The Flat White Australian Adventure: Brothers on Young, Frankston

Moving further south to another Australian wine region, I’m now in Frankston, the northern most point of the Mornington Peninsula. According to the city’s welcome sign, it’s “where city meets country”. It’s more like suburbia.

I’m actually living a very short distance from here while I’m in Australia. Yes, enjoying the tranquillity of country life. So, after running some errands I decide to grab a quick lunch at the Brothers on Young. The café sits among a slew of indistinguishable shops in an outdoor shopping complex on what I assume is the main drag in Frankston. What draws me to Brothers is its laid back café vibe and its promise of good coffee. With mocha-stained wood panel floors, contemporary art displayed on the walls, and Michael Jackson (back when he was awesome) playing through the speakers, the ambience is hip, modern and leisurely.

Friendly service, relaxed atmosphere, simple but tasty food. And the flat white …delicious and beautifully decorated with micro foam coffee art (a heart). Well, I heart you too, Flat White!

Brothers on Young is located at 6 Young St, Frankston, VIC, Australia 3199

 

The Flat White Australian Adventure: The Good Food Room

First stop on the Flat White Australian adventure is the Good Food Room in the town of Warburton in the picturesque Yarra Wine Valley, about 77 kms east of Melbourne. This lovely little boho cafe has the good fortune of sitting just in front of the Yarra River and is surrounded by breath-taking vistas of Yarra Valley’s lush forests and rolling hills.

The Good Food Room’s flat white is impressive. It was my intro into the world of flat whites and it does not disappoint — rich milk-infused fair-trade espresso with just a touch of foam. When adding sugar would spoil the experience, you know it’s a good coffee!

Good Food Room is located at 3415 Warburton Hwy, Warburton, Australia (Ph 03 5966 2464)

 

Flat Whites: An Australian Coffee Adventure

Being an avid coffee lover, I was excited to be heading off to Melbourne – the self-proclaimed “coffee capital of Australia”.

The city prides itself on its cafe culture and I couldn’t wait to partake in the languid cafe life.

Australia as a whole is a huge consumer of the cuppa, with the median consumption being 464 cups a year per individual. That’s a lot of coffee!

Before leaving, an Australian friend of mine, knowing my affinity for the caffeine-infused beverage, told me about the Flat White. The flat white is an espresso-based coffee beverage served in Australia and New Zealand, that is very similar to a traditional cafe latte, so similar in fact that the differences are arguable. Some say that a flat white is simply a properly made North American style cafe latte. Others say the key difference is the lack of foam at the top of a flat white (hence the “flat” white). Still others say that the difference is that a flat white is served in a china cup while the cafe latte is served in a glass.

Whatever the case, I decided to sample the flat white delights as I traversed Melbourne, surrounding area and beyond.

I’ll keep you posted…