ganache chocolate, south yarra & melbourne cbd

Ganache Chocolate is one of those places that I've known for years, and just never wrote about on this blog because I kind of take it for granted.

It is the place I go to when I need an awesome cake to bring to a party. My favourite is the Hazelnut Fan - layered with milk chocolate mousse, hazelnut sponge and hazelnut praline. If you like chocolate-hazelnut combos like Nutella or Ferrero Rocher, you'll love this cake. It is just utterly delicious with the smooth and crunchy layers, the nutty cocoa flavours. You can get single slices too, but a whole cake is better value, so when there are special occasions I leap at the opportunity to purchase one. I've gotten it from the original South Yarra store (250 Toorak Rd, South Yarra) and also the Melbourne CBD branch (245 Collins St, Melbourne) - both were of the same fabulous quality.

Hazelnut fan cake from Ganache Chocolate (starts from $33 for a small cake to feed several people).

It is also the place I go to when my friends are in the neighbourhood and we're just looking for a place to chill out. My most recent order was a Chocolate Frappe from their specialty summer drinks menu, a blended icy drink with gelato and ganache. It had the ideal balance for me - authentically chocolatey, without being too rich and heavy, and not too sweet. Just right.

Chocolate frappe ($6.90).

Ganache Chocolate also has a simple selection of savoury dishes on their menu, with items like croque monsieur, quiches, and sandwich bread rolls, which look attractive and reasonably priced. Due to the main attraction that is their chocolatey goods, I've never gotten around to trying those. But they're definitely on the radar, and I may have a light lunch there someday. Meanwhile, if you haven't been, and you happen to drop by, do try their chocolatey goods!





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brunch at luxbite, south yarra: the savoury edition

I have been increasingly neglectful of my 'hood over the past few years.

There are delightful places to be found in South Yarra, if you know where to go, and for the most part, I know where to go for delicious food in South Yarra, it's just that I usually end up visiting Simon in Fitzroy instead.

And yet - there are rare occasions when I can tempt my lazy boyfriend to visit me. Such as when I won a LuxBite voucher from a giveaway by Ashley from I'm So Hungree (thanks, lady!).

I've been to LuxBite for dessert (38 Toorak Rd, South Yarra) a few times, but it's been a long, long stretch since my last visit. During my absence, they've started serving up more than just desserts. Their savoury brunch menu looked really enticing, and on a cool Saturday afternoon, that was exactly what I was after.

But hey, let's still kick it off with something sweet. For drinks, we got the organic chai, and the salted caramel hot chocolate.

We're picky about our chai, but quite enjoyed the version here. It's probably one of nicer ones we've tried, though as usual, we yearned for just a bit more of a peppery kick.

Luxbite's organic chai, $4.50.

When the waitress served up the hot chocolate, we were instructed to stir before drinking. So I stirred, and I sipped. The cup had a salted rim, but instead of tequila inside, we get - of course - a rich, warm, sweet-and-salty chocolatey goodness with teasing hints of caramel. Oh, and yes, there was a good reason for stirring - the salt is located at the bottom of the cup. Good thing I stirred, which created a balanced overall experience, with only a few stray grains when I got to the end!

Luxbite's salted caramel hot chocolate (with Mörk's chocolate blend), $5.50.

One of LuxBite's greatest strengths, for me, is their playful East-meets-West inspiration, a style that is already well-established in their dessert offerings. Their savoury brunch options continue along this trend - here's what we had.

Satay marinated roast chicken with creamy polenta, caramelised garlic, anchovies, peanut.

Luxbite's satay marinated roast chicken with creamy polenta, caramelised garlic, anchovies, peanut. $15.

The chicken was well-seasoned and tasty, almost more curry-ish than satay-ish to me. I also liked the crispy anchovies and peanuts. I wasn't really watching out for the caramelised garlic but I'm sure they were in there somewhere, adding extra yumminess to the proceedings. This dish definitely reminds me of nasi lemak. The only thing I feel uncertain about was the polenta, the texture just seemed a little odd to me, and I found myself idly wondering if rice, quinoa or couscous would have been preferable instead. Simon didn't seem to mind it, though.

