Tea Elegance and Aromatic Company

Address: Stud Park Shopping Centre, Stud Park and Fulhm Road, Melbourne, Vic 3178

Phone: 0430 348 384

Website: teacompanyonline.com.au

Facebook: Tea Elegance and Aromatic Company

I've been meaning to visit the Tea Elegance and Aromatic Company (or T.E.A Company) for a looong time. I'd always walked past it when running errands and admired the beautiful teapots lining the windows of the store. So on my day off, I decided I'd visit the little teahouse with my sister. I like tea a lot, which was my main motive for visiting but I was also charmed by the little cupcakes in the display cabinet. Between the two of us, we ended up trying 3: Red velvet, Orange velvet and Lemon Squeeze.

The cupcakes certainly looked pretty with a lot of edible glitter and decorations. Such nice colours, particularly the Orange velvet one. In fact, I'm pretty sure I picked that one solely on the pretty decorations on it...

But I can't say that it was the best cupcake experience I'd had. I'll start with the green one, Lemon squeeze. The cupcake didn't taste much like lemon. Only the buttercream icing was slightly lemony. Also, I suspect that the cupcake given to me had been around since the end of December, as I noticed that it had a Christmas Tree decoration on it (The ones in the window had fondant heart decorations, which was kind of what I was expecting to get.) So the cupcake was kind of dense and hard. Don't get me wrong, it was edible and not stale or anything...it just wasn't very soft either.

My sister said the same thing about the Red velvet one. It didn't taste much like the traditional mixture and the cake was not very soft. We shared the Orange velvet one, which turned out to be much more pleasant with cream cheese frosting. It didn't taste very much like orange either, but the cake was more moist than the others. As pretty and as unique as the cupcakes were, they were not to my personal taste. I think my sister and I are a fan of softer, fluffier cupcakes. 

There are many other food items at T.E.A. The rest of the cabinet was stocked full of pies, quiches, tarts and cakes. A family next to us were trying the English High Tea, which looked alright. But my sister had just had lunch so we didn't try it ourselves. But I did go for some tea and really enjoyed it.

Tea is pretty much my lifeblood. I probably drink tea the way other people in Melbourne drink coffee. I also happen to like floral Asian teas, so I was pretty stoked to discover that they had the kind of tea that blooms in your teapot. 

I selected the Green Tea and Peach flavour, which was nice and fragrant and tasted a little fruity. The weather was warm, so we took to the outside to enjoy their shaded seating. After we'd finished with our tea time, we had a look at the shop component of the cafe. There were lots of pretty Chinese trinkets, house decorations and tea-related presents for purchase.

Before we left, I stopped to admire the window housing the collection of teapots. Such a colourful window! 

Overall, the space was pretty, the tea was enjoyable, but I was not sold on the sweets, which were a bit dry for my liking. Was it a nice place to visit? By all means, the service was pleasant enough and they were happy to refill my teapot, so I'd recommend the T.E.A company as a place to bring a book and enjoy a peaceful afternoon tea. 

Ratings

Service: 7/10

Ambience: 8/10

Food: 12/20

Worth Visiting? Enjoy an afternoon tea, but maybe lay off the cupcakes, kids.

Price: $ (You're look at around $2-$10 for tea and cakes. They also do Chinese tea with some Yum Cha foods and English High Tea which may cost more.)

Supernormal

Address: 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic 3000
Phone: (03) 9650 8688
Website: www.supernormal.net.au
Facebook: Supernormal

A few days ago, I had my first food adventure for the new year. Kind of late, I know, but I thought it'd be better to start visiting restaurants after everyone had left on their summer holidays. My sister and I had talked about going to Supernormal, another venture by Andrew McConnell (who you may remember was the chef behind Cumulus Up), pretty much since it's opening. But we didn't get around to it till the other day. We arrived at 2 o'clock, to a comfortable open-space environment and ordered some dishes. The first one to arrive was the New England Lobster Rolls. 

The brioche buns were crisp on the edges and deliciously soft and buttery inside. Wedged between each bun was a slice of tender lobster meat which laid on a bed of shredded lobster and mayonnaise The combined flavour of the buns and the lobster meat was sweet and satisfying. At $16 a pop, they were by no means cheap. But I had no regrets ordering these rolls and I would have totally ordered another if I had not made so many dinner plans for the following week which would require saving some cash. But yes, those lobster rolls. So, so delicious.

