Pastry: Well baked but too much 8/10
Presentation: Large, neatly presented, enticing 8/10
Value for money: $4.20- Well priced, freshly baked and filling 7/10
Overall score: 7.25/10
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Filling: Vanilla essence flavoured custard 6/10
Pastry: Well baked but too much 8/10 Presentation: Large, neatly presented, enticing 8/10 Value for money: $4.20- Well priced, freshly baked and filling 7/10 Overall score: 7.25/10
I stumbled upon Maricano's whilst in Clayton some time ago, but visited their Maidstone shop whilst in the area. I took away their traditional custard vanilla slice over their caramel, cream and custard hybrid. I slightly regret that decision as I feel that the ratios of custard to pastry wasn't quite right with this one. Although beautifully baked to a golden, flaky crisp the layers were just too overpowering and made the whole thing a little dry. The custard was a nice viscosity and colour and also offered good vanilla flavour. However, after a few bites the essence started to taste slightly chemically rather than sweet. Although the feedback might seem harsh, the slice wasn't bad at all and had some great features. Maybe the hybrid slice might be worth a shot.
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Filling: Average creamy custard 5.5/10
Pastry: Well baked, thin layers, but soggy 5/10 Presentation: Very average, uninspiring tri-layer effort 5.5/10 Value for money: $4.90- Yesterday's offering at today's price 3.5/10 Overall score: 4.9/10
Mrs B brought me home dessert whilst out at Westfield - Result! Unfortunately, the slice in question was not made today, but most probably yesterday. This made the pastry pretty hopeless for cutting into smaller chunks. Freshness really let this vanilla slice down, as sadly the pastry was actually a good thickness, consistency and golden baked. A very average cream custard mix filled the pastry layers, and was not overly vanilla flavoured. A rather measly dusting of icing sugar left me wishing this thing at least had vanilla icing on top - but sadly not. I've said this before; cafes like this should have the decency to sell slightly stale goods at a knocked down price.
Filling: Old school bakery custard 5.5/10 Pastry: Well baked and thin, though not crisp (not fresh) 6/10 Presentation: Enticing ooze of pinky white icing, very yellow custard 8/10 Value for money: $2.40 - Very cheap and reasonable but lacking 7/10 Overall score: 6.6/10 After a recommendation from Oriana who took time to fill out a contact form through the site, I visited the Edwardes Street bakery. Everything about this establishment screams 'old school'. I love the old fashioned shop frontage with cakes in the window and I love the retro logo on all of their packaging. The vanilla slice was no different - just like from days gone by. I bet they haven't changed their recipe in decades and selling slices at only $2.40 the pricing was extremely reasonable too.
This is probably what most people assume all vanilla slices taste like; a sweet and almost set, non-descript, yellow custard filled sandwich of slightly stale pastry topped off with sweet, sticky, white icing. Whilst I appreciate that the pastry could have been better when freshly baked, the custard was very average and lacking creaminess, fluffiness, vanilla and egg. The real highlight was the sticky icing that left itself welded to my fingers post slice. Not all slices taste like this, or in fact need to taste like this. Thanks for the recommendation Oriana, keep them coming.
Filling: Average creamy custard 6.5/10
Pastry: Soggy bottom, dry top, too thick and not fresh 4/10 Presentation: Tri-layer, pastry:filling ratio wrong, neatly wrapped 6/10 Value for money: $5.50 (estimate) - Decent portion but a bit meh 7/10 Overall score: 5.9/10
Heading down Lygon street en route to the musuem I took a punt at grabbing a takeaway vanilla slice from Filou's. With only two remaining, I should have known that the batch were baked yesterday. For the higher than average price I would have expected more from a 'French patisserie'. The pastry was the real let down; three heavy, slightly wooden layers that were too thick. The top layer was too dry under the slab of icing, and the middle and bottom layers too soggy under the weight of the custard. There was no real flavour or richness to the sheets either - so pretty much lacking in all areas here. The custard, again, was very underwhelming. An OK consistency, but lacking richness and vanilla flavour. The icing too was not up to scratch. Too thick in its construction and not overly sweet. Would I return to Filou's? Not for a vanilla slice, but maybe for something savoury.
