Aftermath Diner

154B Greville St
Prahran, VIC 3181

Aftermath Diner is a nifty little intersection between American diner, British greasy spoon, and Mexican taqueria. Tucked off the main Prahran High Street, it’s yet to fully take off, but boy oh boy are their hotcakes good. I also love how their dishes err on the smaller side (priced accordingly, of course), so you can have the option to try a few more things, instead of committing to one large plate. Get in before they get busy!

Rating: 13.5/20 – come for the hotcakes, stay for the hotcakes.
Must order: the hotcakes, funnily enough.

Most of the dishes at Aftermath are pretty pared back; the Huevos Rancheros ($23) is probably the most elaborate of the lot. I enjoyed the simple heartiness of this classic breakfast, the combination of beans, egg, and aromatic corn tortilla providing a nourishing start to the day. I did however wish for some more depth of flavour to the beans, as well as a zippiness that was lacking from the tomatillo salsa. I would recommend helping it along with a splash of hot sauce.

Much simpler, but also much more flavoursome was the Sausage Bun ($15). Unlike most breakfast sandwiches, this was actually balanced, rather than a greasy fry-up between two buns. The house-made patty was mellow, allowing the freshness of the salsa verde, and the smoky mojo rojo salsa to shine.

Another reviewer described the Hotcake ($15) as ‘life-changing’, and honestly? Same. This was the perfect buttermilk hotcake; thick and fluffy in the centre with just enough weight to soak up the syrup without getting claggy, and lightly browned edges with a hint of crispiness. And speaking of syrup, the sticky miso maple butter is straight up crack sauce. The browned butter and savoury miso bring to mind a more complex, grown-up version of salted caramel, without any of the cloying sweetness. My sib and I were debating how many of these we could each eat, and the consensus appears to be three, at a minimum.

My Skim Flat White ($4.5) was serviceable and then some, the beans smooth and the milk well-frothed.

Similarly, the Iced Matcha ($7.5) was also of quality, its not-too-sweet profile giving away its use of proper matcha powder, rather than the instant and pre-sweetened stuff from a tin.