Having an egggasm at Moore and Moore, Fremantle

First there was #foodporn in the world of hashtags...

Like any other social media checking, photo sharing, double tapping, #hashtagloving addict, Instagram is my go-to inspiration for looking up food to lust after and for new restaurants to put on my wishlist that's currently suffering from exponential growth. On many more than one occasion, a picture of a perfectly poached egg surrounded by other tastefully arranged food and drizzled with a decadent, gleaming sauce of some kind will prop up on the app, and clicking through to the location of where such magic can be ordered usually traces back to some chilled-out, hippy café in the sun-kissed, café capital suburb of Fremantle.

Moore & Moore

This laid-back town is a heaven of places to eat, drink and discover where the sun always seems to be out to play. Moore & Moore is one of an endless list of cafés in the area with a personality that feels right at home with Fremantle's. If Fremantle were a person, it would be a stylish, chillaxed hipster dude with a cool cat character - and Moore & Moore would be its equally as cool, more youthful brother.

The place is littered with mismatched, recycled furniture, complete with an old-school boxy fridge that took me more than a few seconds to figure out how to open to get some chilled water. Some of our chairs look tired and ragged and would look distasteful anywhere else, but fit right in with the old, rugged (not ragged - yep, a huge difference there), antique feel of this heritage-listed building. As I sit down on my torn chair with a perfectly irregular bumpy surface, my friend immediately messaged his sister (lover of all things hippy) to recommend Moore & Moore. This place got swag.

Interesting light fixtures, lanterns and people hanging everywhere!

Walking through the hallway of this vintage multi-purpose warehouse has a grungy feel to it; it's almost cavern-like except it is flooded with natural sunlight. Look around and swivel your head - there's loads of eccentric décor strewn across the exposed brick walls and ceiling and plenty of weird and wonderful things to look at.

Best Christmas tree I've seen, Moore & Moore's front counter and open kitchen (check out their blackboard for special dishes and drinks not on the menu)

Regardless of whether I am five or twenty five years old, this cute Christmas tree creatively put together with teddy bears would thrill me in the same way. It's not a surprise then to hear that Moore & Moore is kid-friendly and have a kids corner in the café with toys. The one thing that truly made me smile however, was the staff member who came to take our orders, clear the table, and attend to every other customer, all done effortlessly with a baby straddled on her back.

Short Macchiato - $3.80

After cleaning our cups for water (which were admittedly a little dirty), all the drinks arrived shortly after ordering and the food not long after that. The waiting time is kept down to a minimum here.

Iced Chocolate & Iced Mocha - $5.50

I had a sip of the iced chocolate, and contemplated ordering my own when its creaminess hit me. All of Moore & Moore's cold drinks are made using their homemade syrup and don't taste artificially sweet.

Smoked salmon and poached eggs on turkish toast - $19.50

I was pretty envious as I slid Yvonne's plate of smoked salmon down to her end of the table, because it looked like a true stunner. It was a sturdy construction of flaky salmon pieces and two poached eggs, broccolini, asparagus, lemon fetta cheese and crowned by a slow roasted tomato, all atop a slice of turkish toast as the strong foundation. There was an inconsistency with the salmon however, with a second plate of the same dish using smoked salmon while this dish seemed to use grilled salmon instead. Wouldn't be a worry for me, salmon is good in any shape or form!

Tuscan Style Sambo - $17

DJ ordered a dish from their lunch menu, which starts from 11:30am. The breakfast menu thankfully runs until 2:30pm and is good news for any late-riser (Because really, getting up early only seemed like a great idea when you were starving at midnight the night before). The monster of a sandwich was a falling jenga tower of a spiced organic beef patty amongst a party of grilled pumpkin slices, cheddar, caramelised onions, homemade hummus, fresh greens and tomato salsa. A colourful medley of vegetables accompanies the light and fluffy couscous that complements the already massive sandwich. And that there, is a decent sized lunch!

There is also a vegan option for this dish, featuring a no beef burger, avocado and cashews.

Little Pot of Moore - $16.50

I originally had my eyes and heart set on this 'Little Pot of Moore' but upon requesting it to be made without parmesan, I was told this wasn't possible as it was already an ingredient in the mixture. In hindsight I'm just a little glad this happened, because the serving looks a little insubstantial for a big girl like I!