But the best is yet to come.

Slow braised beef with caramelised bacon and spring onion mash, fried egg.

Luxbite's slow-braised beef with caramelised bacon, spring onion mash, and fried egg. $15.

Holy cow, did I adore this. 

The beef was beautifully tender, and the fried egg had a perfectly runny yolk. The caramelised bacon added sweet umami, the spring onion mash was soft and light, and the lovely five-spice broth swirled and hugged everything together.

So hearty, so satisfying. And if you know anything about the Melbourne brunch scene, getting something of this calibre for $15 - a total bargain.

Wait, I think we need another picture.

Another gratuitous, closer-up shot.

We were full by the end of this. But let's face it, you don't leave Luxbite without dessert. I got a couple of things to take away: pre-planned delayed gratification. Let me tell you, making a decision was tough - everything just looked so alluring - but somehow, I survived.

This sour strawberry macaron tasted like a sophisticated strawberry candy. It was light and dainty, with a gentle sourness - yum. Though, given the name, I want it more daringly sour. I throw down this gauntlet!

Luxbite's sour strawberry macaron. $2.75.

This delectably shiny sphere is Home Sweet Home: Taste of the Tropics. Artful strips of pineapple encase a coconut cake with a mango centre. It was exquisitely constructed, and pleasant enough, but didn't knock my socks off. Also, a part of me couldn't help thinking about the chocolate-hazelnut and green-tea-pistachio creations I regretfully left behind. I suppose another trip is in order...

Home Sweet Home: Taste of the Tropics: toasted coconut mousse, mango cream, coconut sponge, burnt pineapple. $8.50.

In conclusion: I already knew from my earlier visits that Luxbite makes some fine macarons (and I still need to try more of the cakes for a more informed opinion, ha!), but after this leisurely Saturday afternoon, I'm happy to report that they do well on the savoury front, too. Go forth and get your beef on, people.



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b'stilla, south yarra: moroccan magic

Hot and sultry harissa, at b'stilla.

"It goes with everything", the waiter narrates as he sets the fiery red harissa down at our table, and my eyes lit up in anticipation of happily sprinkling this famous condiment all over the ensuing savoury dishes to come.

We're having lunch at B'Stilla (30b Bray St, South Yarra) on a Friday, and it is surprisingly quiet. The crowds, no doubt, will push through as the night falls. But for now, we have almost the whole place to ourselves.

We started with the eponymous dish, b'stilla. One of the nice things here is that the menu offers a glossary for those who are unfamiliar with Moroccan food, and I am one of those who could certainly use a helping hand. Here's what they say:

B’stilla pronounced as “bas - stee - ya”
- traditional Moroccan pigeon pie often served as a starter for special occasions and celebrations. Our B’stilla combines pigeon and duck with sweet and salty flavours and a combination of thin, crisp layers of brik pastry.

It sounded intriguing. It looked intriguing, too.

Yes, those are generous lashings of powdered sugar and cinnamon piled upon a pie with savoury fillings.

B’stilla - a traditional Moroccan pigeon pie, $14.

I was a tiny bit skeptical.

The pastry was, indeed, beautifully thin and crisp, shattering ever so pleasingly underneath my cutlery. Then, a spoonful to taste, and lo and behold, it somehow worked, the sweetness, the cinnamon, and the bits of pigeon and duck and egg and almonds. Unfamiliar, to be sure, but in a good way. For some, it may be an acquired taste. We acquired it within seconds.

B’stilla pie with pigeon, duck, almonds, cinnamon, saffron, and egg.

More adventures abound. This here is a lamb medfouna, which, according to the menu, is a Berber style pizza. Meat or lentils, encased in a pastry and usually cooked in the ground. Ours is made with a potato pastry and cooked in an oven.

Lamb medfouna with labne, $6.

We discovered this to be reminiscent of a comforting potato cake, made even more amazing with the lamb and cashew filling, and the minty-green labne served alongside. Simon loved this, ever so much. And so did I.

