melbourne croissant review

heard on the radio the other day that melbourne/victoria is the food capital of australia. why wouldn't it be. we have lots to offer from the raw ingredients and produce to the skills of chefs and cooks around town. so in tribute to these, i'm hoping to do a somewhat limited but a good sample of various food reviews around melbourne. foodies unite!

ok. so for today i'll be bringing a croissant review (sorry no pics today - camera is with my dad who's overseas). after all, who could resist its golden crispy exterior and the soft fluffy buttery layered interior? not me ;)

so in 2nd week of june, i visited a few bakeries - some known, some not so well-known. they were:

1. Laurent (Lt. Collins st)
2. Browns (Carlton)
3. Victoria market (can't recall name)
4. Dench's (Nth. Fitzroy)

The criteria were: price, fluffyness, exterior.

Price (cheapest to most expensive):
1. Laurent ($2.80)
2. Dench's ($2.80)
3. Browns ($2.40)
4. Victoria market ($1.50 - now $1.70)

Fluffyness
1. Dench's
2. Victoria Market
3. Browns
4. Laurent

Exterior
1. Dench's
2. Victoria Market
3. Browns
4. Laurent

Wow, for me i was really surprised at this. I mean, Browns and Laurent are considered one of the most successful melbourne bakeries - having a few outlets around melbourne. Perhaps i got a day old versions, but this just goes to show the inconsistent quality produced there. Dench's was really nice - the exterior was really pronounced - looked like it had golden ribbons wrapped aroudn it. Had a french breakfast with that - Croissant dunked in coffee. The victoria market one was surprising good. Lowly chinese men baking breads in that establishment. Unfortunately prices went up by 20c recently (because of rising fuel and transportation costs) but still the cheapest amoungst them all. I was really impressed by the freshness - you could tell it was just baked in the morning at the place kinda thing.

Just goes to show that price and name are not always a good indicator of quality. If anything i think Laurent and Browns have wavered from what they were well known for - fresh superb breads. And being french - they should uphold these traditions exemplified in their choissants and breads, not just the uniforms of the waiters.

Best picks: Dench's and Victoria Market bakery.