There's a sweet panacea to our winter blues, Melbourne, and it comes in the form of an elegant dessert bar straight from the sunny shores of Sydney.
Koi Dessert Bar is a fresh new 42-seat haven in the CBD's swish Queen and Collins precinct for aesthetic treats, drinks and show-stopping celebration cakes unlike anything you'll find elsewhere in Melbourne. The luxe brand began six years ago, founded by the visionary Poernomo family, including Australia's very own 'Dessert King' and MasterChef alumnus, Reynold Poernomo.
The family's high-end pastries and desserts fast developed a strong following in Sydney, while Melburnians were forced to fly cakes across the border for friends and family – until now. As you might guess, Koi Melbourne isn't just your average café for a coffee and cake date. Rather, it's a dessert lovers' heaven complete with 150 mouthwatering creations that rotate over time, meaning every visit guarantees something new and exciting to try. It also offers a unique in-kitchen dining setting, allowing you to sit, eat and watch all the culinary magic unfold before your very own eyes.
Upon first sight, you'd be forgiven for thinking the impeccably crafted desserts are artistic sculptures and not cakes, such is the beauty of their presentation. But take a bite, and you'll be bowled over by fresh, local ingredients and innovative pastry techniques, combined to create flavours inspired by nature.
Indulge in the Tatin, for example, a toothsome affair of mixed spice crumble, caramel, cinnamon, apple, yogurt, cream cheese and almond. Or treat yourself to the Lil' Garden, an enchanting chocolate log with matcha and raspberry, which the team have described as an ode to Melbourne's Botanic Gardens.
"We’ve been wanting to come to Melbourne for years," says Koi's co-founder Reynold Poernomo. "To us, the city represents the pinnacle of creativity and culinary excellence in Australia. The venue and space at Queen and Collins echoes the identity we’ve shaped over the years, and is a place where our commitment to innovation, art, flavour can come to life. We want this to be a place where everyone comes to leave a lasting impression on someone else."
Koi Dessert Bar is located at 100 Queen Street, and is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 10pm. For more information, visit the website or drool over Koi's eye candy grid on Instagram.
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