Filling: Piped vanilla cream custard 6.5/10
Pastry: Fresh, crisp and robust 7.5/10 Presentation: Tri-layer offering, pastry join visible, average piping 7/10 Value for money: $4.50 - Decent portion, tasty but not blown away 7/10 Overall score: 7/10
Walking through North Melbourne on a Saturday afternoon I spotted an opportunity for a French pastry and a coffee. I duly obliged, sitting down to a pain au chocolat and mille-feuille styled vanilla slice with the family. Mrs B noted that the sweet brioche pain au chocolat was nearly as good as the Parisian Baker in Essendon, though it lacked any creme patissiere to really rival our beloved local patisserie. My vanilla slice was fresh and a decent value for the area. The pastry was baked to a slightly harder than usual state, making a clean cut through with a knife somewhat challenging. The filling comprised of sizable lines of piped creme custard. There was some vanilla content present but not overly abundant. The texture, though smooth had more than a hint of cornflour about it - obviously their thickening agent preference over an egg yolk. All up, not bad - but could do better.
Filling: Lackluster, bland, unsweetened cream 4/10
Pastry: Bullet-hard layers of tasteless pastry 4/10 Presentation: Oozy and enticing 8/10 Value for money: $5.50 - Decent portion, very disappointing 3/10 Overall score: 4.75/10
Had I read the reviews of this chain on Zomato prior to making my purchase, I might have reconsidered doing so. Nevertheless, a vanilla slice came home with me for a hefty $5.50 and I proceeded to eat it. This is not a vanilla slice worthy of being sold in a patisserie, or at least what I would expect a patisserie to sell if they are worth their salt. Clearly in Australia the word patisserie is thrown around and standards vary hugely compared with mainland Europe. The pastry was tasteless, overabundant and actually too hard - causing real trouble cutting and biting through. The cream filling was a real disappointment too; an effortless, bland dollup of bog-standard cream that forgot to include any texture, richness and vanilla content. I ate a little over half and threw the rest away in anger. These guys really are making a poor product and selling it at a ridiculous price.
Filling: Smooth, typical bakers custard 7/10 Pastry: Golden, flaky and beautifully thin 8.5/10 Presentation: Neatly cut square, proportionally perfect 8.5/10 Value for money: $3.50 - Decent portion, cheap but slightly forgettable 6/10 Overall score: 7.5/10 Snacking all the way round the Essendon North Farmers Market was topped off by the chance of a freshly baked vanilla slice. A slab of neatly cut slices was pulled out of the van and looked awesome. My own piece was obviously fresh. The pastry was dark, golden and firm to pick up. My first bite crunched, crackled and spewed the custard out immediately. The quantity and overall feel of the custard was excellent, however there was an obvious lack of vanilla and egg to the mixture - a bit plain overall. The strong gusty wind did no favours for the icing dusted on top.
Filling: Sweetened whipped cream and lumpy strawberry jam 7.5/10
Pastry: Golden, crumbly yet firm to pick up 9/10 Presentation: Long, rustic and authentically Italian 8.5/10 Value for money: $4.75 - Large portion, tasty, overly sweet and rich 8/10 Overall score: 8.25/10
When driving down the Princes Freeway to Geelong, I like nothing better than an excuse for a small diversion for coffee and cake. I stopped at the lesser known Domani Pasticceria in Hoppers Crossing based upon a recommendation from a blog reader a while ago. The place is well hidden from the street and looked closed initially. However, once inside the lovely lady behind the counter soon provided us with sustenance. The vanilla slice is a cross between a mille-feuille and a cream slice - with big dollops of lumpy strawberry jam scattered amongst the sweetened (but sadly lacking vanilla) cream. The pastry was excellent; very flaky, firm to pick up and yet easy to bite through. With sugar in the cream, sugar dusted on top and sugar in the jam the whole slice was slightly too sweet for my liking, Well worth the small detour into unknown territory for something familiar yet very different.
