Walking to the park this morning was like being on holiday – temperature well on its way to 30 plus, tropical humidity, and the smell of Moreton bay figs and bacon and eggs wafting through the air like an island resort’s breakfast buffet. I wanted nothing more than to be sitting down with an omelet and an OJ. Instead, I was pushing a tangle of tantruming toddlers to a park, hoping to have it all over and done with before the day got too hot to handle.
So the universe saw fit to tease me when I stopped in at Chill Cafe. There were plastic vines and fake tropical flowers all over the place with large-format printed waterfalls and peacocks creating the completely convincing illusion of being on a secluded King St island. They had a number of enticing sounding cold-drinks – a butterfly pea lemonade and a cold brew with tonic – but I ordered a flat white for science. I blame all of you.
The coffee was different, at least, made with much less milk than usual so you could really taste the coffee. This would be great, if the coffee was good, but it wasn’t. It had that weird percolated flavour that tasted at worst like a cheap plunger and at best like a pod. How that’s even possible out of an espresso machine, I don’t know, but it left a nasty sludge at the bottom of my cup. The banana bread wasn’t bad: it was a bit Soul Originny, but less greasy, and while it didn’t taste like fresh banana, it also didn’t taste like vanilla essence, so I guess it all averaged out.
This somewhat disappointing holiday tease has left me craving a little Bali jaunt.
Coffee: -1
BB: 0