Melbourne has had one new café after another lately, but the pudding latte is only at Maison Bake, hidden in a small Chinatown laneway.
I deliberately cut through the narrow laneway instead of taking the main road to get there. The logo on the door and the daffodil on the doorway felt familiar. It’s a new little shop, in the laneway right beside the soup dumpling place in Chinatown, and it’s a nice surprise.
The inside is full of atmosphere. There’s a pine tree installation and plenty of light, and the bread cabinet is full of croissants and pastries, which looks very soothing. You can see the open baking area and watch things being made.
We ordered the pudding latte and a peanut latte
We’d seen a recommendation on Instagram and decided to try it. The shop was already busy even though it had only been open half an hour. We ordered a peanut latte and the signature pudding latte. Two drinks came to $20.
The pudding latte is a creative idea, and the pudding is the star
It’s such a creative drink: pudding and coffee, a pairing I never expected. The iced latte comes with their house caramel syrup, and the sweetness is moderate. The pudding is delicious and bouncy, and I finished it in a few bites. They could sell the pudding on its own. The coffee is more ordinary by comparison, but it works with the pudding. The pudding latte looks especially appealing. My husband and I both felt it would be better if the flavour were richer and milkier. Overall it was a good experience, but not a wow.
Compared with the famous pudding, I preferred the peanut latte. The peanut flavour is strong, and it’s quite good and not especially sweet. It’s something I’d drink again next time.
The pastries
The plain croissant is very crisp. I strongly recommend the matcha financier and the madeleine, which aren’t cloying, with a light buttery aroma, and they’re very good. The tarts and the Basque cheesecake are also good. The orange tart was an unexpected hit, with fresh orange segments and a balance of sweet and sour that cuts the coffee.
If you see the seasonal truffle bun, you must try it. You can finish a whole one without it feeling heavy, though I always forget to take a photo of it. The prices aren’t high either. Desserts that aren’t cloying are the best kind, and they’re a good reward for yourself after a long day!
A tiny shop, so plan on takeaway
The shop is quite small, so it isn’t suited to a long chat with friends. It’s takeaway or standing only. I’ve heard it can sell out if you go late.
Maison Bake is at 28 Corrs Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000.
What else is worth knowing
Maison Bake is a new bakery from Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef Lalita Punpanawan, set down one of Melbourne’s smallest laneways. Broadsheet describes the pudding latte as a salted-caramel iced coffee with a soft, springy flan, and reports the shop has sold out of pudding every day since it opened. That matches the sell-out you heard about. The team includes alumni of Agathé Pâtisserie and Market Lane Coffee, and the truffle bun, the ham-and-cheese croissant and the tarts are singled out. Corrs Lane is a narrow shortcut from Lonsdale Street to Chinatown, and at its narrowest point it’s reported to be only 1.2 metres wide. The City of Melbourne’s listing describes Maison Bake as a café and takeaway.
Would we go back?
Yes, for the peanut latte and the orange tart. If you’re building a CBD food crawl, Bbing Chillin and OMO Cafe are two more stops we’ve reviewed, and there are more in our dessert café reviews.