at Little Bean Blue but was significantly bigger. It also didn’t come with beautiful coffee art. Nevertheless, it’s sufficient for those needing a caffeine hit as it was by no means bad.
It wasn’t a big cafe either, with a large shared table at the back and a few smaller ones scattered around. I assume most of the customers get their coffees and food take away.
When Tushar asked about the availability of food, I wasn’t too impressed or had high expectations with the offerings. The owner said they just had sandwiches, focaccias and the like which makes me think of pre-made, soggy and unappetising food that I would never really order from a cafe if they offered hot freshly made food on a plate. However, the food really took me by surprise.
Yuye’s meatball wrap ($12) was nicely toasted and warmed through and had a perfectly seasoned filling. The meatballs were still juicy and tasty and it was complimented by the gooey pecorino cheese and mayo. Overall a beautiful wrap served on a lovely wooden board. It didn’t look very big when it was brought out but it was certainly quite filling.
Since I have similar tastes to Yuye and he decides what he wants faster, he steals what I want to order on many occasions and this was one of them. The other dish that caught my attention on the lunch menu was the focaccia. As I failed to take a photo of the menu, I couldn’t quite remember what was inside apart from ham and a delicious tomato relish that gave the toasted focaccia a balanced taste and zing. Naturally, Yuye and I shared our 2 dishes, however we were both so full that I had to take half of my focaccia away. Luckily, I had it as a snack later when I got hungry again. 😀
Tushar ordered a seemingly boring avocado and tomato toasted sandwich but he said it was actually quite nice.
Although the coffees were just average, I did quite like the food offered at Liaison Cafe. If you’re after a fast and delicious meal and you’re nearby, Liaison Cafe is a good choice. If you’re ordering coffees on the go, there’s probably better options such as Little Bean Blue and many other cafes that I haven’t tried in that area of the city.
Question time: Are you a coffee lover? What’s the most number of coffees you’ve had in one day?
Liaison Cafe
Phone: (03) 9663 3225
22 Ridgway Pl, Monaco House, Melbourne VIC 3000
Adam August 5, 2012, 4:20 pm
I see the ‘latte’ is low at this place too. Seems the new trend, more froth less coffee!
Jenny @ Ichigo Shortcake August 15, 2012, 1:15 am
Yes this amount of froth is about the norm at cafes these days…but I do come across the occasional less foam variety.
Hotly Spiced August 5, 2012, 5:30 pm
I think the meatball toastie looks wonderful. I started to notice I was being affected by caffeine and I had to cut back as well. xx
Jenny @ Ichigo Shortcake August 15, 2012, 1:16 am
I wish I wasn’t affected by the caffeine, I haven’t tried again to have more than 1 cup a day so maybe I should test it out..:P
Parsley Sage August 6, 2012, 12:09 am
Nice surprise! There’s a place here that’s the same. Coffee joint with sub-par coffee but yummy food
And I’m a two cup-a-dayer myself!
Charles August 6, 2012, 7:27 am
Damn, I love coffee – I’m ashamed to say I get terrible headaches if I don’t drink my daily dose. Usually 8-10 cups a day, rising to ~14 or so when I’m staying with the in-laws in Sweden (Swedes are the second biggest consumers of coffee in the world, after Finland apparently). Still – there are worse things to be addicted to!
That wrap looks great – surprisingly so for a café.
Iron Chef Shellie August 6, 2012, 10:52 am
Must be something with the milk cos so many are saying the same thing. I’d be all over that meatball thing… i looooooove meatballs!
yummychunklet August 6, 2012, 12:16 pm
Always love fun coffee house drinks like that!
kitchenriffs August 6, 2012, 12:31 pm
I don’t understand either how people can have more than a couple of cups of coffee a day – I just can’t handle that much caffeine. Tea, on the other hand, I can drink by the gallon with no ill effects. Weird.
The Squishy Monster August 6, 2012, 1:44 pm
The ambiance and food look incredible!!
Ming @ sweetandsourfork August 7, 2012, 5:32 pm
I love coffee too but anything more than one medium a day is just calling for upset stomachs, so fingers crossed it isn’t lactose intolerance for you! The wraps and sandwiches look really yummy, sometimes hearty and simple is just what you need
Libby August 9, 2012, 6:39 pm
I used to be a one cup a day girl but lately, it’s stretched to two cups with a few cups of green tea in between. Wah! No wonder I feel so crappy at the end of the day!