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.

Lune Croissanterie - Fitzroy

Lune Croissanterie
119 Rose Street, Fitzroy.

Baked Good: Croissant, Pan au Chocolat, Lemon Curd Cruffin. (don't judge me)
Should you stay or should you go?: FRICKING GO!!!

Before I lived in France, a croissant was just that: flakey buttery goodness. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated it. But living in France you come to understand why you appreciate it. I used to have fresh croissants and pan au chocolat delivered every morning along with baguettes to fill my day.

Today I truly and utterly appreciated every mouth watering bite I had from Lune Croissanterie.

It's a skill. It's a passion. It's an understanding between the baker and the pastry they are working with. And you can feel that very passion when you look inside the Lune building. Every detail wasn't just a side thought. Every detail was made with passion and drive.

The best thing about Lune Croissanterie is, they don't piss-fart around with breads and cakes and your usual bakery stables. They make croissants, each one with absolute perfection.

I'm gushing, let's move on.

The croissant is commonly thought to have originated in France. But as it turns out, the French just made it famous, then completely owned it. It actually started in Vienna 1683. EpicureandCulture.com tell us the story of when Vienna was being attached by the Turks.

Bakeries would often do their cooking below their shop. Being underground they could hear the Turks digging a tunnel and notified the troops and leading the Turks to retreat.

To celebrate the victory bakers made a crescent shaped pastry based on a shape they had seen on the Turks uniform. This was continued every year until around 1770 when an Austrian Princess married King Louis XVI of France and the Croissant became what it is today.

The Pain au Chocolat has evolved from its original recipe. Fellow blogger Klara Seddon of the Five O'clock Teaspoon explains the origins of the Pain au Chocolat with reference to Elizabeth David a British cook, popular in the mid 20s.

Today you will find the beautiful flaky puff pastry, the same used for a croissant with a lining of chocolate. But prior to World War Two, the Pain au Chocolat was just a chocolate bar covered in a bread dough. But let's be honest, I'm sure we'd all still be eating it if it stayed like that. Anything chocolate, I'm in.

By the 1970s the pastry was changed to a lesser quality puff pastry, similar to that of the croissant.

Lune Croissanterie is an old warehouse hidden on a backstreet of Fitzroy. But don't worry, you can't miss it. Chances are there'll be a line around the building as the giveaway to its location.

Inside the warehouse it's basic and simple, no distractions and no gimmicks. Just a glass room in the middle of the building where all the magic happens.

Magic is a perfect word to describe this venue. Because they way it is set up really is that of magic. Strips of light across the roof of the glass room similar to that of when you would move through the stars at an accelerated speed. Simple wooden benches lining the exposed brick walls. And when you finally get to the counter to order (it took me 40 minutes to get to this point), it's a simple concrete bench with a display of each item that hasn't already sold out.

This place was constantly busy, and I got the feeling they were go go go go go since the doors opened. But the service couldn't be faulted. Smiles and cheer the whole time.

And because you are waiting so long to get to the point of ordering, a lovely lady walks up and down the line to get your coffee while you wait. And it was pretty good coffee mind you.

Everything was fresh, so fresh the Pain au Chocolat was still warm.

I started my taste bud sensation tour with the traditional croissant. Perfectly flaky and fluffy and so pleasant to bite into. One thing I hate about buying a croissant is most of the time it's usually full of buttery oil dripping down my hand. But in this case it was just perfect. Not too oily, but that sweet buttery taste was tickling my tastebuds.

Second was the warm Pain au Chocolat. Again perfect amount of flake and fluff. The chocolate was a thick and creamy chocolate, something you could eat right out of a jar. But this has the perfect amount of chocolate so that it doesn't overpower all the taste, or
squeeze out the sides.

And third was the Lemon Curd Cruffin. This is an original creation for Lune, you can't find it anywhere else. Although I'm sure someone is trying.

It is shaped like a muffin but it still has that fluffy and puffy pastry you'd find in a croissant. But its not flaky like a croissant. The hollow shaft down the middle of the cruffin is filled with lemon curd goodness. So each bite was a perfect combo of pastry and curd.

Overall this was the most wonderful experience and despite having to wait 40 minutes in the cold, it was totally worth it. The venue and the service and obviously the food together make it such a pleasure to eat food and be excited to eat it.

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.