Gorgeous bits of lamb and cashew, wrapped up in equally gorgeous potato pastry.

We were sad when we finished the medfouna (which Simon later pronounced to be the dish of the day), but there was no time to mourn. On to the next plate: smokey eggplant with crispy garlic, sesame, and coriander. This was categorised under "salads" but it's almost more like a sensual, textural dip that you can enjoy on its own. It was pretty awesome, and probably the kind of salad with which you can win friends.

A lush, smoky eggplant dish, $9.

The cauliflower with pine nut paste, ras el hanout (a Moroccan spice blend) and herbs continue our good run with salads. As with the above, there are some lovely elements working in harmony here, and my only gripe, if I must, is that I would welcome even more of that spice on the cauliflower florets. Give it to me, baby.

Roasted cauliflower florets and friends, $8.

We also ordered this chargrilled duck merguez (basically, a sausage) with lemon, because, quite frankly, it was one of the cheapest things on the menu and we figured we could fit in a little more. Meaty, spicy, and quite perfectly cooked, this one definitely earned its keep.

Chargrlled duck merguez with lemon, $4.5.

Did anyone say dessert?

Rosewater flan, dates, walnut nougatine, $11.

This rosewater flan was just stunning. A smooth custard winks with ephemeral hints of rosewater as it perches prettily on a dense date puree. Dark, syrupy caramelisation. Shards of sweet, crunchy walnut toffee. Beautiful.

Rosewater flan on date puree, scattered with walnut nougatine.

Admittedly, I don't eat out as often or as lavishly as many other food bloggers, but for what it's worth, this is my favourite dining experience so far this year. It has been a long while since I have been so roundly impressed by a meal, and if B'Stilla can keep this up, I sincerely hope that they hang around for many, many years to come.



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movida bakery, south yarra

Gleeful anticipation. That was what I felt when I heard that the new Movida Bakery (3 Tivoli Road, South Yarra) was set to open in my 'hood. As a ravenous food blogger, having a Movida outlet in my suburb is like winning a hot dinner date with a celebrity.

The nice thing about getting to know a celebrity better with a few more dates, though, is that this blog post, written over a month later, is considerably less fan-girly, and more rational and measured. Gladly, even though the initial starry-eyed excitement is over, this is a largely positive relationship and one that I am happy to keep going for as long as it remains warm, convenient and delicious.

My first purchases? The much-hyped doughnuts. They kept me in good company as I awaited my friend Leon to arrive, reliably late, for our catch-up brunch.

The salted caramel has been getting a lot of attention in the press. This is a doughnut for those with a sweet tooth - check out that rich, glossy caramel.

The very popular salted caramel doughnut ($3.5).

I've always tended more towards lighter, fruitier treats rather than rich ones, though, for the most part, so I was keen to try the others. So here we have the lemon doughnut, with a very, very lemony curd filling for those who like a robust sour hit.

The boldly tangy lemon doughnut ($3.5).

The rhubarb doughnut has a graceful acidity in the curd and just the right amount of sugar for me. At this point in time, it's probably my favourite, though my cravings do change depending on my mood.

The rather charming rhubarb doughnut ($3.5).

As a side note, while the doughnuts are tasty, at $3.50 a pop I don't see myself buying them often. Also, I'd like to see them kept in a warmer so you're not at the mercy of lucky timing to get a piping hot one. Because we all know a good doughnut is always a hundred times better when it's at that perfectly snug 'n' toasty temperature.

And now, about the pies...

The lamb pie is gently spiced with notes of paprika. It was pleasant enough, I suppose, but it didn't particularly grab me. (The nicest lamb pie I've had is probably still the one from French Fantasies.)

Lamb pie (I think it was around $6.5).

Leon went for the PX beef pie, which had a billowing pastry that was quite a sight to behold. I was offered a bite, which culminated in a silky, luxurious filling, dark and exotic with hints of Pedro Ximenez sherry and star anise. We both agreed that we preferred this pie.