Filling: Vanilla flavoured fluffy, creamy custard 7.5/10
Pastry: Golden but lacking flakiness 6/10 Presentation: Tall, but narrow slice, neatly dusted 7/10 Value for money: $6 - Smallish size, tasty, but not indulgent 6/10 Overall score: 6.6/10
My visiting guest (and recent vanilla slice enthusiast) Flaky J and I fancied a cycle, so we left Essendon and followed the Maribryrong river all the way to Williamstown. We dismounted the bikes and took shelter from the drizzle at Schwabs Galley. The customary vanilla slice was ordered, halved and set upon like rabid dogs. The portion, though tall and proud was slightly small and expensive for the $6 price tag. The actual quality was also lacking, with the pastry rather dry and missing some vital crunch. The creamy vanilla cream had some nice bounce, with subtle vanilla inclusion, but lacking some richness from an egg or two. If homemade - nice try, but I suspect these guys are bought in, subdivided and sold for a premium.
Filling: Light, airy vanilla speckled cream 7.5/10
Pastry: Truly divine. Dark, biscuity, perfect 10/10 Presentation: Innovative yet nostalgic 9/10 Value for money: $4.50 - Fresh, quirky and fun to eat - just not right 7.5/10 Overall score: 8.5/10
En route home from our Williamstown cycle, Flaky J and I stopped in Spotswood to have a punt on the infamous vanilla slice doughnut that has eluded my clutches for the last two years. With my good luck companion in tow we actually triumphed - buying the second to last doughnut remaining late in the day. The vanilla slice doughnut is actually a well designed hybrid with some excellent features, but unfortunately the heart and soul of the doughnut (the vanilla custard) just did not hit the spot. With a lighter than air vanilla cream filling sparingly pumped inside there just wasn't enough filling in comparison to the overall size of the shell. The real hero here was the stunning disk of indulgent, biscuity, flaky pastry. If only these guys made actual vanilla slices using the vanilla custard they pump inside their vanilla custard doughnuts and the stunning pastry from this.
Filling: Vanilla flavoured fluffy, creamy custard 7.5/10
Pastry: Golden and thin, but not ultra crisp and flaky 6/10 Presentation: Healthy sized portion, proportionally sound 8/10 Value for money: $4.80 - Good size, tasty, but not 'just baked' 7/10 Overall score: 7.1/10
With few places left to sample in the South Melbourne area I opted for Romano's coffee whilst walking through the parade. What initially struck me was the overall look of quality custard and pastry, plus the generous sized portion. With my first bite the pastry revealed itself to be ever so slightly stale - well lacking real crunch anyway. With a good colour and bake to it the overall freshness was a let down. The custard, however, proved to be a a decent component. It's viscosity just right; it oozed out the sides with each bite and had definite vanilla content in the mixture. A light dusting of icing sugar gave the portion just enough sweetness to want more. Not a bad slice if on the neighbourhood.
Filling: Whipped cream pudding mix 6/10
Pastry: Fluffy, light, puffed layers 8/10 Presentation: Homemade, handsome and rustic 7.5/10 Value for money: $6.50 - Beautifully fresh, extremely rich 7.5 /10 Overall score: 7.25/10
Mrs B, baby B and myself found this place completely fortuitously whilst strolling the high street. We sat down in the lovely back yard deck next to the bar and enjoyed a pot and one of 'Mum's homemade vanilla slices' in the lunchtime sun. I reckon Mum might have made this; with very homemade puffed pastry and an overly sweet pudding mix cream filling. A thin layer of strawberry (I think) jam made the whole thing even sweeter, so much so that I had to leave two mouthfuls of the giant portion. Whilst this thing was fun to pull apart and chomp, it was not how I like my vanilla slices these days. I admire the effort made to put put authentic home baked cakes in such a unique setting.