Next came the Pork Baos with Tamarind Sauce. Baos are all the trend in Melbourne at the moment and pretty much all modern or fusion Asian restaurants will offer an interesting take on the traditional Chinese bread. The Pork Bao was interesting at Supernormal. Instead of streamed or straight out fried meat, the pork patties were crumbed nuggets of juicy, chunky meat served with a spicy, Tamarind sauce on top of some cucumbers. It was definitely not the traditional filling for a Bao, but the meat was flavoursome. I don't think I enjoyed the Tamarind sauce too much though. But the Bao texture and consistency was just right. It was good, fluffy steamed bread.  

For our mains, my sister and I shared a fish, The Whole Roasted Flounder with Seaweed Butter, Potatoes and Spring Onions. For some reason I pictured this dish a little differently...probably because I assumed the potatoes would be roasted as well. But it was still an enjoyable dish. The fish was fresh and melted in your mouth with the seaweed butter. The potatoes turned out to be potato shreds, which were crunchy and also deliciously addictive when served with the seaweed butter sauce. I wish they'd actually provided more potatoes, rather than the spring onion as it could have made for a fancy fish and chips dish!

The part of lunch that we both looked forward to the most was dessert. I'd heard about this Peanut Butter Parfait with Salted Caramel and Soft Chocolate since the opening of the restaurant and I knew that if I had to try one thing at Supernormal, it'd have to be this dessert. And it did not disappoint.

The parfait was silky and creamy, with a light peanut butter taste. It was my favourite part of the dish and it was paired perfectly with the sweet, rich, salted caramel sauce that it was swimming in. To conteract the sweetness, the soft chocolate ganche on top was made from dark chocolate. It was slightly bitter, the natural bitterness of unflavoured cocoa, which helped to offset the sweetness. When all the elements were gathered together, along with some of the roasted peanuts sprinkled on top, it was an explosion of dessert flavours and textures that delighted the taste buds.

What my sister had been really curious about was the Miso and Fuji Apple Soft Serve Ice-cream. We'd seen some pictures of the pretty looking sundae and wondered what Miso Ice-Cream would taste like, so my sister ordered one. It turned out to be an interesting experience, but not one I'd be keen enough to try again anytime too soon. The yellow soft serve was the Miso component and it was mighty salty. Sort of like frozen, sweetened Miso soup. The pink soft serve was the Fuji Apple component and it was sour, with a slightly sweet finish. So when combined together it was a bit like salty apple. It reminded my sister of sun-dried apple chips. I will add that I really liked the seasame brittle on top. It was very thin and caramel-flavoured and the seasame was not over-powering, as with the case with some sesame biscuits.

The restaurant had a lovely dining area. Large and open with long counter-tops and simple furniture. It was lined with some Japanese sake bottles and plants. Nothing super fancy....just Supernormal. Hahaha, sorry, couldn't resist. At two o'clock lunchtime, it did have a business lunch and intimate date vibe, but not exclusively so as there was a family with some kids dining there too.

My favourite decoration in the restaurant, apart from it's hot pink neon sign, was the giant Bonsai they kept in a glass case by the front of the restaurant. It looked a bit like a Japanese pine tree. Kind of cute in it's glass case. There's something nice about plants in restaurants, don't you think?

My final verdict? I loved a lot of the items that we tried, particularly the Lobster Rolls and the Peanut Butter Parfait. But some dishes felt like they needed a little more to make them more desirable to me as I mentioned with some aspects of the Bao and Fish. All in all, it was a super pleasant experience. 

The service was polite and on point. If we asked for something, we'd get it in good time. It did take awhile for the fish to come out though, but perhaps it was the cooking time required for the dish. It was an enjoyable meal and I'd love to come back to try some other dishes sometime. 

Ratings

Service: 7/10
Ambience: 8/10
Food: 18/20

Worth Visiting? Yes - Peanut Butter Parfait! And other dishes are lovely too!
Price: $$$ (You're looking at anything between $6-$69. There's some entree dishes, Baos and such, that are well over $10 for a very small serving. But if you'd like to try them, they are quite enjoyable. Most filling main dishes are about $30-$40, with rice at a separate cost.)