The 'Little Pot of Moore' is a Tuscan style breakfast that stays true to its name - it is indeed served in a little (bordering tiny) rustic pot covered with a lid. Upon lifting reveals a baked combination of roasted capsicum, garlic, tomato, herbs and pesto under a blanket of parmesan, thyme and a cracked egg. I watched my friends dip and dunk their turkish toast with glee, but think they would be more satisfied with a 'Big Pot of Moore' instead!

Burnt butter, sage and roast pumpkin mash - $16.50

Upon being told my parmesan-less breakfast was not possible, I quickly scanned the menu at the counter for key words that caught my eye first. To put it in over-exaggerated terms, I think this was a blessing in disguise because, I frickin' loved this! This dish of burnt butter, sage and roast pumpkin mash was my rebound choice, but this goes to show rebounds aren't always the bad choice eh?

I know delicious is overrated and is completely meaningless to use, but I can't think of a better, more eloquent way to describe my ecstasy with this dish. The pumpkin mash is gorgeously moist, creamy and has that distinct, indulgent buttery taste throughout. I didn't care for the sprigs of rocket or 'tomato relish' on top (which were essentially just pieces of sundried tomatoes) because the show was taken over by that damn good mash.

Is this is egggasm or what?

The two eggs were poached perfectly; when pierced ever so lightly released a brilliant gush of yolk that screamed at me to snap a picture. First there was #foodporn in the world of hashtags, then Liz from Breakfast Confidential introduced me to #yolkporn but in my humble opinion this could surpass the ranks of both phenomena. In the face of obscenity I would definitely coin this an #egggasm. A good ooze to start the new year is a great sign of perfectly poached eggs to come.

The big inviting entrance that leads to a big courtyard at the back of the cafe

This old warehouse set-up of Moore & Moore means the place is very spacious with ample seating. The courtyard is great for relaxing with its big, shady umbrellas and communal tables while interior has been through a long period of restoration from its former days and has a great ambiance to it with its rough walls, cracked cement floors and wooden ceilings.

Indoor seating

The other face of Moore & Moore is a contemporary art gallery and exhibition space that features local designers and artists' work as it shares in the same premises of the historic heritage-listed Moores Building, and helps to promote the local art community. The cafe promises homely fresh food that leaves you full and happy - and full and happy I was. I'm already hoping to return soon and for some positive self-reinforcement, I'd love me Moore and Moore every day.

Moore & Moore, Fremantle

Moore & Moore
Open everyday from 7am - 4pm
Serves all day breakfast: Kitchen closes 2:30pm, display cabinet food available until 4pm

Tel: (08)9335 8825
The Moores Building
46 Henry Street Fremantle WA 6160

Deep fried desserts at Sun Cafe Restaurant

The vibe of the place definitely makes you forget how loud you actually are...

The building at the corner of Newcastle and William streets has lent itself as home to many businesses in the recent past. These short-lived food and drink businesses may come and go, but the one thing that has stayed put are the table top barbeques for sensual, hands-on Korean BBQ feasts, situated on the level above Sun Cafe. Downstairs, a chilled-out, relaxed Sun Cafe opens its doors until late to its customers, making it a great hang out destination.

Sun Cafe Restaurant

I was simultaneously eager and sceptical about coming here, largely due to the reason of them refusing to honour a voucher I had purchased on numerous occasions, which already came with a peculiar list of terms and conditions. However if I could ignore that for a second, their menu certainly did pique my interest with the offer of 'oriental tapas' and a selection of Korean dishes with a modern influence (would you yay or nay pistachio-crusted chicken katsu?). We dropped in late at night after dinner with a full belly and only managed to fit in some sweet things.

Matso's Ginger Beer

We have quite the obsession with Matso's beers at the moment, and the Mango beer especially has made many appearances at the table whenever it is offered on the beverage menu. Even though I'm not a big beer drinking or loving fan, I am a fan of Matso's beer selections as I'm quite partial to the taste of their beers in comparison to others that I down once in a while out of convenience.

Green Tea Latte - $4.30

Green tea is making its way into drink and dessert menus everywhere and whilst I love this, I only love it when the green tea flavour is actually prominent in the food or drink and strong enough to be able to recognise its presence. With that, I do not love Sun Cafe's green tea latte despite how promising it sounded. The bittersweet flavour is so next to nothing that I would have believed that I had ordered a glass of warm milk and even the extremely pale green colour makes it unidentifiable even as a green tea beverage if not for the powder sinking into the milky froth.

Marinated beef tataki, fresh crunchy salad - $18

My cousin ordered the beef tataki, presented with raw red and white cabbage and a trail of spring onions and roasted sesame seeds on a bed of raw beef, slightly seared around the edges and bathed in a vinegary sauce.