Filling: Fresh, creamy, vanilla custard 8/10
Pastry: Dark and crisp, verging on overbaked 8/10 Presentation: Rustic with bruleed top 7/10 Value for money: $5.50 - Beautifully fresh, innovative approach 7.5/10 Overall score: 7.6/10
Boasting three options of vanilla slices in this elegant cake factory I opted for the lesser spotted brulee-topped slice. The burnt brown sugar had a lovely richness to it, but got lost in the overall consumption and was only noticed at the very end. The custard oozed out between the robust and darkly baked layers of fresh, golden pastry. I often criticize under baked , soggy pastry, but this was almost too well baked (if there is such a thing). The custard itself was a wonderful consistency of fresh whipped cream, vanilla and a slight egg thickening agent. All in all a tasty and worthwhile slice at a reasonable price. Perhaps I should have selected the fondant icing version for real comparison.
Filling: Sweet, non-descript pudding mix 3.5/10
Pastry: Buttery, biscuit like slabs 4.5/10 Presentation: Tri-layer, patterned icing and neatly bundled 8/10 Value for money: $4 - Fresh, but far from traditional 5/10 Overall score: 5.25/10
This little number got me over the mid week hump, but unlike its looks it was far from traditional. I was impressed with the attention to detail on the product based upon the huge chain's normal fast and mast mass produced items. The neatly presented mille-feuille slice boasted dark, well defined layers of pastry, a rich, yellow custard and a decorative, glossy icing. Weirdly, the tastes were far from expected. The pastry tasted more like a buttery shortbread biscuit, with a slight crunch, the filling left me confused as to its actual content (other than sugar) and the icing actually didn't taste of anything.
Filling: Old but still tasty enough 6.5/10
Pastry: Stale and only suitable for biting 4.5/10 Presentation: Upon closer inspection - tired looking 6/10 Value for money: $5 (estimate) - Overpriced Costco slice, not fresh 3/10 Overall score: 5/10
Sadly I was duped into the purchase of this slice en route back to the car, and only realised it was a Costco slice upon closer inspection. To make matters worse the price of this thing was was over the top and not even fresh. I actually like the Costco slices, but when they are not fresh the whole thing is just as average as the next vanilla slice. Therefore, see the Costco vanilla slice review, minus a few points and make a comment on an average/slightly better than average latte and a decent little logo. Done!
Filling: Crusty round the edge vanilla cream custard 5/10
Pastry: Three layers, slightly thick, stale 5/10 Presentation: Tri-layer, breeze block proportions 8/10 Value for money: $6.50, not freshly baked 4/10 Overall score: 4.75/10
I had high hopes for lunch here and the cakes looked pretty decent (though no prices were advertised). When my lunch was over and my vanilla slice arrived it was much bigger than it looked in the cake cabinet, and at $6.50 the price was seemingly oversized too. Sadly, upon inspection with my fork the custard was discoloured and crusty around the edges and the pastry just would not cut cleanly - this was yesterday's!
The custard in the centre was OK, with vanilla content and a nice creaminess, though the pastry was pretty flavourless and like thick sheets of soggy cardboard. There really wasn't any point in persevering with the pastry and after taking out the best bits of custard I stopped, feeling pretty unsatisfied overall.
Filling: Sweet, sickly, buttery whipped cream custard 7/10
Pastry: Three layers, beautifully golden, buttery and flaky 9/10 Presentation: Tri-layer effort, slight subsidence visible 8/10 Value for money: $6 (estimate), freshly baked (even on a Sunday) 8/10 Overall score: 8/10
My family and I stopped here for lunch and having worked up an appetite from browsing the nearby Sunday market. A queue awaited for seats, which to me is the sign of a good cafe considering its larger than average size. A fantastic pulled chicken burger with a corn slaw and chilli mayo burger lined my stomach, washed down with a delightful flat white. What followed next was possibly a result of my glutinous behaviour.
