Agathé Påtisserie - South Melbourne Market

Agathé Påtisserie - South Melbourne Market
South Melbourne Market, Aisle B

Baked Good: Orange Tea Cake
Should you stay or should you go?: Go. But don't say I didn't warn you.

1. Presentation - 3
2. First bite - 4
3 Texture - 4
4. Flavour - 3
5. How'd it make me feel after - 4
(1 - Not so much. 5 - This is fricking awesome)

This is now the 12th post since I started the blog and one thing I'm starting to notice is just how many bakeries around Melbourne all have the same thing. It has become a little trickier to try find somewhere that is making something even slightly different to everyone else.

And for that reason alone I am excited to share this review. It's something different for me to try. It's not a variation of a flaked pastry, though they do have those as well. Not only did I get the chance to experience something different, I also got some really warm and friendly service which I haven't felt for a little while.

Agathé Patisserie is tucked away in the jungle that is the South Melbourne Markets. Here you will be mesmerised, just like every other person standing in front of the bakery, watching them weave their magic creating deliciousness for you to enjoy.


The bakery is just a hole in the wall, there aren't any tables or chairs and there is more often than not a bit of a line to order from all that is on offer. But it's absolutely worth it. And you can eat while you peruse the rest of the markets.

Agathé Kerr the French Pastry Chef at the Patisserie who has a whole lot of options for you to try. Cakes, danishes, tarts, swirls, croissants of all kinds, breads and rolls. And more often than not, fresh out of the oven.

Today I enjoyed the Orange Tea Cake.

Finding any specific history or origin for the Tea Cake proved to be a little tricky. It seems there are variations across the world. With the Russians and Mexicans enjoying it more as a dough ball covered in powdered sugar. Then the British enjoy it more as a fruit filled bun. And then there's the Americans who know it as more as a biscuit. And in each country it's more of a traditional treat that your grandma's grandma would have enjoyed.

The Orange Tea Cake was subtle in it's orange taste. The sponge was a soft and moist with each slice. The candied orange slice garnishing the cake was a sweet and tangy delight. I enjoyed it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But it would be perfect with a spread of butter and a cup of tea.


Overall the bakery itself was lovely. It was great to see them hard at work creating some amazing treats. The service was soft and friendly and they almost excited to share their product with you. The Orange Tea Cake was delicious and worthy of every bite I took. And rumour has it they are about to set up shop in the Royal Arcade, Melbourne CBD.

4 out of 5.

Rusica Sourdough - Fitzroy

Rustica Sourdough
402 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Baked good: Cherry and Chocolate Cronut
Should you stay or should you go?: Go, but don't rush.

1. Presentation - 4
2. First bite - 3
3 Texture - 4
4. Flavour - 3
5. How'd it make me feel after - 3
(1 - Not so much. 5 - This is fricking awesome)

I've had a few things accompany my long black on its plate to my table. Things like chocolates, or small biscuits. But this is possibly the weirdest thing I have ever encountered, a slice of lemon.

Not that that's any reason to not head down to Rustica. It's otherwise normal.

The cafe is on the amongst the hustle and bustle of Brunswick Street where you can sit and watch just about every different style of fashion walk past.

The cafe isn't too big, but it wasn't too busy to be a problem. The staff were friendly though not overly helpful. When I was gobsmacked by the delicious treats on offer I wasn't guided through their range, rather told to have a look through. Maybe I expect too much when it comes to customer service.

Aside from the sweet pastries, muffins and treats you can find bread of all sorts and fresh sandwiches and rolls.

I didn't have to wait too long before my treats were in front of me. Lemmon and all.

This review I branched out from purely baked goods to that of the fried kind. Opens up a few doors for me to try some different things.

The Cronut itself is new to the bakery and desert world originating in 2013 by Chef Dominique Ansel as per the Cronut 101. Chef Ansel originated from France, as all good pastry Chef's do, though currently has a Bakery in New York.

The Cronut uses a similar pastry to that of a croissant. First the pastry is left to puff up then it's friend. From there the Cronut gets covered in sugar and filled with happiness.

I had the cherry and chocolate cronut. It had perfect layers pastry similar to a croissant but a tad thicker. The layers were crispy, sweet and buttery. Sometimes, but not often the chef gets a little excited with filled pastries, putting so much inside that it oozes out when you take a bite. But there was just the right amount of chocolate mouse with a bitter cherry taste in this cronut.

Not sure that the garnish of a purple sponge was necessary. I don't feel it added to the beauty of it. And it certainly didn't add any taste.

It was tasty though the bitter cherry wouldn't be something I'd rush to taste again. I'm more of a sweet cherry kinda guy.