(By the way, try a bit of their sauce with your pie - it comes in that red plastic tomato you can just barely see in the background, and has a relish-like flavour. As Leon exclaimed, "Even their sauce is good!")

PX beef pie (I think it was around $6.5).

I've returned by myself a couple of times since that first visit. A recent favourite is the egg and chorizo mini sandwich. The simple pairing of delicately herbed and seasoned scrambled egg with the gorgeous smokiness of the chorizo made my tram ride to work so much more fulfilling.

This egg and chorizo mini sandwich ($5) lifts my spirits in the morning.

Also winning my heart is this flourless almond orange cake with vanilla-flecked buttercream and candied pistachios. A lovely moist crumb, just the right amount of zestiness, and that lush topping... I don't know if it's a regular item on the menu, but I hope we meet again.

Orange cake ($5), flourlessly beautiful.

In any case, Movida Bakery is a great addition to South Yarra - despite the star status of the Movida name, it exudes neighbourly charm and the gunny sacks of organic flour that compose part of their decor make me feel a little less guilty about all the carbs I'm consuming. I look forward to trying more of their goodies in the ensuing months.



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french fantasies, south yarra

Sometimes life gets in the way of the things you would like to do more often.

Sometimes you let life get in the way of the things you would like to do more often.

One of these things, for me, is a visit to French Fantasies (15 Toorak Road, South Yarra).

A few years ago, my office was a mere 10-minute walk away from French Fantasies. I'd finish up work, and every now and then, on my way home, I'd pop by French Fantasies for a little piece of my own French fantasy... usually - alright, pretty much always - a blissful slice of their baked cheesecake.

My office has since relocated, and along with it, my rituals changed. I now take the tram home instead of walking. I look wistfully at their shopfront as the tram trundles by, my desire to just get home as quickly as possible after a long day flicking aside that little glimmer of yearning in my heart.

Like an old flame re-ignited, however, I've recently started to make time for French Fantasies again.

Like an old flame, there are still new things to discover.

A few weeks ago I bought a takeaway pie for lunch... a lamb and vegetable pie. I've never tried their pies, and I wasn't expecting much. It had a blushing, golden appearance, but so do most pies. When I dug into it, however, it became clear that this was not the typical takeaway pie. The crust was light and flaky. The filling was a slow-cooked lamb stew, strewn with homely chunks of carrots. onions, and the crimson hue of disintegrated tomatoes. This is a pie made with love.

Lamb and vegetable pie from French Fantasies.

Like an old flame, there are old memories to re-discover, too.

A few days ago I brought home a slice of my old friend, the baked cheesecake.

Soft and creamy. Dense with the taste of milk fat that slowly melts in the mouth. Just like I remember.

Baked cheesecake from French Fantasies.

French Fantasies doesn't always live up to their promise, however. Their chicken curry pie, while pleasant enough, lacked the sigh-worthy charm of the lamb one I had. And I will always, always remember how deliriously divine my first French Fantasies cheese twist was - an explosion of ethereal, gooey warmth - but subsequent purchases have fallen short, a pale shadow of their predecessor. Perhaps I need to be there at the right time - when those babies are still fresh from the oven.

Nevertheless, these recent visits have reminded me again of my appreciation for French Fantasies. I'm planning to try their beef bourguignon pie next, and the tarte au citron.

And I won't let life get in the way.



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Back of House: The World by Jeff Martin, at Gould Galleries

The line cooks are hunched over their masterpieces. Constructing, arranging, refining. A waiter floats by, balancing a perfect three-plate carry. The air is thick with exquisite concentration.

I am in one of the world's most famous and prestigious commercial kitchens. The kitchen of Noma, Copenhagen.

Okay, I wish. I'm actually gazing upon a magnificent 150 x 180 cm oil-on-linen painting of Noma's kitchen, created by Jeff Martin for his latest Back of House exhibition.

Noma, 2011; Jeff Martin, Back of House - The World. Picture used with permission of Gould Galleries.

