FIVE OF THE BEST LAMINGTONS IN MELBOURNE
Australia Day is much more than a long weekend.
It’s a national holiday devoted to eating your body weight in lamingtons.
It’s your patriotic duty to have coconut crumbs on your shirt. Wouldn’t be Australia Day otherwise.
And why should the lamo-fest stop with Australia Day?
Five of the Best has done the hard yards (somebody’s gotta do it) to find Melbourne’s top five lamingtons…
1. ST ALI NORTH
This East Brunswick hipster haven serves up some of the best sweet treats in Melbourne, thanks to a talented pastry chef by the name of Shaun Quade. His lamington goes way beyond the traditional sponge/choc/coconut combo. Bite into Shaun’s lamo and you hit a bitter chocolate and vanilla mousse, a sprinkle of freeze-dried kaffir lime powder and a strawberry/raspberry gel infused with eucalyptus leaves. How Aussie is that? All for $4.50, which is a bargain on St Ali’s pricey menu.
Spotswood is one lucky suburb to have Candied, a gorgeous Aussie bakery masquerading as a funky USA milk bar. Candied’s lamington ($5, right) is a thing of wonder, with tangy raspberry jam and a dreamy Valhrona choc ganache holding all that coconut in place.
Like a coconut-crusted Brigadoon, Michael James’ lamington only appears for a few days a year. But when it does, make sure you grab one. The two-bite-sized sponge has a layer of boysenberry jam, rich choc ganache and the crunch of obligatory coconut. For all of you addicted to Michael’s donuts (the salted caramel is fabbo), this would make a splendid chaser. Find the lamingtons at MoVida Bakery, but only this long weekend ($4).
What a lovely surprise to find a giant, deliciously naughty lamo in High St, Armidale – the spiritual home of Melbourne’s desirably slim, well-dressed and artfully-tanned. But the over-sized, old-school lamington ($7) at Cooper and Milla’s is a dead set winner, with jam in the middle and rich choc ganache holding toasted flakes of shaved coconut on the outside. It’s big enough to share with a fellow lamo lover (or not).
5. LA MADRE
Replacing the traditional vanilla sponge/jam combo with almost fudgey chocolate, La Madre’s lamos are not for the faint hearted. These moist cubes of chocolate cake ($2.50, right) are made with the best of ingredients (Green Eggs, Jonesy’s Milk) and then dipped in Callebaut ganache and coated in shredded coconut. La Madre might be based in Geelong, but you can find their lamingtons all over the place. Just check their website.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE…
A very honorable mention has to go to Justine Murphy for her generous lamos at theRathdowne Village Deli in Carlton North.
Also, for a limited time, Aussie Farmers Direct is delivering six-packs of lovely light and fluffy lamingtons from South Australia’s Kyton’s for the bargain price of $5.99 These soft and moist lamos are delicious. Try stopping at one.
And I know it’s not strictly a lamington, but one lick of Harry’s gorgeous lamington ice cream and you’ll be in vanilla/coconut/chocolate heaven. Made in Brunswick, Harry’s ice cream costs $6.99/500ml at major supermarkets (and if you’re really lucky, you might get a mini tub on a Qantas flight). Harry’s also makes a cracking pavlova flavour. Albert Park’s home of fabulous ice cream Jock’s also does very lickable lamington.
For a dainty little morsel packed with flavour, try Zimt Patisserie‘s gorgeous little lamington macaron ($3.50, left), full of chocolate, coconut and three-berry jam. And while you’re at the Surrey Hills patisserie, pick up some bite-sized pavlovas and baby beef pies.
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