Last weekend, Tim humoured my request to do lunch at LuxBite in South Yarra. For Australian Master Chef fans, this cafe is the home of the lolly bag cake. LuxBite hadn't really registered with me until one of my Pilates classmates kept saying how great the desserts looked (although as it transpired, she had never been there!). Not one to shy away from a great dessert, I put a visit to LuxBite firmly on the agenda.
LuxBite is a relatively tiny cafe near the Punt Road end of Toorak Road. When we attended on a Sunday lunchtime, there was thankfully heaps of room for us at the large communal marble table in the centre of the cafe.
LuxBite is not just a one trick pony - it does all day breakfast and has a limited lunch menu as well. Tim and I ordered from the lunch menu. For me, there was the slow braised beef with caramelised bacon, spring onion mash and a fried egg ($15):
The beef was very tender and melted in the mouth, and I love a fried egg. The only thing that would have made this better for me would have been a wee bit of chilli in the sauce, but otherwise, I enjoyed this dish.
Tim chose the lamb, mint and rosemary sausage with 60/60 eggs (huh?), avocado, feta, tomato relish and toast ($15):
He enjoyed this dish also, and it certainly looks scrummy.
We washed these down with coffees, which were quite good.
The stars of the show at LuxBite are the desserts. Tim chose the very beautiful Endless Love ($8.50):
This dessert is openly stated by the owners to be inspired by the Pierre Herme Ispahan, and comprises two giant raspberry macarons sandwiched together with lychee ganache, rose cream, lychees and fresh raspberries. I had serious dessert envy, because I liked this better than my choice, which was:
the famous lolly bag cake ($7.50)! I didn't see this on Master Chef, but a sign in the glass dessert case tells you about it, and I have seen it on various Aussie blogs. Some have even been brave enough to make it.
The lolly bag cake is inspired by trips to the corner shop by Aussie children, evoking a warm and fuzzy nostalgic feeling. For the uninitiated, in Australia, sweets or candy are known as lollies. The lolly bag cake comprises seven layers: banana lolly joconde, freckles crunch, mandarin jaffa ganache, musk mallow, another layer of banana lolly joconde, spearmint leaf buttercream and a Redskins glaze (yeah, the lolly is actually called a Redskin - please don't hate). It was not as toothachingly sweet as it sounds, but was undoubtedly on the sweeter side. I liked it, but I didn't love it. The freckle crunch and the spearmint buttercream were my favourite elements.
I love how in the interior of LuxBite, they have preserved part of the facade of the old building in which it is housed:
I also liked the kitschy ornaments scattered around the place:
When we went, LuxBite was still decorated with hearts for Valentines Day, adding to the "sweet shop" aura of the place:
I would definitely go to LuxBite again. I have my eyes on trying a few more of their terrific looking desserts.
LuxBite
38 Toorak Road
South Yarra
VIC 3141 Australia
38 Toorak Road
South Yarra
VIC 3141 Australia
Ph: +61 3 9867 5888
5 comments:
Wow, that place looks so interesting. I love the
"endless love dessert", it is so beautiful. The other
is interesting, but I think a bit too sweet for me.
I am happy you enjoyed the experience.
Those desserts are amazing! This place would definitely be worth visiting for those alone. I'm sorry your lolly bag cake didn't prove to be great, but I imagine it's one of those things that if available, really begs to be tried. Now you can lay it to rest and move on to the rest of the dessert menu ;)
ooh, those desserts look fantastic!
60/60 eggs: cooked sous vide for 60 minutes at 60*C. I searched because I thought it might be 60 seconds at 60*!! Obviously not. The Lolly bag cake really doesn't make my heart beat faster either, I like the lunches best!!
Oh I had no idea that they also did meals. I thought that it was just sweets (not that that's a bad thing at all!).
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