Can a vanilla slice be too rich? Too buttery? The answer is yes. The tri-layered effort is excellent and considering it was a Sunday I was so pleased to discover the freshly baked goods on offer here. The pastry was dark, crisp and flaky - beautiful. The custard, however, was way too buttery and mega rich. Its viscosity was perfect and its sweetness just about right, but the balance of cream, butter and egg was slightly off target. I will definitely be back for lunch again, but will try another cake next time.
Filling: Sweet, smooth vanilla custard in abundance 8/10
Pastry: Three layers of thin, golden sheets, slightly soggy 6/10 Presentation: Stunning cake slice with flaked almond edging 10/10 Value for money: $6, huge cake slice sized portion, baked yesterday 8/10 Overall score: 8/10
How can anybody walk past this cafe's cake cabinet and not sit down and pig out? A first for me on this blog - a cake vanilla slice that is served in wedge shaped portions. A great concept and well executed.
I must say that keeping something like this fresh daily would be a challenge, so when I devoured my portion to discover a day old pastry I was not overly disappointed. Even then, the pastry itself was still satisfactory. A dark, golden colour and nice flavour in all three layers was drowned in thick lashings of tasty vanilla custard. Normally the middle layer of such a slice would be unrecognizable by comparison. The flaked almond edging added another nice texture and flavour to the mix and kept the edge fresh. A heavy dusting of icing sugar finished off a beautifully presented slice, it was served with some slightly dubious synthetic raspberry sauce I might add. If in the area, I would give this one a go, you won't be disappointed.
Filling: Pretty average, non-descript custard 5/10
Pastry: Fairly hard, thick layers, freshly baked 5/10 Presentation: Neatly iced and portioned 7/10 Value for money: $3.50, typically sized portion, lacking flavour 6/10 Overall score: 5.75/10
With such a popular crowd and a cake cabinet loaded with a wide selection at our finger tips I was sat on the fence about how this little blighter would perform when consumed. The slab in the cabinet was impressive and shows that they obviously bake on a daily basis and sell them at pace. Sadly the presentation of our four coffees left way more of an impression with me with; a barista supreme individually decorating each latte with its own artwork.
The vanilla slice in question was averagely portioned, averagely priced and was very average overall. The custard, though a good texture was lacking any richness or vanilla flavour. The pastry too was unusually firm and missing the buttery flakiness I have come to expect. The hero was the sticky, sweet icing which I was happy to lick off my fingers upon completion. Hopefully D will agree with this review as he enjoyed one of his own!
Filling: Pretty average, creamy vanilla custard 6.5/10
Pastry: Flaky layers, though no crunch 6/10 Presentation: Tidy square block with heavy dusting 8/10 Value for money: $3, half sized portion 7.5/10 Overall score: 7/10
These guys kindly let me come in after closing on a Friday night. I purchased some much needed home roasted coffee beans and a sneaky homemade vanilla slice... A+ for hospitality. The sweet offering was smaller than average and had a respectable $3 price tag. The whole thing was enjoyable, if not a little messy. The icing sugar ended up pretty much everywhere after consumption due to its severe dusting. The custard was pretty average and had a slight vanilla hint and a viscosity that was in keeping with successful freestyle eating. The pastry would have been fresh that morning and was still flaky, though sadly the buttery crunch had disappeared by the time I got to it. Altogether, not bad.
Filling: Vanilla bean custard, fresh strawberries and whipped cream 9/10
Pastry: Crispy, buttery, delicate sheets (except the middle layer) 8/10 Presentation: Interestingly assembled and bulky 8/10 Value for money: $6.70, decadent, fresh, impossible to eat 7.5/10 Overall score: 8/10
I walked past this little goldmine with no background information on what they sold. Clearly popular from their reviews on Zomato, I walked out with a heavy mille-feuille with fresh strawberries for a rather sizable $6.70. I really don't mind paying for quality, and clearly these guys take time and effort to make quality products with fresh ingredients. My only major gripe was my inability to pick this thing up freestyle; instead I had to dig around my glove box for a spare bit of disposable cutlery to tackle this thing.