Crunchy Honey Bread - $12

We picked Sun Cafe as our dessert destination purely because of the recommendation of their Crunchy Honey Bread, so naturally it was the most anticipated dish of the evening. And certainly a very late evening too, to be eating a whole block of bread that has been wholly and thoroughly deep fried until the exterior is a hard, solid casing for the crunchy interior. Although really, this really wasn't a concern considering we had a McDonald's run for cheeseburgers, fries and ice-cream straight after this...gosh, the power of hindsight sure gives more insight into one's frivolous eating behaviours.

One of Sun Cafe's signature desserts

This indulgent dessert is quite large and solid, and thus is thoughtfully slightly cut into tall batons to make it easier to slice through the crunchy centre, which is also slightly dense in other parts. The honey bread sits on an artistic crosshatching of chocolate, caramel and honey syrups weaving through each other on the plate and is crowned by three tiers - sliced fruits (kiwi and banana on this occasion), a big scoop of fluffy whipped cream and finally adorned with a strawberry. This colourful medley of contrasting textures and flavours is further enhanced by a light dusting of cinnamon, a crunchy pecan nut crumb and more drizzling of the honey. The fruits are definitely a wise choice to counteract the heaviness of the bread, which retains a lot of oil.

Stress stimulus

Running down the centre of the dining area is a display case piled with magazines and board games to use as you please, and Jenga definitely provided ongoing entertainment for us as everybody sat around and chatted quietly. The very relaxed vibe of the place definitely makes you forget how loud you actually are. Oopsy!

Sun Cafe would be a good potential place to head to after dinner for dessert or drinks when nobody quite wants to leave yet, as their dessert selection ranges from pastries to waffles to frozen yoghurts. I'm hanging out to try their tempura oysters and crispy scallops with renkon chips and the long opening hours of Sun Cafe is the biggest convenience of all because the sun doesn't set here until late at night.

Sun Cafe Restaurant, Perth

Sun Cafe's Facebook page
Hours as stated on Facebook page
7.45am - 12am (this ranges, as we had to settle the bill before 11pm on the Saturday night)
Open 7 days

Tel: (08)9227 5009
318 William Street Perth WA 6000

Cimbalino Espresso

As we stacked ourselves together and piled into L's BMW, we had no idea where we were going.

No destination, no restraints... so no worries!
It is times like these where you venture into the unknown and (hopefully) find a spanking new delicious place to pig out...OR, leave you wishing you had done some research instead.

The girls wandered through the little street scoping out places to eat, with me dragging myself along wishing we could JUST EAT ALREADY. Who knew there was a criteria to check off just to get some brunch?

Cimbalino Espresso, with its wide open, welcoming doors, finally caught their eyes and we swarmed across the street. After a tenuous assessment of the place, it was their joint agreement that it was cosy enough, dark enough and mysterious enough to be our brunch spot. 

People living life as it's meant to be lived

It was a gloriously sunny day, both 3 months ago when I actually ate here, and just 2 days ago when I ventured back just so I could get menu names, prices and exterior shots like this, for blog's sake.

I wondered for a very brief moment during my 30 minute travel here, whether there is such a thing as over-dedication. And after about 2 seconds, I realised, when you love something this much - no, there really isn't.

Cappuccino

Nothing like a good big dosage of wake-me-up cappuccino to start the eating day - we had made big plans to hit up Fremantle to feast even further, but this horribly failed when we wandered around in circles, asking for directions, lost tourist style.

If anybody knows where Theobroma Chocolate Lounge in Fremantle is, please, for the love of food, let me know!

Deliciously good coffees, apparently!

I am not a self proclaimed coffee expert by any means. I am not even a coffee drinker, as my stomach isn't always fond of milk.

But Cimbalino seems to be passionate about (and to) the coffee drinking breed of humans, which seem to have taken over our land. This shines through their barista's ability to produce a mean cuppa, which I overheard went down real good.

Vegetarian Sweetcorn & Ricotta Hotcakes - $16

I think we all came with a mindset on eating something that is a little unconventional.
The option of hotcakes sounded appealing, but unfortunately not for me, since they could not fulfill my request of eliminating the ricotta aspect. Shame. Devastating news.

L ended up ordering this, and was presented (with quite a swift speed!) a stack of three sweet corn and ricotta hotcakes, which resemble small savoury pikelets. Supported by a strong foundation of avocado salsa underneath, these are finished off with a peak of greens instead of the pea tendrils as described.

