When you walk into True North, the first thing you’ll notice is the décor. It looks as though a group of rockabilly-luchador-skate punks converted a tattoo parlour into a café, walls coated in Old Weird America bric-a-brac, and a Robert Redford mirror. It makes for a cosy and interesting environment, although the inactive pinball machines which will leave your inner child shedding a tear.
There are a welcome number of booths in the dining room, from which your order will be taken and delivered promptly. The food menu is short and the drinks menu long – generally a good ratio – and the prices moderate, from $7 for a bagel to $21 for ‘The Yeti’, a bacon cheeseburger with fries (chips). There’s also a complete vegan/vegetarian menu with alternates of all the meat options, and a pastry case at the counter.
Drinks-wise, the gunpowder green tea ($4) is a step up from the average café green tea, with a pleasant smokiness and not scalded with boiling water. The house-made watermelon fresca ($5) is even nicer, refreshing and not overly sweet, and makes one curious about their other homemade beverages.
For Reuben purists, the True North Reuben ($15) literally won’t stack up – it comes with only a single layer of pastrami rather than the traditional ream. It also comes on sourdough instead of rye, has mayo rather than Russian dressing, and is heavy on cheese. As a result, the balance between salt, fat, and acid is thrown out.
And yet, it does taste good. The ingredients are quality and big on flavour, especially the sauerkraut, which has a good kick. The melted cheese does overpower matters somewhat. Perhaps the sandwich would be better billed as a Reuben toastie.
Alejandra and Christina’s Empanadas (also $15) come in a family of five served with a perfunctory salad of rocket, cabbage, and dill, as well as a chilli salsa and ajo, a Colombian aioli-type sauce. The empanadas themselves are fairly small, made of a thick masa dough housing a potato and black bean puree. The dough is tasty but dominates the filling, and without the condiments these are quite plain.
The chips ($5 small/$10 large) are simple batons, and thankfully not of the shoestring variety. They feel closer to real potato than many chips but were underseasoned and slightly chewy. Portion sizes for all of the foods were on the smaller side, especially the empanadas, which are closer to an entrée for a hungry traveller.
While I wouldn’t go for the food alone, atmosphere counts for a lot when it comes to cafes, and the unique décor and friendly service at the True North goes a long way in this regard.
True North
2a Munro St, Coburg
By David Parsons
The Coburg Meddler 