Cumulus Up

Address: 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic 3000
Phone: (03) 9650 1445
Website: cumulusinc.com.au

Cumulus Up is one of many ventures owned by the talented Andrew McConnell, who has redefined the Melbourne dining scene with restaurants such Supernormal, Moon Under water, Luxembourg Bar and Bistro and Cumulus Inc. Cumulus Up, an extension of Cumulus Inc., is a fancy wine bar, which also serves fine foods to be shared between guests. 

When catching up with Ada, a friend I hadn't seen in a long time, I suggested Cumulus Up because I thought it'd be fun to test a variety of dishes while we talked about all the things that had happened this year. I'd been to Cumulus Up for the first time not long before and I was keen to try some of the dishes I didn't get to try last time because everything sounded so good.

We started off with the Grilled King Prawn with Creme Freche and Lemon. The tender prawn meat was enhanced by the creamy, zesty flavours it was served with. Really a delicious entree dish. The only issue I had was scooping the meat from the shell - every bite required a bit of work. But I suppose that what you get when you order prawns!

The next dish we tried was the Duck Waffle with Foie Gras and Prune. I'd tried the Duck Waffle on my first visit and fell in love, which was why I recommended that Ada order it too. This is the dish that you go to Cumulus Up for. Rich, buttery, melt-in-your mouth foie gras is served with sweet, prune jam on top of a light and crispy waffle that has tiny, shredded duck pieces folded into the batter. It's a rich dish, but so flavoursome and delightful that I'm pretty sure it'd be a sin to come to Cumulus and avoid this one.

After the duck waffle, our mains came. I'd picked the first two dishes, so it seemed only fair to make Ada choose something too. (And honestly, I hate making decisions when everything looks good!) Ada ended up picking the Pork Rack, which came out beautifully presented.

The pork belly was so soft and tender with a thin brittle layer of cracking above. The meat was flavoured by the basil, parsley and olive oil green sauce or Salsa Verde. It really added a salty and herbyedge to the white bean puree and the pork cuts. On the topic of the puree, I really enjoyed it. As a thick, creamy paste, it added a smooth texture to the the dish.

To go with the Pork Rack, we also ordered a Roast Potato side. I generally love potatoes (even though they bring on the carbs), but these were really something. They were covered with a thick Confit Garlic sauce, which added a strong salty taste to the soft, warm potato flesh in their crackling skins. 

I think Ada enjoyed her meal...and I know most certainly did. Maybe it could be accredited to good company too...you know what they say, good company makes good food better.

In terms of the restaurant, the interior was beautiful with jagged mirrors, flowers and wine bottles lining the walls. On this visit, we also had a really friendly waiter, who came to our table three times (as we kept forgetting to look at the menu, getting deep into conversation) without showing any attitude. He was patient and smiley, which really made a good impression on me. He also gave us a cheery good-bye and thank you when we paid for our meal. 

I feel I should also talk a bit about my first visit too although that was about a month ago. It was a meet-up with high school friends who seen Cumulus on a list of Must-Tries for Melbourne. Although it was a catch up with a group of people, I somehow manged to weasel my way into taking some nice food pictures, even with the lack of natural light inside the restaurant (We were dining at 8pm) and the 10 people who had to wait for me to do the happy snaps before they could dig in.

On that night, I started off with a cocktail - I can't remember the name of it, but it was not my cup of tea (Or rather, glass of gin). It tasted a lot like cough syrup, unfortunately. Though it did have a lovely misty purple hue to it.

We tried the Duck Waffles and the Roast Potatoes on my first visit, as I mentioned before. But we also shared a number of other dishes including the Spanner Crab and Brioche...These were crunchy, toasted brioche fingers, oozing with oil and topped with a creamy Spanner crab and salmon mixture. Definitely rich, but in their tiny size, a good amount to excite the taste buds without being too much for the stomach.

Another dish we tried was the Ricotta Dumplings with Burnt Butter and Pine Nuts. In my mind, dumplings are always filled with meat...probably because I grew up on Asian-styled pork dumplings. So I was initially weary of this dish. But it turned out to be delicious - round parcels of thin skin that melted with the fluffy ricotta filling. It had the lovely aroma of pine nuts and melted butter. Again, rich, but delicious with a small tasting.