The dish is accompanied by a single juicy looking roasted truss tomato and a side dish of spicy sweet tomato relish, as is the next dish to arrive at the table.

Sweetcorn & Ricotta Hotcakes - $16.50

What I do know, is J loves her meat. But what I didn't know, is that J seems to love her bacon! Two consecutive meals with her that involve bacon, bacon no.1 here and bacon no. 2 here, and she just might be a pig.

Pretty much identical to its vegetarian counterpart, this dish features TWO hotcakes but substituted with a layer of grilled bacon to make up for lost calories in the dish. So while the tomato and avocado salsa, fresh rocket and side serve of tomato relish remains faithful, the bacon does not.

I think this was a struggle to finish towards the end. And ironically, I don't even think she likes bacon that much.

My precious breakfast to start the day!

What's this growing trend of serving meals on planks of wood these days?

Beats me, but me like!

Huevos Rancheros with Chorizo - $14

So while the rest of my supportive girlfriends groaned at my usual horsing around with my camera and meddling with photos as they dug into their meals, I happily ignored them.
At least after a while, people get over their attempts of trying to get any body parts into the actual photo.

I was looking forward to tasting what this dish had to offer, because I'm realising a growing fondness for chorizo in me. Featuring a farm fresh egg as described, this spreads delicately over a medley of chorizo pieces in a spicy tomato salsa oven baked in a cute mini hotpot.

Egg: the best thing since (and with!) sliced bread

I'd imagine that when mixed through, the topping of feta cheese would add a creamier texture to the dish's entirety. Unfortunately, I gave away my block to J, who has a feta fetish and desperately needed something creamy and salty to cut through her salty bacon and no-signs-of-creaminess-anywhere dish.

I absolutely ADORE egg white and am quite an expert and separating this from the egg yolk. The salsa had a nice heat to it and I completely cleaned out the pot, while leaving a perfectly rounded and untouched orb of egg yolk inside.

What can I say. I am so competent, at the most useless things.

I like dat!

Huevos Rancheros dates back centuries, and is apparently a typical Mexican dish eaten for breakfast. This would be a lovely start to the day, a warm tummy filler and a good hearty feed. Unlike what I expected from the menu, which was a side serve of fresh chilli, the meal came chilli salt dotted with flakes and a mysterious creamy sauce, still unidentified (or forgotten) to this very day.

And instead of being served with the traditional tortillas, 3 slices of ciabatta toast did a good job of soaking up the salsa, eagerly wanting to be soaked up.

Got sweet teeth?

Cimbalino's got an enticing display cabinet loaded with cakes, slices, logs, cupcakes, tarts, you, get, the, idea.

The savoury selection is dominated by the sweets range, predominantly by the big bold colours of a plate of macarons - the thing that seems to be taking over the dessert world.

The Cimbalino opening scene

The store front of this open cafe is big and invites both the breeze and customers in.

Its interior is decked out in red and black with graffiti art scrawled on its walls, fitting with its nifty light fixtures hanging low from the ceilings. Quite a stark contrast to its dine-in area at the back, which is more hidden away and shielded from both sunlight and store lighting.

A gorgeous place to catch some sun is at Cottesloe's neat little cafe strip on Napoleon Street.

Everyone here is pleasurably enjoying soaking up the sunshine, absorbing some UV rays and overdosing on vitamin D while sipping on their dainty coffee cups.

So many seating options, that you can plant your butt just about anywhere.

Among the best cafe scenery I've come across :)

Yes, this is indeed the beautiful set at the back of Cimbalino Espresso.

...

If suburbs were people, Cottesloe would be your pristine and posh crowd, dressed in stylish designer clothes and always looking perfect. Even the buildings here look like they've been built out of better material! Upmarket for sure.

Cimbalino provides you with an alternative choice from the flurry of cafes present along the street. The cafe's lack of natural sunlight is preserved that way, with dim lighting scattered inside. Pity, as I would love to see the presentation of their dishes more (which is quite pleasing to the eye really!)

Seeming to be a hit with the locals as a regular hang out place, there sits a big newspaper/magazine rack for those fond of spending time with words in cosy corners. Pair that with food that comes out in a flash despite the busy queue scattered everywhere, efficiency is tops. Just not the No EFTPOS facilities bit.

I guess this speediness comes from being unable to accommodate ingredient adjustments. I wish I noticed the option of building your own meal from side orders when I was told they couldn't minus the ricotta from my order. Friendly staff here, while momentarily lackadaisical at times. Acknowledgement took a while the first time, and did not even happen the second time I rolled around with my camera.

