Marvelous lunch: Trunk Diner

Trunk Diner on the corner of Exhibition and Little Lonsdale streets. Photo: Shaun Lee

LUNCH is probably one of the most underrated dining experiences, and places like Trunk Diner make you wonder why you hadn’t thought about it earlier.

Tucked in the garden corner of Exhibition and Little Lonsdale streets, it’s a cosy joint for a catch up with friends, or perhaps a casual lunch date.

Trunk Diner. View from the inside. Photo: Shaun Lee

Good food with a very reasonably priced menu to boot ($8.50-$16) – gourmet burgers, quesadillas, baguettes, soups, eggs and waffles (yes, they are open for breakfast too) – makes you happy to come back.

Our all-time favourite was the burger. Fresh ground Wagyu beef, baby cos, thick cut tomato and house made pickles sandwiched between a grilled brioche bun ($10).

Wagyu burger at Trunk Diner. Tomato, cos lettuce and onions for self-assembly on the side. Photo: Shaun Lee

And then there are all the other extras you may like to add – Cheddar, Gruyere, Raclette or Monterey Jack cheese, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, jalapenos, crispy bacon, avocado salad, and chips.

We went for the Monterey Jack cheese, bacon and a side of chips. The menu specified that all burgers were cooked medium rare. Ours arrived more well-done, but it was still juicy and yum nonetheless.

Cuban baguette with pulled pork, gypsy ham and chipotle mayonnaise. Photo: Shaun Lee

The Cuban baguette was also a winner ($8.50), stuffed with pulled (shredded) pork, gypsy ham, gruyere, zuchinni pickles, and drizzled with chipotle mayonnaise.

The only disappointment was the Spanish chicken pot ($13) which we felt lacked a little bit of lustre and complexity. We would’ve also liked a bigger hunk of bread to go on the side.

We finished our meal with some sweets – an awesome pecan pie with a gooey caramelized roasted pecan filling, and a lemon meringue pie which would’ve been perfect if it had been just a touch more tart ($6 each).

Sugar, spice and all things nice. Trunk Diner’s pecan pie. Photo: Shaun Lee

Lemon meringue pie for those with a seriously sweet tooth. Photo: Shaun Lee

Now… who wants to try breakfast at Trunk?

Trunk Diner is located at 275 Exhibition St, Melbourne, and is open for breakfast and lunch, eat-in or take-away, Monday to Friday.