Melbourne, VIC

shopping

Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop

Mister Nice Guy’s is quite possibly the best vegan and allergy-friendly bakery in Melbourne. Their cruelty-free baked goods are some of the most sought for in town, and it’s always super busy. My friend dropped in as soon as they opened at 9am to get us some of their famous cupcakes. We tried the Black Forest and the Cookies & Cream flavours. Both cupcakes were amazing. The cupcakes themselves were incredibly soft and moist, and not one bit dry or crumbly like some other vegan cakes I’ve tried. The icing is very light and fluffy, and not too sweet which I love. I will definitely be back to try more of their huge selection of cruelty-free and guilt-free treats!

Melbourne, VIC

cafe

Mochi Moments

I was kindly invited to sample the fresh mochi at Mochi Moments in Emporium. The mochi here is as fresh as you can get - made to order, and you can watch them rolling the soft mochi skin on the counter. I tried the Taro ice-cream mochi, the Oreo mochi, the Durian mochi, and the Matcha Red Bean mochi. It was recommended to have the ice cream mochi last as it is the sweetest. All four flavours were incredible, the taro ice cream one being my absolute favourite. The mochi skin is so thin and soft, it’s amazing that it actually holds all the filling! The mochis are large and filled to the brim, but they’re very light so you won’t feel too full after eating them. The matcha one was filled with a delightful matcha cream, centred with red bean. The red bean was chunky and not too sweet, adding a nice texture to the soft cream. The matcha wasn’t overpowering either. The durian one is a must try for durian lovers! It’s generously filled with durian flesh and a light cream, and it’s VERY durian-y! The Oreo one was delicious too. One of their most popular - it’s filled with Oreo crumbs and fresh cream. It tastes like cookies & cream ice cream - who can complain about that! And of course, my favourite - the taro ice cream. A huge scoop of fragrant taro ice cream and topped with cookie crumbs - it’s a delightful combination of flavours and textures. It’s light, sweet and delicious. And it’s very different to the ice cream mochi you buy in the freezer as the mochi skin is still fresh and soft. If you’re looking for fresh mochi, definitely check this place out. It’s conveniently located in Emporium, sharing a store with Tutti Frutti.

South Melbourne, VIC

shopping

Cannoleria

We came across their pop-up store while strolling in Highpoint. We were instantly drawn, along with the crowd, to the small stall that was filling cannolis with fresh ricotta. We decided to get the Sicilian (their most popular) - sweet ricotta, cinnamon & pistachio crumb. The shell was so crispy as it was freshly filled, and the filling was super light and not too sweet. So glad that we found out about this cannoli place. I’d be happy to visit their proper store in South Melbourne Market.

Melbourne, VIC

shopping

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart Melbourne Central

Sampled their yuzu cheese tart from a while ago and it definitely met my expectations! The yuzu adds a delightful tartness and fragrance, and balances out the cheese very well. I think I actually like this better than the original flavour!

South Yarra, VIC

shopping

LuxBite

I tried their new Chinese New Years edition desserts which consisted of Peach, Mandarin, Year of the Pig, and Prosperity. My favourite was the Peach as the lemon mousse is so light and refreshing, paired with the fresh peaches in an apricot jelly. The Year of the Pig was also delicious, the tart pastry was crisp and the lychee and rose were very fragrant and tropical. Not to mention how cute it was! The Mandarin was another favourite, with very delicate and subtle flavours and textures of mandarin and yuzu. Finally, the Prosperity was our least favourite, with dark chocolate mousse and pineapple compote. We couldn’t taste the pineapple at all which was disappointing. Nonetheless, I’d still highly highly recommend the desserts at LuxBite! ——————————— Got to try their Easter specials at the LuxBite pop-up store in QV! We got the chick me out, the carrot wait for Easter and the QV special Thai milk tea cake. The Thai milk tea was probably our favourite as it was very light and not too sweet. However, I find all the desserts at LuxBite are honestly amazing, and I would definitely recommend trying them if you haven’t already!

Melbourne, VIC

cafe • shopping

Laurent Bakery

Every time I pass by a Laurent cafe, I can never stop myself from going in and treating myself to one of their stunning French desserts (not good, since there are so many outlets around Melbourne now!). I tried the Castel (hazelnut meringue, hazelnut cream, nougatine, dark chocolate), which definitely exceeded my expectations! The combination of creamy, soft and crispy textures was delightful, and the hazelnut aroma definitely cake through. The only bad point is that it is slightly over-priced for what you get, so it’s definitely not a regular thing!

Hawthorn, VIC

shopping

Cupcake Central

Cupcake Central has some of the best cupcakes in Melbourne! They offer your standard cupcake flavours everyday, as well as a selection of unique specials that are on rotation on their baking calendar (and changes every season). The Pandan flavour from their Spring Collection was wonderful. The Pandan aroma is quite strong and prominent, just the way I like it, and pairs really well with the toasted coconut. It’s also vegan and gluten free, so it’s not as moist and decadent as some of their other flavours, though it’s still pretty good. The Chocolate Cracklemisu was also a delight. I find that their chocolate flavours tend to have the most moist cakes - perhaps due to the richness of melted chocolate. There was a subtle hint of coffee which was nice, but being an avid coffee lover I would’ve personally preferred for the coffee flavour to be a bit stronger. But the cupcake was still delicious and I loved the chocolate rice bubble ‘crackle’ on top. All their cupcakes are wonderfully moist and fluffy, along with being so stunning to look at! Not too sweet nor heavy - perfect for parties or as a gift!

Carlton, VIC

cafe • restaurants • shopping

Brunetti Carlton

Brunetti is a Melbourne classic. Their store in Carlton is one of the most iconic places for Italian sweets, savouries and coffee. I always come for the desserts, of course - I love their various petite cakes! Especially the Mango Pina Colada and the Royale Mignon!

Melbourne, VIC

restaurants

La Petite Crêperie

I’ve been wanting to try La Petite Crêperie for ages now and I was so stoked when I saw that they opened a new joint in QV! At this venue, they offer customisable crepes or waffles, which I think is awesome as I love choosing all the ingredients I want. After much contemplating, I decided to get a crepe with chocolate, strawberries, walnuts and whipped cream (I wanted ice cream too but it’s only available for waffles). After placing your order, you watch the guys in the truck cook the crepe and assemble all your toppings - and the smell is incredible! And of course, the crepe was delicious! The crepe itself is the perfect thickness - not too thin nor too thick - and it’s actually quite large too! It’s packed full of ingredients, and the fresh strawberries are cooked so it gives a bit of tartness to compliment the sweet chocolate. The whipped cream is on top, making it slightly challenging and very awkward to eat. I wish the whipped cream was piped all throughout (like the Harajuku-style crepes) which would make it easier to eat and also you wouldn’t have to worry about trying to save enough cream for the rest of the crepe. But I’d definitely recommend adding some nuts to give a nice contrasting texture to the soft crepe! Overall, I really enjoyed the crepes here, and I will definitely be back!