But if you need a good grind to get your day going, Cimbalino seems to promise you one (and shout cimba! when they're done grinding your coffee for you).

***
(08)9385 6177
Open everyday: 7am to 5pm
Brunch menu until 2.30pm
www.cimbalino.com.au: Details about other 3 Cimbalino locations

***

Koko Black

I'm a bit late to jump on the chocolate bandwagon that has chugged its way steadily into the hearts of all chocolate fanatics.
But luckily, the station is Perth (surprising!) and the wagon is here to stay.


To anyone who cares, I am speaking of the wagon that is Koko Black, the vehicle that transports copious amounts of chocolate to their rightful destinations of the human mouth.
Some journeys on this makes me a bit chocolate-sick, complete with nausea.
Yet I never learn.

And I ask my chocolate-drunk self, "Why should I ever have to?"

Soy Hot Chocolate - $6

When I discovered that I was lactose intolerant on a part-time basis, visits to a chocolate salon had lost its meaning to me. I'd hear others sing praises for their luxurious hot, milky beverages while I sit there feeling quite alone, with my little glass of water.


But in comes the Soy Hot Chocolate, which offers so much more than just its enticingly good looks. Freshly brewed with a blend of premium soy and rich dark chocolate, a frothy top layer adorned with skillful coffee art houses a rich and creamy soul warming beverage.


Rich but not too rich (if that can ever be a bad thing), the hot chocolate isn't as heavy as you'd think and even borders on watery after a while. Yet the chocolateyness is nevertheless strong, and with our cup being unfinished even between 2, you'll find that eating takes top priority here while drinks will probably be neglected.

Belgian Spoil - $13.50

Your aim of trying everything on the menu is a little step closer to being achievable with the Belgian Spoil option. Offering a sample of their treats which change seasonally, it is also so much more value for money rather than purchasing the items separately.

This is a lovely little (which somehow becomes too much towards the end!) chocolate platter comprising a variety of tastes that is very deceiving to the eyes with its small dishes. You can conquer this alone if you're brave enough and have extreme sweet teeth.

Harder tastes on the Belgian Spoil

Something rather akin to the everyday chocolate brownie, the walnut brownie leaves little to the imagination. I love the nuttiness to it, however interesting creations next to it steal more limelight from this brownie.

Chocolate florentines in the centre were entirely scoffed down by yours truly, thanks to my general fondness for the sticky-nutty combination. Chocolate discs loaded with almonds, pistachios and cranberries are anything but brittle, so are brilliant at sticking to your teeth due to their chewy texture.

Handcrafted chocolate pralines differ on each Belgian Spoil I've encountered. The dulce de leche is an indulgent bite of candied sweet milk caramel while the Amarena Cherry dons a bittersweet cherry pulp centre topped with white ganache. Elements in both chocolates make up indulgently creamy, buttery and smooth mouthfuls (for the unlikely situation of eating the chocolate whole!)

Soft tastes on the Belgian Spoil

Loyal components that stay on the Belgian Spoil are mousse and the vital factor contributing to overall happiness: ice cream. Although small, these cups are filled beyond the brim and the small amount is more than you'll need. Because good things, come in small packages :)

Rich chocolate mousse is topped with crushed caramelised hazelnut crumbs, which provides a nice textural contrast to the thick and velvety spoonfuls of mousse. Equally as chocolaty, the scoop of ice cream has a strong chocolate flavour throughout, coupled with the chocolate slab buried on of the chocolate hill.

Hot Chocolate - $6

The only bad thing accompanying this hot chocolate, is the size of the cup it is served in. For $6 it may be a bit little, but perhaps it is the perfect serving for it might be hard to finish anything bigger. Having a limited amount definitely makes the taste buds grow fonder!

As their signature hot beverage, the hot chocolate is freshly brewed to a traditional Belgian recipe, rich, smooth and warming. Other blends available are flavour infusions of chilli, hazelnut and chocolate mocha offerings, which I've parked my appetite on.

There's no chance of escape from a chocolate whirpool...so allow yourself to be sucked in and enjoy the aromatic chocolate sensation.

Chocolate Moelleux - $14.50

If you love your desserts more than life itself, you'll find that the dish justifies the price charged. The elegant styling on this plate consists of a chocolate cake baked fresh to order, complete with a molten centre slowly oozing a chocolate river. This smooth melting sensation of decadently rich chocolate is enhanced by serving the dessert warm and fresh from the kitchen. 

I'd be smiling too!