We then got into the Whole Rock Flathead and Mussels En Papillote with Herb Salad. Perhaps it's because I don't know if I like Mussels or not, but this one didn't have as much pulling power over me. The fish was fresh and tender and the herbs flavoured the subtle taste of the fish. But I can't say much about the mussels - I didn't try any. I guess I enjoyed the dish, but perhaps not as much as the others.

Finally, we tried the dried aged 600gr. rib fillet. My friends kind of dug into it by accident before I got a picture. But it was delicious...and kind of difficult to share with friends because you wanted to go back in for another piece.

All in all, I really liked dining at Cumulus Up. It serves some interesting dishes, unique to the venue, and really balances subtle flavours with more rich and tasteful elements. It can be a bit pricey depending on what you're ordering and how many people you're dining with, but I tell you that you'll have an experience worth every dollar paid and more.

Ratings

Service: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Food: 19/20

Worth Visiting? Definitely...so many delicious dishes. Easy, classy shared dining.
Price: $$$ (You're looking at servings from $7 per piece to dishes priced $12-$68. You'll need to order a few dishes to fill up, but it's great for trying all the different options.)

Byblos

Address: World Trade Centre, 18-32 Siddeley Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000
Phone: (03) 9614 6400
Website: byblosbar.com.au
Facebook: Byblos

About a week ago, I was lucky enough to be invited by Clemance Harvey PR to dine at Byblos, one of the eateries forming the row of restaurants next to the river at the WTC Wharf. Byblos originated from the sunny state of Queensland and has been known for its exotic Lebanese cuisine and award-winning bar, so I was quite excited for lunch. I arrived at Byblos at 2 o'clock for a late afternoon meal, so it took awhile to flag a waiter given the quiet hour at the restaurant. But once I did get his attention, he was very friendly and recommended a delicious dish from the grill menu. 

I was told that the grilled prawn and fish skewers were not to be missed, so I took up the recommendation. I also selected a chicken skewer, a lamb cutlet and a vegetable skewer for variety....And what a great selection it was...

The char-grilled jumbo prawn was succulent and flavoursome, marinated in olive oil, lime and garlic. The dory fish was also fresh and tender, flavoured with lemon juice, spices and coriander, flame-grilled to perfection. It was surprising my favourite of the skewers as I just loved the way the fish fell tenderly from its stick. The chicken was tender and lightly seasoned with oregano and pepper. It was pleasant, although I preferred the seafood skewers more. There was also a sweet capsicum, mushroom and tomato veggie skewer which went well with the lamb cutlet.

The platter also came with pickles, a corriander and tomato salad and a large bowl of pita bread to dip into the creamy house-made garlic dip. The hummus and olive oil combination was also quite delicious. I was thoroughly impressed with the size of the plate because it was a good amount of food - a generous serving of skewers, bread and salad, although you'd definately be able to order a few more side dishes if you really wanted to try out some of their other interesting entrees. 

I also tried one of the syrups on offer - The rose and lychee syrup. It was a beautiful colour with a soft, rose scent that was quite lovely. But it was very, very sweet. Perhaps a little too sweet for my usual tastes as I couldn't finish it. But if you like very sweet drinks, this one's for you!

I was also fascinated with their platter for two, which looked like a Lebanese high tea, so the waiter let me take a photo of one coming out to be served. If you're dining with a friend, these tiered dishes offer a good variety of Byblos' popular dishes to share, with 2 of each of the Rekakat, Fatayer, Lahim bil Ajeen, Sambusek, Shish Tawook and Lahim Meshwi. The next time I feel like Lebanese, I'm bringing a friend to try this with me! 

In the end, I had a great time and enjoyed the delicious meal. The food was nicely presented and came out quickly and the restaurant itself was quite pretty with its decadent lamps and curtains - a great place for grabbing lunch if you happen to work around the WTC Wharf. Although the restaurant is hidden away next to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, it's got some delicious grilled food, so make sure you check it out if you're around that side of town.

Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Clemance Harvey PR and Byblos. This post reflects my honest experiences and opinions at the time of my visit. Please note, I'm a blogger who enjoys food and photography, not a professional critic for a particular media organisation or company.

