20g Coffee Cafe — Restaurant in Melbourne

🌟Superb in the Suburbs🌟

I reckon that almost everyone has a favourite dish - and firm opinions for how it should be prepared, cooked and presented. As a longtime fan of laksa (and its many variants), I thought that I had pretty established ideas for what a good version should look and taste like.

Well, Rishi of 20g Coffee just knocked my socks off with his version. Imagine trying an old favourite and then realising what a next-level laksa could and should taste like!

Perfect portioning of noodles to soup and ingredients - brilliant choice of greens uncommon in the traditional laksa (think mint, tomatoes, zucchini, coriander), stuffed fresh tofu, tofu slices, roast pork slices, yellow noodles and beansprouts, all in a surprisingly light yet full-bodied seafood-based broth that packed a spicy punch. Topped with a surprising wedge of spiced lemon, the citrus and mint kept the mix of flavours dancing on the tongue long after my bowl was empty.

A truly inspired and outstanding take on laksa - quite possibly the best I've ever tasted so far south from its home origins. Its obvious that plenty of love and care had gone into its creation - and you'll know it when you taste it. These pictures don't do it justice. At $14 a pop and as a permanent lunch special item - this is one laksa that I'm sure we'll all be coming back to.

At this seating, the missus had a lamb burger which was also brilliantly seasoned and cooked - superbly portioned and accompanied by perfectly cooked fries. A hearty and satisfying meal.

As 20g is a one-man show with Rishi cooking, collecting and serving (supported only by a robot waiter), we had time while waiting for our food to take in the obvious love the neighbourhood has for this shop. Coffee cards and seasonal greeting cards adorn the walls. This is a cafe where patrons even chip in to help clear the tables so Rishi has more time to focus on what he does best.

20g is an absolute delight. Keep it up, Rishi - you're a real legend in...

Genuinely surprised that this cafe got 4.8 rating…..

the shop was HOT and not ventilated at all. We initially seated next to the kitchen and noticed that the cooking fumes was barely ventilated. We were suffocating and thankfully able to get move to outside tables once it was empty. Service and food were slow Food and coffee were okay. We ordered a wide variety (chicken curry, burger, pie, chicken avocado pasta and chilies omelette). Nothing stood out, just okay…price on the other hand, wasn’t reasonable. Service was rude. The old lady we assumed was a staff member (she clear the table, went into the kitchen area to wash dishes etc.) gave us rude stare frequently. We asked her about extra cup and she just blanked pointed to the other staff, not even a word of acknowledgment. We do noticed that the staff was quite friendly with the regular but definitely not us. Staff charged us wrong number of drinks ordered and was grumpy/in denial when we pointed out to her.

Overall, I don’t recommend this place at all. I’m really upset that I was misguided by the review score and took overseas guests there. There’re PLENTY of better place...

Mum's been raving about the coffee here, so gave the brunch menu a try when she was deciding where to go for her birthday dinner. Well, the next day we were back for dinner! Friendly & polite service, and the food was top notch! My partner had the steak, very tender and amazing flavour, while I had the carbonara which had a generous helping of bacon and was the perfect level of silky without being heavy. We had a number of vegan & vegetarians in the party who had plenty of options, the Caponata pasta was a hit, as was the vegetarian lasagne with my 90 year old grandma who polished the generous serving off! My brother described the Chicken Parma as ‘epic’, so that’s my next pick! Lovely people, good prices, amazing quality & portions, and in a quiet, non-crowded area. We felt comfortable & Covid-safe dining at this location, which was important considering our elderly family...