To describe The Glass Den, in a sentence, would be that this is your Instagram cafe, beautiful…read morepeeps! :)
Their location may not easily be accessible by Metro, as they are nestled in an abandoned prison site in Coburg. My brother and I came in on a wintry Sunday morning and thankfully, despite it being full house we experienced zero wait. At a first glance, noticed that the space itself is rather unique: rustic decor, a little hipster in a way, but it exudes this unpretentious and laid back vibe - the kind of cafe that invites you to chill a little bit longer.
Their menu is quite impressive, focusing on Asian-Australian fusion, we had a hard time choosing just three since everything sounded intriguing. But no matter what dish you ordered, you can always count on the heavy emphasis on beauty and intricate plating.
We ordered and shared:
* Vanilla Bean Waffle ($24): The presentation was quite theatrical, involving brownie nibs, matcha soil, housemate cookie n cream ice cream, hazelnut, raspberry coulis, strawberries, blueberries and citrus meringue - it looks so damn tempting, almost like an edible garden but unfortunately everything was underwhelming.
* Prawn Tempura Ramen ($20): This was less theatrical in their presentation, but equally as boring as the previous. The bowl of ramen comes with enoki, asparagus, pickled daikon, nori, boiled egg and housemate miso tare. My brother, actually made a comment that instant noodle tasted 10 times better with a fraction of its $$, lol.
* Donkka Burger ($18): The burger performs a bit better, with spicy fried pork cutlet served on a charcoal brioche bun with cos lettuce, pickled ginger, pickled radish, granny smith, coriander and charcoal aoili - it's always a great time when you can munch on something crispy and salty (fried pork cutlet), paired with soft brioche. Recommended.
*Taro latte: The taro latte caught my eye, and I was expecting a sweet and nutty flavor made from the taro root vegetable. But sadly, there was no hint of taro, no sweetness, in fact this feels like drinking a plain warm milk. The saving grace for me, is the fact that it is PURPLE.
In a nutshell, The Glass Den is a perfect place if you want to take great #food pictures and be captivated with the superficial details. But when it comes down to the food, felt like there is a little sense of direction in the taste department. Regardless, I would give this place another chance, as I sensed originality in their food plus they looked so eye-catching, so until next time.