Ratings:

Service: 7.5/10
Ambience: 6.5/10 
Food: 18/20

Worth Visiting? Yes, that grill is just perfect.
Price: $$ (You're looking at about $20-$30 plates that will fill you up quite well)

The Paramount Coffee Project

Address: 80 Commonwealth Street, Surrey Hills, Sydney 2010

Phone: (02) 9211 1122
Website:  paramountcoffeeproject.com.au

Facebook: Paramount Coffee Project

Ah, Sydney. So many brunch spots, so little time. I ended up walking past The Paramount Coffee Project shortly after dining at Reuben Hills (Apparently, this is another cafe owned by the dudes who set up Reuben Hills). It was relatively quiet, as it was past the lunchtime rush, and I knew that I'd probably have difficulty getting in the next day (being a Saturday)...so I decided I'd step in to try a sweet dish.

Believe me, I was seriously tempted to try the Sweet Waffle with Peanut Butter Ice-cream...but in the end, my love for cooked bananas won out. In this case, not only were they cooked, they were bruleed bananas. Fancy...So I ended up ordering Banana Bread with Bruleed bananas, Marscapone and Macademia nuts.

The little bread loaf was quite cute. It came out in a bowl, drizzled with maple syrup, flanked by a serving of caramelised bananas and macademia nuts and topped with a dollop of marscapone.

I love banana bread, but I often feel like that it's very sweet. Even sweeter than a lot of cakes. In fact, I can't really tell the diffference between banana bread and banana cake most of the time. But at The Paramount Coffee Project, this wasn't the case at all. The banana bread was perfect. Served warm, I was greeted with the wafting scent of baked bananas. The marscapone was light and creamy, which served as a 'butter' for the bread, while the macademia nuts added a contrasting crunch in every bite which complemented the soft textures of the dish. All in all, the banana bread was beautiful.

I wish I'd been able to try other dishes. Aside from the Sweet Waffle, I was also seriously tempted to try the Coca Cola Ox Cheek Waffle. What a strange combination, right? But I was well fed after a whole morning of eating, so I gave it a pass. I'll definately be back though.

In regards to the actual cafe, the waitress who served me was quite friendly...though some of the waiters who came to 'check in' on me seemed to give off the disinterested hipster vibe. The space was wide and open with a lot of communal tables - a little tough for a lone traveller - but luckily I ended up with my own window table in the corner. Anoher thing to note is that people kept on coming into the cafe - I must have come in during the lull because it picked up again not long after I was served. So your best bet would be to come early if you're planning a brunch date at The Paramount Coffee Project.

Ratings

Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 6.5/10
Food:17/20

Worth visiting? Yeiiish, for it's pretty dishes, open communal dining space and nice service.
Price range: $$ (You're looking at $9-$10 for smaller dishes, $10-$20 for slightly larger dishes. A bit pricey, but worth it if you're sharing with friends)

Reuben Hills

Address: 61 Albion Street, Surry Hills, Sydney
Phone: (02) 9211 5556

Website: reubenhills.com.au
Facebook: Reuben Hills

Been busy zooming back and forth to Sydney recently, so I've been lucky enough to try out some of the awesome cafes and eateries in the CBD. When planning my trip, my first move was to check out Urbanspoon to see where I should eat for the next couple of days....

One of the trending cafes was Reuben Hills, a place with quirky, Mexican-inspired flavours. I almost missed the cafe on my way up the Albion Street hill because it had such a simple shopfront...but it was a cool, chic little space with plants and lights adorning the brick walls and a roller-door exit on the far end where the sun poured into the room. I look a seat at this end of the cafe to peruse the menu. There were a lot of interesting dishes, all with an exotic twist...but in the end it was the crab that got me. I love soft-shell crab, so it was the tostada for me.

This is by far one of the best Soft shell crabs I've had. The exterior was crispy, but the crab itself was fleshy, soft and sweet. I also liked that it was plated in its original shape. The slaw was very flavoursome with all the tastes and colour that a Mexican dish should have. It was wonderfully fruity, tangy and spicy and went well with the Queso Fresco cheese, creamy black bean paste and tostada shells. All in all, a very delightful and filling dish which I had with a Nutella Hot Chocolate.

It had a pleasant hazelnut-Nutella scent and was warm and bubbly. It wasn't as thick as I hoped (I think my taste buds in regards to hot chocolate have been spoilt by the hot chocolate I had at Angelina's in France. Since then, I've only ever wanted thick hot chocolate...) But it was a pretty good drink. The girl who served me was very friendly and very conversational about everything: the food, my photo-taking and the weather. She was so pleasant that I felt it added to my first experience.