Jeff Martin's Back of House series began in 2007 with his portrayals of Melbourne's well-heralded local institutions - amongst those, Abla's, Flower Drum, and Jacques Reymond, to mention a few.

This was followed by a Sydney sequel, with Aria, Tetsuya's and Guillaume at Bennelong headlining another impressive list of big names.

And now we have Back of House - The World, which transports us to the kitchens of the calibre of Noma, Le Chateaubriand, and French Laundry.

The typical commercial kitchen tends to be sterile in colour - think lots of silvery-grays - but vibrant in atmosphere, individual quirks emphasized by the people who work within. It is invariably busy. There is always something to be done - quickly, carefully, perfectly. It is a place fraught with tension; overflowing with expression. And I can see it all in the Back of House paintings (a favourite is the one of Oud Sluis in Holland - sleek, but flush with character). You may notice - as I did - that the plates and pans are all blank; yet somehow, it feels right. It's not about the food here. It's about the space where the food is made. It's about those who give it their best behind the scenes. And it looks so very grand indeed when you're standing right there, taking it in.

Oud Sluis, 2011; Jeff Martin, Back of House - The World. Picture used with permission of Gould Galleries.

The images here are a teaser, and do not do justice to the actual paintings in all their glory. For real impact, go for a stroll in the gallery before the entire exhibition is flown off to London for the San Pellegrino The World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards. The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival may be over, but Back of House - The World by Jeff Martin is still exhibiting at Gould Galleries until the 10th of April. It's not a huge one (19 works in total), but well worth dropping by if you're an art lover, or if you happen to be in the neighbourhood.

What: Jeff Martin, Back of House - The World.
Where: Gould Galleries, 270 Toorak Road, South Yarra, 3141 Victoria, Australia.
When: 1st March 2012 - 10th April 2012 (extended from original end date March 31st).
Pricing: Free Entry. Price of works range from $1,600 to $13,500.

Five Copper Pots, 2011; Jeff Martin, Back of House - The World. Picture used with permission of Gould Galleries.

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story in a cup, south yarra

Winter is finally leaving us. A few more days, and it will be springtime... I look forward to everything being a little bit greener, a little bit brighter. I also anticipate a spike in the quantity of the frozen treats I consume.

I recently visited Story in a Cup (Shop 4, 9 Yarra St, South Yarra), a frozen yoghurt cafe I've been meaning to visit ever since I spied it a few months ago on Urbanspoon with positive reviews.

a generous selection of potential yoghurt toppings at Story in a Cup.

It may be the liberal self-serve mix-and-match concept with a vibrant selection of ingredients, it may be the warm and friendly staff who work there, it may be the knowledge that a percentage of the profits is donated to a cause. But whatever it is, I left feeling good and, with the weather getting warmer, I can see myself coming back for more - particularly as they also do smoothies and hot waffles!

Story in a Cup rotate their yoghurt flavours on a regular basis and I tried all six they had available that day - Original, Mango, Strawberry, French Cookies and Cream, Cafe Mocha and Hazelnut. Being 98% fat-free, they do lack the rich creamy taste that I adore, but they were still pleasant to eat - light, mildly sweet and tangy. I probably liked the strawberry flavour the best, but you might have to ask me again after I've been there a few more times.

What made everything really fun, though, is that I got to create my very own story in a cup. So not only did I opt for a squeeze of all the six yoghurt flavours, churning them out myself slurpee-style, I also darted around scooping up different (and perhaps rather random) toppings to go with them - peanuts, passionfruit coulis, raspberries, boysenberries, honey almond granola and Reese's peanut butter cups.

The end result is then weighed and priced. The story I created in my cup came to $7.15, and it proved to be a satiating late-afternoon snack. I experimented with each bite and while some of my combinations were not quite perfect, most worked out well. I particularly enjoyed the passionfruit coulis paired with the original and fruity yoghurt flavours.

my story in a cup!

I visited Story in a Cup about half an hour before closing time, and chose to eat in. It was fairly quiet, with some stray customers occasionally wandering in, of which a few were clearly regulars. An appreciative shout out to staff member Sandy, who struck up a nice conversation with me and provided some great company while I ate my yoghurt dessert!