Overall the atmosphere was great helped by a sweet soundtrack of a lot of my favs. The cafe itself was fresh, clean and open. But despite the flat service, the coffee was good. Mind you I still have no idea what the lemon was for with my coffee. The waitress took it away after my first sip anyhow.

3 out of 5.

Brioche by Philip - Prahran

Brioche by Philip
280 Commercial Road, Prahran.

Baked Good: Apricot Brioche
Should you stay or should you go?: You should totes go, it was yum yum in my tum. (yeah I just said that).

I love apricot jam. I love a lot of things in life to be honest, but that sweet apricot jam just gives me such joy. I remember being given a jar of apricot jam when I was younger by some friends who had stayed with us. That's how much I love it and people know. So when I got to pick something at Brioche in Prahran, I knew exactly what would satisfy me.

Brioche by Philip is a chain of bakeries around Melbourne. When you're onto something good, just work it. Philip brought his skills as a French Baker to Melbourne many years back and added a Japanese style when he opened up Brioche.

The bakery its self is simple with glass cabinets filled with danishes and pastries. A selection of filled rolls and along the back wall and in the shop window all the different breads of the world for you to pick.

There's no where to sit, so it's a perfect chance for you to quickly grab something naughty and escape to the comforts of you home to indulge.

I had the Apricot Brioche for reasons I've already stated. And even though I knew that's what I wanted, it was a hard choice as it all looked so darn tasty.

Brioche originated from France first being mentioned in written text as far back as 1404 as per the Bakerpedia website. What makes a Brioche that little bit more exciting than bread, it has a high egg and butter content, giving it a more smooth and finer crumb.

Originally it would be full of fruit and eaten at breakfast, but time has evolved the Brioche to its many styles today.

There is confusion over the Apricot's history. The Nursery at Ty Ty says it is to either originate from 3000 BC in India, or Armenia. But the good old English settlers brought the Apricot with them to the United States in the 17th Century.

The Apricot Brioche was delicious. I couldn't wait for the next bite. If only it were that little bit bigger. Thankfully it wasn't because I already eat more baked goods than I should.

The pastry was dry, but that didn't matter as the topping worked in harmony to give each bite a perfect blend.

The apricot jam or sauce, what ever you would like to call it, was sweet. Both in it's taste and in it's awesomeness. And in between the awesomeness was a thick and creamy custard swirling around.

Overall the cafe itself is nothing special. To the point of being bland, boring and in need of a makeover. But what it lacks in appearance it makes up for in delicious baked goods. Most worthy of a sneaky cheat snack.

CBD Bakery - Melbourne CBD

CBD Bakery
480 Bourke Street, Melbourne.

Baked Good: Long John
Should you stay or should you go?: Swing by if you're in the area, but don't go out of your way.

I have this memory of my Grandma coming to visit us when we lived in the country. I was doing some fundraising in the town centre and my Gran happened to walk past on the way to getting some bread from the bakery. On the way back she handed me a jam and cream doughnut. She knew it was one of my all time favourites.

CBD Bakery is conveniently just off the main drag. Perfect to sneak away from the hustle and bustle and the constant stream of tourists. But while you escape the hustle and bustle of the tourists, you gain with suits.

A little bakery with just about everything you could ever want. Glass cabinets filled with everything you can think of: pies and sausage rolls keeping warm in the pie warmer. Cakes, tarts, slices and doughnuts in all its glory, begging you to pick them. And a little section down the back where you can get a freshly baked roll and fill it with all the trimmings of your choice.

The cafe doesn't have all the bells and whistles a modern day cafe uses to entice you through their doors. White walls, standard tables and chairs and a big window to watch the world go by. But what the cafe lacks in personality it most certainly gains with a super friendly and happy team. Not to mention the pretty decent food.

I indulged in a Long John and until this very day I had called it a Jam Cream doughnut not knowing it had any other name. As it turns out not only is the Long John its more common name, traditionally it would be referred to as an eclair. However the eclair is commonly known as a chocolate covered cream filled long doughnut.

Food Time Line says the eclair in its original form dates back to the turn of the 19th Century. The French translation is "lightning", and assumed that's because of either the cream strip or the glistening of the chocolate. The more modern mention of the eclair possibly in the jam form was in 1861 in Vanity Fair. Possibly around the time when the Long John was adapted.

The Long John was delicious and so fresh. I possibly ate it a little too quick as it was super tasty. The dough was soft and fluffy. The cream was fresh and not overflowing. And the strip of jam was sweet and tasty. All together making it a perfectly sweet treat. And sweet it is, so if you aren't looking for a sugar overload, I'd suggest going for something a little more low key on the sugar front.

Overall the Long John was tasty and I'd have easily had seconds as I ate it so quickly. As for the venue, it's not the kind of cafe you would sit at and enjoy the cosiness of it as you read a book. It's one of those places you grab what you want and move on, or sit and eat it and not linger.