This is A&A Cakes in Cabramatta, a very popular bakery selling everything one could expect of a Chinese-Vietnamese bakery.
Patê Sô Pork ($3.50).
This 10 cm pastry was baked to a beautiful golden brown, with a rich buttery flavour reminiscent of a good croissant. The filling was incredibly juicy and flavourful, with finely chopped onions adding a touch of sweetness. Each bite was rich and comforting, and a vast improvement on the version available at Daily Delicious Bakery.
Patê Sô Chicken ($3.50)
Similar in size to the pork version, this pastry featured a blend of chicken and pork with a comparable seasoning profile. However, the use of chicken resulted in a less rich flavour, with the onion’s taste being more pronounced. We preferred the pork version.
Wife Cake ($3.50)
The pastry had a subtle crispness from the egg wash and a slightly flaky exterior, but it was too thick, leading to a dense mouthfeel. The filling lacked the expected taste and texture of candied wintermelon, tasting predominantly of sweet glutinous rice flour and sesame seeds. Overall, while resembling a wife cake, it fell short in almost all of its components.
Egg Tart ($2.60)
The tart featured a flaky pastry, which we usually enjoy. However, with a smaller diameter of just 5 cm, the ratio of pastry to filling was off balance. The pastry was too thick and absorbed moisture from the custard, resulting in a denser texture at the base. While the egg custard was smooth and sweet, the pastry lacked sufficient savoury notes to provide balance.
Bánh Tiêu ($1.50).
This hollow doughnut, sprinkled with sesame seeds, struck a good balance between sweet and savoury notes. The dough was slightly chewy with a tender bite. We preferred this version over the one from Tony’s Bakery, though the dough was still thicker than the one we fondly remember from a grocery store in Bankstown. Nevertheless, we would return to repurchase this bánh tiêu.
Black Sesame Ball ($2.20)
The surface was thoroughly covered in black sesame seeds and fried to perfection, giving it a crisp and nutty exterior without being oily. The thickness of the glutinous rice dough was perfectly balanced with the sesame seeds and black sesame filling, providing a pleasing contrast between the crunchy exterior, tender chewiness of the dough, and the soft interior. Despite the name, the black sesame interior was a delightful surprise, given the common use of red bean or mung bean paste. The filling had a toasty quality, as if ground black sesame had been mixed with roasted glutinous flour. We would definitely return to repurchase this black sesame ball.
A&A Cake Shop is located at Shop 8/97-99 John St, Cabramatta NSW 2166.