Topped with an intertwining flower of thin shortbread-like crust, the crisp snaps of biscuit are a nice complement to the other soft, moist and spongy textures on the plate. A crescent of pistachio crumbs also provide that harder, crunchy contrast along with a splash of vibrant colour on the canvas.


Served with a side bowl of raspberry espuma, this whipped foam is light, airy and a good puree of air, flavour and tang to cut through the sweetness and provide a more balanced taste.

Chocolate, Hazelnut, Sesame Twist - $5.50

Pastries are also a specialty in this chocolate salon, along with being an ice-creamery and their famed sweet desserts and beverages. The Chocolate, Hazelnut & Sesame Twists are intertwining twists of puff pastry layered with flavour swirls of chocolate hazelnut ganache with sesame seeds baked into the flaky pastry.


I didn't taste this, but managed to reach over and snatch the plate for a photo shoot before it was touched by anybody else. When you're a food blogger, you also have to be a ninja.

Iced Chocolate - $7.90

Also fitting with the theme of beverages among the lavishly priced range, the iced chocolate comes with raves and praises from everyone who tastes this liquid chocolate mud cake.


Served in a stubby balloon glass with fattening scoops of Koko Black's chocolate ice cream and thick chocolate syrup, this $7.90 drink is a whole dessert on its own.

Chocolate Walnut Brownie - $13.50

Served independent of the Belgian Spoil, the chocolate walnut brownie sets you back $5.50, while $13.50 delivers a warm brownie slab with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate sauce.

This is definitely a heavy, rich brownie made with 80% dark chocolate and crushed walnut pieces and even more like a delicious mudslide when drowned with thick, gluggy chocolate sauce.

It is probably a wiser idea to substitute the richer chocolate ice cream for a lighter version like their vanilla bean ice cream to go easier on your stomach's ability to take in the sugar overload.


Apparently you also have the option to swap the other sweets to something more appealing to your palate, provided they are of the same price. If only I knew this earlier!

Coffee design #1

I've always admired coffee art and all the behind the scenes effort that go into producing elegant designs on top of something that essentially goes into the stomach after a brief moment of admiration.


Koko Black baristas, you've got skill.

Coffee Design #2

I've tried my hand at coffee making, and it's not easy. I'm quite scared of dishing out a cup of coffee to customers for I've had no professional training whatsoever, and a business is quite easily shunned nowadays for producing a low quality coffee cup.


So to get to this level in the art of coffee making, there's a whole lot of investment into time and skill.

Coffee Design #3

More often than not, I'm greeted with everchanging designs that elegantly decorate the layer of froth on top. It's a blanket of embroidery in your cup, which makes your drink aesthetically pleasing already, even if it's lacking on the element of taste.

They've already won on the visual aspect!

Life gives you simple pleasures all the time,

we just fail to recognise and appreciate what's in front of us most of those times.

...

Koko Black is devoted to quality and providing a sweet experience to its customers, rather than pumping out mass volumes of food via a systematic approach that's popular with franchises. I feel like little Charlie in the chocolate factory when coming to this specialist chocolate cafe, which has earned itself quite the name. Perth is finally waking up to new restaurant concepts after hitting snooze for a little too long!

Providing a seasonal menu that has minor changes here and there, helps to really keep hardcore chocolate fans coming back, lusting for more. Desserts and patisseries are satisfying without the hefty price tag, and always leaves me waddling back to the car. I've yet to be converted to a devoted Koko Black follower though, since my visits are infrequent and have left this post so late.

My passion does not lie with chocolate, so chocolate comas aren't really my type of thing. The glasses of water they automatically serve upon your arrival is going to be your one true best friend. Though isn't it handy that you can get your whole day's worth of calorie intake in one chocolate sitting?

Staff I find a bit inconsistent with their service, all the attentiveness is there initially but once indecisiveness when ordering kicks in and you ask for a moment, they disappear for a little too long. But the store fit out is effortlessly charming and smart, with its quaint but chic wooden themes, and artistic designs on its white walls transforms it to a fairytale setting.

The whole salon, like its pristine Claremont surrounds, has a romantic feel about it all. Though all that disappears when your sugar high makes you eat a little too much, laugh a little too loud and care about calories a little too little.

Plus, wouldn't you rather treat yourself and indulge in something without the big price tag?

***

(08) 9284 2049

Monday: 9am to 6pm

Tuesday - Thursday: 9am to 10pm

Friday - Saturday: 9am to 11pm

Sunday: 10.30am to 6pm

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