A perfect place to eat & drink? – I’ll say CocoInc
“Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture.” Mark Kurlansky
A Mediterranean restaurant always swarming with vibrant people is certain to catch your attention. If not, the impressive ambiance of the influential shadows upon the wall from the awe-inspiring lights and wooden decor is bound to take your breath away. Every corner you gaze your eye upon, there is a warm atmosphere making you feel welcome – almost like the feeling of home, except surrounded by highly presented plates of delightful food.
With gracious ambient music playing in the background, the first thought that haunts your mind is “this place must be expensive”. However to my surprise, as I look through the menu, the pricing was fairly moderate – not expensive nor cheap. Nonetheless, as a food adoring person, after tasting the mouth watering food upon my tongue I could say that the beautifully prepared food drowned in divine sauce, was no longer considered moderate price but instead cheap.
Let me share my priceless experience at CocoInc for all those who have not visited…
Food
4.75/5
The food without doubt was exquisite. With a range of meals to choose from, I decided to go with the “CocoInc Surf’ Turf”, which included a well seasoned rib eye steak with prawns, scallops and veggies as well as fries all topped off with their unique enticing sauce, beef jus. While I wait for my meal, I cannot help but admire other people’s dishes, so nicely presented, every single plate prepared delicately and most importantly the quantity was sure eye satisfying. This not being my first experience here, I can honestly say, their other range of meals are also worth eating. Their special meals of the day is never disappointing, creative, delicious, unique and indeed, very special! Have you ever had your meat cooked in adventurous ways and still taste so scrumptious – for instance, cooked with mangoes or even watermelons? If not, head down to CocoInc and you might be lucky enough to bump into one of their special meals. DO NOT rely on the special boards to tell you what the special meals are as they are very poorly updated. Just ask the waiter/waitress about the “today’s special meals” – that’s if they haven’t already introduced them to you upon seating/taking your order (which I highly doubt). Overall you would never leave CocoInc feeling hungry, whether it be breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper, meals are always satisfying and filling, it’s one of those food experiences you DO NOT want to pass by on.
Drinks
3.5/5
CocoInc specializes in chocolate so tiheir range is indescribable. In order to utilize their specialty they have a range of desserts and drinks to promote their enticing chocolate. With a variety of European hot chocolate, it will take you a lot of consideration to order your cup of chocolate. I ordered the White with Hazelnut European hot chocolate and it did not disappoint me one bit. I am not a big fan of chocolate, nevertheless i found this cup to be mesmerizing, it made every taste bud of mine yell out for more! Very pleasant. Their ice coffee topped with crème and added whole coffee beans was also delightful to drink, however I did not take a liking to in their Almond Nougat European Hot chocolate which tasted a bit foul and bitter as well as their Chai Latte which was overpowered by cinnamon.
Ambiance
4/5
The atmosphere at CocoInc was heartwarming and made me feel very welcomed. The staffs were beautiful, the scene and decorations were modern and classy, the music was smooth and relaxing, the seating’s and arrangement were very comfortable. They even had an outdoor area where you can dine, which is beautiful when the sun is out and shining. There are two down sides however, one is their door, it really needs some repairing, hard to open and very dangerous on windy days when you attempt to close the door, secondly the place does get a little cramped sometimes, but what can you expect for a wonderful restaurant like this. Other than that, CocoInc is a wonderful place with a magnificent atmosphere.
Service
4.25/5
Coco Inc’s service was just wonderful. The best I’ve ever seen. Staff members were all on the ball. As soon as I stepped into those doors, I was immediately seated – on very comfy couches must I say. Without even asking, a bottle of water was served. The waiter/waitress with welcoming attitudes we’re more than pleased to introduce their special meals and take our order. Upon receiving our food they would come and ask if we’re pleased with the food and if we needed anything else – I even got free bread once to eat with my enticing sauce that was left on my plate, how nice is that? Overall, the service there is definitely welcoming and professional. However there is one downside, when the crowd builds up, the wait on food increases quite a bit, some reviewers have claimed their service is terrible based on the long wait they had to endure. But if you order a nice drink and chit chat amongst your friends, you don’t even notice it!
Price
4/5
If you’ve read everything above, you would definitely know what I mean when I say it’s cheap. Unless you’re a really cheap cheap cheap, dirt cheap person, then you would call the prices moderate after experiencing CocoInc’s food. If you think the food is just expensive – I’m sure you’ll be happy just eating two minute noodles.
Menu
| Address: | 308 High St Northcote VIC 3070 |
| Phone: | 94890218 |
| Opening Hours: | 8am – Midnight Daily |
Linh Dao - Contributor