Team behind Hokkaido, Pafu unveil new eclair treat
The Japanese dessert craze is showing no signs of waning, with yet another Asian cake shop classic about to launch in Melbourne. The long choux pastry filled with custard and topped with nutty crème patisserie will debut this month — here’s where to try it.
Inner South
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The company that introduced Melbourne to Hokkaido and Pafu are about to add a delicious new word to the foodie vocab — kurimu.
The Asian treats are long choux pastries, similar to eclairs, that are filled with custard cream and topped with nutty patisserie.
Dubbed Kurimu after the Japanese word for cream, the pastries will be sold for $3.90 each from a shop of the same name along with signature ice popsicles.
The ST Group will open its first Kurimu shop later this month at Melbourne Central.
Chief executive officer Tatt Gee Saw said initially kurimu would be available in a custard cream and one other flavour which was still being finalised.
“Moving forward we will be introducing more flavours to our customers to cater them with different variety and more choices,” he said.
There were also long term plans to add new items to the menu.
“Ultimately, we want to be providing our customers exciting new products whenever we can,” Mr Tee said.
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He said Melbourne Central was chosen because of its “heavy foot traffic” and the company already planned to expand the brand across Australian starting with two more outlets in Victoria.
“We want to make sure that everything is smoothly and efficiently, and the quality of the product is top notch before we expand,” he said.
“Our plan is to have maybe one more store in the city and potentially a third one in the southern suburbs before expanding further interstate.”
Kirumu is the third Japanese-inspired dessert the ST Group has launched in Melbourne.
In 2016 the group brought Hokkaido baked cheese tarts to Australia, opening six outlets in Melbourne including Melbourne Central, QV, Chadstone Shopping Centre, Westfield Fountain Gate, Highpoint Shopping Centre and Box Hill Central.
The tarts are created using three different cheeses and like many Asian desserts aren’t super sweet.
The original tarts are sold for $3.90 each with flavoured versions selling for $4.20 each.
Inspired by the success of Hokkaido, the company gave Melburnians a new reason to queue when they created Pafu in 2017.
Pafu is a Japanese spin on the classic French apple turnover.
Think super crisp pastry that has been fluffed and puffed to the extreme and then stuffed with creamy custard and soft apple.
You can try a Pafu for just $4.20 from outlets at Melbourne Central, QV, Southern Cross Station, Chadstone Shopping Centre or Box Hill Central.
Melbourne Central has proven to be a happy hunting ground for Japanese dessert outlets with the complex also home to Uncle Tetsu (Japanese cheesecake) Harajuku Crepes and Coppe Pan Japanese Bakery (hot dog style rolls filled with jam, matcha spread or peanut butter