Situated right next to Yarraville’s level crossing is an unassuming and elegant oasis from the bustle of village life. Coracle Dining has been quietly doing its own thing since 2018 serving up excellent coffee from Small Batch, specialty beverages, an extensive selection of teas, as well as beautiful East and South-east Asian fare with a strong Japanese aesthetic and philosophy towards food and produce.
Owner-operators, Jane and Benny, bring something very special to the local café and dining scene with their extensive experience and eye for detail. Every object in the carefully curated shop has a purpose and every ingredient on each dish is treated with the utmost respect and care.
This is not an establishment to go to if you are in a hurry. Named after the small, round woven boats that dot the waters in Vietnam where fishing is still a livelihood, Coracle is a place where time slows; where contemplation, mindfulness and intimate conversations are allowed to take up space.
Pushing forward this vision and standing firm with their values has been hard-fought, as many people often come with very fixed ideas of what a Melbourne café should be and should offer. As a long-time customer and supporter of what the Coracle team does, I cannot emphasise how much their efforts to push the boundaries of what a café can be are appreciated.
Their menu is small, but purposeful and well-crafted. It features childhood breakfasts inspired by the flavours of Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong, alongside beautiful breakfast and lunch sets that ebb and flow with the seasons. You won’t find any sourdough here, just soft, airy and pillowy Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread).
I come here when I want to treat myself, and always find it extremely hard to go past the Asagohan (Japanese breakfast) and the Yakitori (chargrilled chicken). Both are served with rice and a selection of small side dishes to accompany the main attraction, including (but not limited to) house-made pickles, a small bowl of soup and a rotating fragrant tea to finish.
They also currently have Bò Né (Vietnamese sizzling beef & eggs) on the menu – one of my favourite things to eat for breakfast. Benny’s version involves wagyu steak, garlic, pepper sauce, mash and house pickles, served with a Vietnamese baguette to mop everything up. I still have yet to try it as I am such a creature of habit, but it looks and smells absolutely amazing. I’m hoping that I will one day manage to break my routine and order it before the menu changes!
I usually dine here on weekdays. It is somewhat quieter and is perfect for a solo work lunch or a little tête-à-tête. It can get pretty busy on the weekends, with longer wait times as they prefer not to compromise on the dining experience of their customers. Don’t let it put you off however, because it is precisely this care and insistence on giving space that makes dining at Coracle all the more special.
Coracle Dining
63/65 Anderson St Yarraville VIC 3013
Mon, Wed–Sun 7–3pm Tues CLOSED
Ph no: (03) 9315 1311
Website: www.coracledining.com
Facebook: coracledining
Instagram: @coracledining