The slice itself was really tasty and rich. The vanilla bean custard was perfectly textured and had a beautiful egg yolk colour. The addition of the strawberry slices made the whipped cream layer slightly runny and the middle layer of otherwise flaky pastry was a right off. A really nice surprise and well worth a visit.
Filling: Flavourless custard, but OK texture 4/10
Pastry: Crisp, irregular thickness, dry as a bone 4/10 Presentation: Well proportioned but sorry looking, patchy icing 4/10 Value for money: $3.50, reasonable price but lacking quality everywhere 4/10 Overall score: 4/10
"Welcome to Café Thyme, here we take pride in our products and love what we do with passion and dedication. Every cup and every plate that gets brought out to your table, we hope it will be an experience to remember."
Perhaps the problem with my vanilla slice was the fact that it was take-away?! An experience to remember, it certainly wasn't. In fact, I threw away some after giving up trying to find the positives and sank a pint of water to replenish the fluids from my mouth. Sadly this slice was not memorable for any good reasons; with its flavourless custard powder filling and dry puff pastry layers. Even the patchy icing was lacking sweetness and punch. I may be back for more coffee beans as these made a nice brew I might add.
Filling: Average custard, freshly whipped cream and (strawberry?) jam 6/10
Pastry: Fresh, crisp and thin but lacking flavour 6/10 Presentation: Neatly assembled, well proportioned 8/10 Value for money: $6.50, overpriced for the overall quality 6/10 Overall score: 6/10
South Yarra Community Bakery have mixed reviews on Zomato so was keen to give their mammoth French vanilla slice a sample. At $6.50 I would normally wince, but this thing really was huge and I actually cut it into three and shared it amongst friends. Aesthetically the slice offers some slight variation to the average vanilla slice, with a layer of jam neatly concealed under the top layer of pastry and offering a half custard and half whipped cream approach. Textually the pastry was firm and crispy (obviously freshly baked); easily cutting with a sharp knife, but sadly lacking in richness and flavour. Similarly the custard and whipped cream felt about right but didn't have much distinction to their layers when tasted together. The jam was hard to distinguish any real flavour, but I knew it was there due to its obvious sweetness. Big in size and cost, but sadly not in flavour.
Filling: Decadent, eggy, vanilla bean custard 10/10
Pastry: Delightfully dark, rich and flaky 9/10 Presentation: Beautifully crafted, stacked and dusted 10/10 Value for money: $6.70, fresh and indulgent 9/10 Overall score: 9.5/10
I felt like a king sitting and eating my lunch, feeding my son his lunch, in the sun, on a weekday! This placed oozes sophistication and authenticity. The owner (I presume) sat outside and chatted to me for a while and the service from the waitresses was excellent. Their coffee was very good and the food did not disappoint either.
This mille-feuille was the best French-style vanilla slice I've tasted to date. Every mouthful was pleasurable; crisp, messy, creamy, eggy, sweet and satisfying. The custard was exactly how I like it; rich, smooth, eggy and laced with vanilla bean. The pastry was also very tasty and what is expected of a French Patisserie, though the middle layer was soggy as a result of swimming in custard. I especially liked the decorative flaked pastry edging, a classy touch. I will definitely be back for another, plus maybe a box of assorted éclairs.
Filling: Creamy and airy vanilla custard 8/10
Pastry: Beautifully flaky and light 8/10 Presentation: Giant 'block' with heavy dusting 8/10 Value for money: $3.50, fresh, tasty and indulgent 10/10 Overall score: 8.5/10
This isn't your typical Vietnamese-style bakery selling vanilla jelly slices, but instead one that sells beautifully fresh, creamy slabs. At only $3.50 I felt ashamed that my last mouthful was so hard to stomach, but nevertheless it was unfair to through it away. The huge portion of creamy vanilla custard was so tasty in between the light and flaky layers of pastry. I managed to eat the whole thing with no cutlery and it proved to be quite a task. I would definitely recommend this place, to the point that their jam doughnuts actually contained "too much jam" according to Mrs B - if there is such a thing!
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January 2022
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