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grove & vine providore, south yarra

Grove & Vine Providore has a wonderful selection of organic and biodynamic wines from boutique wineries.

If you adore your reds, whites and everything in between, you'll love Grove & Vine Providore, located on 3/9 Yarra St, South Yarra, with their beautiful selection of fine wines from boutique, organic and biodynamic wineries lovingly hand-picked by owners Roger and Sherri. If you're not crazy about wines, however, you're still likely to be unexpectedly charmed by Grove & Vine - as I was.

I was alerted to Grove & Vine's wine tasting event on first on Twitter, then on Facebook and finally, on the day itself, while accompanying my cousin Daniel to a rental property inspection at Yarra Street, lo and behold, what do I spy but no other than an advertisement for the wine tasting perched on the reception desk in the foyer of the apartment building. The stars are aligned, and they are most definitely urging me to take a good look at Grove & Vine!

I'll have to confess I don't know a great deal about wine, and only drink it occasionally. I do come across a bottle I enjoy immensely every now and then, but generally, I don't see it as much of a priority in my dining experiences. Sacrilegious, I know.

Jars of jams and sauces at the food section of Grove & Vine Providore.

So when I first walked into Grove & Vine I was probably more taken in by the lovely gourmet produce they stocked. Teas, jams, chocolates, biscuits, cheeses... quantity there may not be, but every single item looked enticing. You'll find nothing but quality here, and what's more, they're affordable too - for example, a bottle of Maggie Beer verjuice was under $12, which I find to be quite a competitive price.

More gourmet produce at Grove & Vine Providore.

But of course, you can't visit Grove & Vine and bypass those wines. Daniel and I couldn't linger long as he had an appointment elsewhere, but we did manage to sample a few of the beautiful biodynamic wines available for tasting that evening, with guidance from the lovely Sherri (who's familiar with my blog, yay!) - and we found ourselves enjoying all of them. In fact, I fell in love with one in particular, the Krinklewood Lucia dessert wine. I took a sip and the sweet, clean flavours of apricot and peach just bowled me over. It was just so fresh... so smooth... so pretty. Perfect for a romantic night in, or anytime, really. I was sold, and happily bought a bottle to enjoy at Simon's place...

My gorgeous bottle of Krinklewood Lucia dessert wine. Exquisite.

I've always felt a little lost when buying wine at bottle shops or ordering wine at restaurants. However, Grove & Vine has opened up a whole new world of wines to me, and with their help, I think I can get used to this world. Oh, yes. I can get used to it very well indeed...

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burch & purchese sweet studio, south yarra: sensational desserts

Burch & Purchese finally have a home! There's been a lot of buzz lately with the opening of Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio in April at 647 Chapel St, South Yarra. The supremely talented pastry chefs Ian Burch and Darren Purchese, along with their fantastic team, have been busy creating a dessert haven about a 15-minute walk from where I live. Aren't I lucky! After a few weeks - I know, unforgivable considering my proximity - I finally made my way over there. And can I just say, I was like a kid in a candy store. In fact, I spent such a long time in the studio that Cath, the manager, wandered out and exclaimed, with some amusement: "You're still here!"

the burch & purchese sweet studio - where they fuse science with sweetness.

But who could blame me? The desserts here are so creatively designed, the sort that prompts you to go for a second look, and a third and a fourth. Then, when you're finally visually satisfied, there was the difficult and unenviable task of deciding which ones to buy and take home...

I'll set that aside for a moment, though, and take you through a photographic tour of the place. If you have a weakness for sweet things, you might want to have a bar of chocolate ready to temper the cravings that will no doubt result. (Ha, see what I did there?)

Alright, so the first dessert creations I saw when I walked in were these edible greeting cards on the counter. How cool are they?

edible greeting cards - $22 each.

The chocolate flower lollipops, stuck in edible soil, are also awesome.

chocolate flower lollipops in edible soil, $3 for each flower.

