Yes I like cake, I think that's pretty clear.
After a scary job interview in the South Yarra neighbourhood, decided to reward myself with a coffee and sweets at LuxBite. I had known about the tempting desserts at this patisseire cafe since last year, but never found the opportunity to try it. Weak excuse I know - as if you need a reason to eat cake!
Brought along Mama Munchalot, who as a hardcore asian parent is naturally suspicious of anything slightly branded as "fusion". Which is what LuxBite prides itself in - fusing French pastry techniques with Asian flavours.
For example the Banoffee Opera style cake we had included a layer of sichuan pepper chocolate crunch, while the Meringue Monster featured a green tea sponge base. Their macarons also had a South-East Asian twist, with kopiko and ribena flavours available (not in the same macaron!)
Nabbing a seat in the small cafe required a bit of a wait, but staff were very nice and apologetic, even fetching spare stools for us to sit on while waiting.
Mama and I amused ourselves by pouring over their menu and closely inspecting all the cakes in the fridge. Nice to see the Asian flavours shine through in the cafe menu as well.
The sichuan pepper in the Banoffee was not immediately noticeable, but the numbing feeling did come on a few minutes later. I really enjoyed the merger between the sweet indulgence of cake with the zing and numb of the peppercorns; as a spice-lover this was a great taste sensation for me! The cake itself is wonderfully textural with its layers of light sponge, rich and dense ganache, and crunch from the pepper layer. A real treat to savour - party in my mouth!
Contrasting textures was not as prominent Meringue Monster, as all elements of this cake were light and soft. However their individual flavours did pack a punch, especially the watermelon and strawberry components. These distinctive flavours worked well together to form a light dessert, again not too sweet thanks to the sour strawberry mousse.
Much to Mama Munchalot's surprise, she really enjoyed both cakes. She was also very interested to find out that the co-owner and head pastry chef Bernard Chu hails from Kelantan, Malaysia. She was definitely proud of the achievements of her fellow Malaysian.
Both cakes were memorable for me. The sichuan pepper in the Banoffee really made an impression, while what the Meringue Monster lacked in texture it made up for in flavour. However I don't know if I will be back in a hurry - there are a few other cake shops I would like to try first...
Burch and Purchese here I come!!
Munch-marks: 8/10
After a scary job interview in the South Yarra neighbourhood, decided to reward myself with a coffee and sweets at LuxBite. I had known about the tempting desserts at this patisseire cafe since last year, but never found the opportunity to try it. Weak excuse I know - as if you need a reason to eat cake!
Brought along Mama Munchalot, who as a hardcore asian parent is naturally suspicious of anything slightly branded as "fusion". Which is what LuxBite prides itself in - fusing French pastry techniques with Asian flavours.
For example the Banoffee Opera style cake we had included a layer of sichuan pepper chocolate crunch, while the Meringue Monster featured a green tea sponge base. Their macarons also had a South-East Asian twist, with kopiko and ribena flavours available (not in the same macaron!)
Nabbing a seat in the small cafe required a bit of a wait, but staff were very nice and apologetic, even fetching spare stools for us to sit on while waiting.
Mama and I amused ourselves by pouring over their menu and closely inspecting all the cakes in the fridge. Nice to see the Asian flavours shine through in the cafe menu as well.
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| Banoffee Opéra style cake: Hazelnut sponge, banana ganache, Sichuan pepper chocolate crunch, salted toffee buttercream / $8.50 (iirc) |
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| Meringue Monster (Signature cake): Green tea sponge, pistachio, watermelon yoghurt, sour strawberry mousse, meringue (Gluten free) / $7.50 |
Much to Mama Munchalot's surprise, she really enjoyed both cakes. She was also very interested to find out that the co-owner and head pastry chef Bernard Chu hails from Kelantan, Malaysia. She was definitely proud of the achievements of her fellow Malaysian.
Both cakes were memorable for me. The sichuan pepper in the Banoffee really made an impression, while what the Meringue Monster lacked in texture it made up for in flavour. However I don't know if I will be back in a hurry - there are a few other cake shops I would like to try first...
Burch and Purchese here I come!!
Munch-marks: 8/10
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