Short Bites: Melbourne’s latest food news with Dan Stock
Some of Melbourne’s favourite desserts will live on after a LuxBite change. Plus all the new openings in the latest food news.
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After making more than a million macarons over the past 10 years, LuxBite’s Bernard Chu and Yenn Yee have passed the patisserie baton on to new owners of the popular South Yarra pastry store.
But fans of the MasterChef-famous Lollybag cake — and they are legion, with hundreds still sold each week — need not worry, as Chu has handed over his recipe book and how to make the seven-layer Opera-style cake that features classic Aussie confectionary, including jaffas, spearmint leaves and bananas, to the new owners who are continuing the LuxBite brand.
Chu says after 10 years of running the business, the time was right to step back and recharge.
“We always gave ourselves 10 years to be honest. We were happy where we’re at, so decided to go. To go at the peak,” he said.
“When we first started, I just wanted to create. LuxBite, for me, was a platform for young people to shine, a platform to create. I was young back then, 27. It was my platform, my playground. All of a sudden I realised, running a business is about surviving. So I’m having less and less time in the kitchen. I’m the IT guy, the repair man, I’m the driver. I was anything else but a chef. After 10 years, yes we run a successful brand, but I miss creating.”
Combining French techniques with Malaysian flavours, LuxBite’s macarons and cakes quickly found fans Melbourne-wide when it opened in 2010, but setting the Lollybag cake challenge on MasterChef “took the business to a whole new level”.
“The funny thing is, before creating the cake for the show, I’d never tasted Aussie lollies and I found musk sticks utterly disgusting … and that’s my polite description,” Chu says.
NEW OPENINGS
Carlton has a new Indian restaurant. On Rathdowne Street, Chapatihas moved into what was Pagla, an experimental, high-end Indian restaurant. Arjun Dewan along with mum Naomi – whose recipe book is used in the kitchen – have renovated the space, adding vibrant murals and colour to the dining room where biryanis and butter chicken are served alongside an impressive vegetarian selection of dal and paneers. Open for lunch and dinner daily at 401 Rathdowne Street, Carlton.
In the city, Khanh Nguyen’s Sunda delivery pivot – Sunda EXP – is getting a summer residency at the Windsor. The bonkers-but-brilliant Italian-meets-South East Asian that was such a hit during lockdown will live on as Summer EXP in the Bourke St space that was Rob Kabboord’s Lekker. Chef Nabil Ansari will keep the kitchen humming Thurs-Sat from 5pm and Sundays from noon. thehotelwindsor.com.au
The Mornington Peninsula’s summer set are set to be fed in style when they decamp to their Portsea pads thanks to caterer to the stars,Andrew Blake. The Blake’s Feast team will open a summer pop-up on Friday, with Blakeaway offering freshly baked breads, baguettes and salads, prepared meals to go. Open daily from 8am at 2/3770 Point Nepean Road, Portsea until January 31.
FREE BEER
Yes, for our frontline heroes, Christmas has come early thanks to the Mornington Peninsula Brewery.
As many are on call throughout the festive period, the brewery is offering a free 24-can case of Mornington Free, their non-alcoholic beer, to emergency services workers based in Victoria during December.
FounderMatt Bebe says: “We know for many of our local emergency workers, having alcohol at their Christmas parties or gatherings is rightly just not an option. Therefore, we wanted to do something special to show our support and keep our frontline workers hydrated.”
The beer will be available for collection tomorrow (Dec 16) and Dec 23 between 3pm and 7pm at the brewery, 72 Watt Rd, Mornington, with 100 cases on offer.
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