These are blackberry meringue clouds. I picked a sample from that tray in the background, and while I'm not a meringue person, I didn't mind eating these - the freeze-dried blackberry powder cut through the sweetness with a pleasant intensity.

blackberry clouds, $4 each.

There were a couple of magnificent cakes on display in the studio. You can spot the "flavour wall" behind them - this is where you can receive a consultation for designing a unique made-to-order cake, and apparently there are over 250 ingredients from which you can choose for mixing and matching.

a gorgeous chocolatey looking cake, and the flavour wall.

There were about a dozen different types of cakes for sale at the counter, all of which looked absolutely exquisite. The flavours and techniques that go into these cakes are truly impressive - they were comprised of fancy-sounding molecular gastronomy things like choc aerated shortbread, violet custard, rose gel and maple jelly spheres.

an assortment of individually portioned cakes, $9 each.

Burch & Purchese also offer edible art - a big one like this flowery picture, made from a variety of freeze-dried fruits, could cost somewhere in the vicinity of $1200!

edible art made with freeze-dried fruit - i think this was actually $1200!

I don't think they have Willy Wonka golden tickets, but I did find some glittery gold ingots.

chocolate gold bars.

There were also nougats...

i can't remember what flavour these nougats were.

And chocolate clays, which can be tossed into cookie batter or ice cream mixtures...

raspberry and white chocolate clay. there were also green tea ones. $6.

And a variety of spreads, jams, curds and honey...

spicy pineapple jam and chocolate hazelnut spread. single flavours are $10.5 and 2-in-1 jars are $12.

There were also cookies, crumbles, honeycomb, ice cream and fudge. You get the idea. I didn't take pictures of everything because at this point I was starting to feel like some kind of obsessive dessert stalker.

As fate would have it, I had put most of my money into a term deposit just the day before. This meant I could only buy a limited number of goodies. Just as well, enforced frugality is probably for the best when so many temptations abound.

Just to give you an idea on how dangerous a visit to Burch & Purchese can be, I'll tell you this. I'm not big on white chocolate, but I somehow ended up walking away with two white chocolate items. I mean, those passionfruit white chocolates lightly brushed with dark chocolate, they just looked so tart and alluring. And it was hard to turn down caramelised white chocolate with toasted macadamia nuts. It doesn't even look like white chocolate anymore with that lovely tint of golden brown. How can you reject white chocolate when it doesn't even look like white chocolate? How, I ask?

Now, first of all, I have to say that, unfortunately, these chocolates don't quite have that sought-after silky-smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture. I am guessing that this may be the inevitable side effect of all the fancy-schmancy stuff they do to it. However, I really liked the flavours.

The passionfruit chocolates had the characteristic fragrant astringency of passionfruit, with the taste of the white chocolate itself being fairly subdued. It's a great chocolate for someone who doesn't want something very chocolatey, and I mean this as a compliment.

white chocolates with freeze-dried passionfruit, $9.

The caramelised white chocolate was like a solidified version of dulce de leche, and I adored the addition of the toasty macadamia nuts, which balanced out the sweetness of the chocolate.

toasted macadamia caramelised white chocolate, $9.

I also bought this parfait-like invention from the individual cakes section. Tagged as Coconut, Passionfruit, Ginger, Mint, it is an intriguing concoction of - let's see - white chocolate mint wafer, ginger macaron, coconut mousse with brilliant white chocolate spray, passionfruit curd, coconut caviar, salted oat and ginger crumble.

coconut, passionfruit, ginger and mint dessert, $9.

I had great fun eating this and identifying each element! Once I had a taste of every component, I dug in properly and combined them all in a single bite. Sweet, tangy. Soft, chewy. Smooth, crumbly. It was an exhilarating symphony of flavours and textures.

a scrumptious spoonful of  burch & purchese dessert.

So... will I return to Burch & Purchese? You bet! They've created such an exciting space that is taking the Melbourne dessert scene by storm - and I am all caught up and keen to try more of their beautiful offerings.



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