The second time I visited Reuben Hills was for lunch the very next day. Too tired to look for a new place for lunch after going on a looong present-shopping trip, I wondered back to Reuben Hills for a bit of lunch. It was late, probably about 3 o'clock, so I was pretty hungry...and had a weak spot for the fried chicken. Also, I really liked the name given to the dish on the menu: 'Really F*cking Great Chicken...'

And it was pretty damn delicious. Tender chicken, lightly fried (it was good chicken too with no fatty pieces) served with lime juice, ranch sauce and some kind of spicy salsa? Sooo good. There were also some green chili pieces...but I left those well alone given my lack of tolerance for hot food...Though the chicken was pretty addictive, I had to leave some of it because it was quite filling and I'd also decided to order the Brioche and Dulce De Leche.

The Brioche bun was OK. Not as soft as I thought it might be. The Dulce De Leche was delicious and thick. It tasted like condensed milk, but with a caramel texture. This dish was a bit plain, and you can get the Dulce De Leche in a couple of other desserts, so I recommend ordering those instead...unless you're having two dishes. This was just the right amount of sweetness after the fried chicken, so I was quite happy with that.

The service was pretty awesome on my second visit too. The waitress who showed me to my seat was a little bit indifferent, but the two guys that served me when I paid for my meal were very friendly and joked around with me. Overall, I had a super good experience and loved the food. Look forward to visiting again the next time I'm up in Sydney!

Ratings 

Service: 9/10
Ambience: 6/10
Food: 19/20

Is it worth visiting? Delicious Mexicana dishes served with a friendly vibe.
Price range: $$ (You're looking at about $8-$18.50 for dish) 

Cupcake Central

Address: Level 2 Dining Hall, Melbourne Central, Melbourne 3000
Phone: (03) 9077 4542
Website: www.cupcakecentral.com.au
Facebook: Cupcake Central

Winter has done bad things to me...I haven't been able to get up early enough for brunch dates and I've been craving cupcakes. So I've decided to write about Cupcake Central as I've made two visits on my way home from work recently. Cupcake Central has an original store in Hawthorn and since the re-vamp of Melbourne Central, they've also occupied a large corner of the Level 2 Dining Hall. 

The thing I like most about the store is that they also have quirky cupcake flavours. For my first visit in a looong time, I decided not to go with something too outrageous and ended up with a Banoffee Pie cupcake. Who doesn't love Banoffee Pie? It was a nice banana cake dotted with melted toffee chips and served with cream cheese frosting. I liked it alot, though I couldn't finish it as I realised Cupcake Central has cakes that are dense and rich (I don't do too well with richness, unfortunately). But I liked the delicious flavour combination. It went perfectly with a chocolate-flaked cappuccino.

There's something really beautiful about the store itself. Lots of lights and whites and flowers with a bit of a retro feel, given that it has a milkshake and soda bar...

The second time I visited, I got tempted by an unusual cupcake...The Potato Head. I don't usually like chocolate desserts that look like they might be too rich, but I was fascinated with the idea of a potato cupcake that I decided I'd give it a go. 

I wasn't sure if it was a cake made with potato, or a cake with potato chips in it (judging from the chip on top), but both seemed like interesting ideas. It turned out to be the latter - chocolate cake with white-chocolate coated potato chips embedded in the mixture. Again I underestimated my judgement for rich cakes and couldn't finish it, but for chocolate-dessert lovers, you would definately find this very chocolate-y. For me, I loved the potato chip idea. It was salty and sweet and added a funny crunch to the dessert. Overall, I enjoyed the quirky menu at Cupcake Central, but have to add that I felt that the cupcakes were a bit dry compared to some other places that I'd visited before. They were also quite dense and rich, as mentioned before. While I prefer my cupcakes soft, some of my friends really like the cupcakes from here...so I leave the final verdict in your hands after you try it!

The first time I visited was a Sunday, hence the morning lull. But the second time I came around, it was quite busy, so I suggest a morning visit if you want to enjoy the pretty settings. The service was relatively friendly and fast, though it does seem to depend on the number of people that are there and the person doing the serving...But there are definately some friendly faces...see one waving in my picture? 

Ratings 

Service: 6.5/10
Ambience: 9/10
Food: 14/20

Is it worth visiting? It's in a convienent location and offers a range of quirky flavours
Price range: $ (You're looking at less than $5 per cupcake depending on size)