Lune Croissanterie

Do you like pastries? Because I do? In fact I love baked goods; bread, cakes, muffins, scones. If it can be found in a bakery or a patisserie, chances are I will like eating it. So when D told me about this amazing little store in Elwood that opens for only 3 days a week and people line up for it, from 6am in the morning I was intrigued.

Lune is located is a quiet suburb area of Elwood. It's by sis/bro team Kate and Cam. Kate had extensive experience under her belt prior opening this little quaint shop with her brother. If you haven't read the newspaper articles, you might be wondering why line at up 6am and not go later? Well, Lune only bakes a limited amount of pastries each day. Tickets go out around 6.30am and the first 30 people in line will get a choice of everything on offer for the day and the subsequent numbers, less as the number goes up.

I actually made 2 visits to Lune, the first time was a Sunday. I got there at 6.20am on a Sunday morning and we were number 72. By the time it reached us, there was still pastries but only plain croissants were left. We left with only 6 plain croissants (6 is the limit per person).

Even though I didn't get any flavoured croissants I was not disheartened. 2 weeks later I went again but this time I went with Miss P. We got there at 6 this time was number 32 and 33. This time round we had almost the choice of everything. The Danish and ham cheese croissant was sold out by the time it got to us. This was a tad disappointing because all morning while waiting in line, Miss P kept saying how badly she wanted that one.

For my 6 I got 1 plain, 2 cruffins, 1 twice baked, 1 rosewater, pistachio chocolate and 1 choc almond.

The cruffin flavours were tiramisu and peanut butter and jam. The cruffin was fluffy and the mascapone was piped into the centre of the cruffin evenly and a hint of coffee. It was buttery, creamy, sweet, and just so damn good.

The PBJ cruffin was Miss P's favourite. A good ratio of peanut butter to jam to highlight the salty and the sweet.

I actually wanted a pain au chocolat but when I heard what was in it, I changed my mind in a heartbeat. The rosewater gave it that beautiful fragrant and the pistachio that nutty goodness. Loved it

Choc almond croissant also came with a hint of orange frangipane. Fluffy like the rest and the perfect amount of buttery goodness.

The twice baked coconut pandan was my favourite out of everything I tried. The top was covered in crunchy almond flakes and filling was stuffed with coconut and pandan granache. I loved how the pandan ganache wasn't too sweet and didn't take away from the actual pastry and the butter taste still had a gentle linger.

If all you can get it plain, I would still take it. These babies were airy and fluffy. I got 6 the first time and stuffed 2 with cheese and ham when I got home. I ate it plain, I ate it with jam. Mum ate one and also agreed it was one of the best croissants she's tasted.

Over 18.5/20 this place kicks ass in terms of it's produce. Is it worth waking up that early for? Hell yea! However still wish she will make more, so I can buy more and get more sleep.

Combi

Combi has been a place I have wanted to visit for a long time. I have been working hard at staying active and eating well (except the times I'm eating burgers and ice cream) so when I saw they offered a range of vegan breakfast options and colourful smoothies, I was very keen to try. They are located in Elwood so it's not close or far for me, so it made a nice Sunday drive. I went there on 2 occasions as I couldn't fit in all the smoothies and bowls I wanted to try in one visit.

When I told D that we were going to a vegan, raw food brunch place he instantly scrunched up his nose but he was a good sport and gave into my nagging. To start off I got the green mylk (green tea latte) for us to share. This was made with almond milk, sweetened with honey and finished with a dash of cinnamon. Normally I am a big fan of green latte with soy, so I was slightly hesitant to try almond milk. The flavour was slightly nutty and surprisingly still had the same amount of creaminess. The matcha flavour was more on the light side but still strong enough for the aromas to come through.

I also got a smoothie, there was no way I could turn down that opportunity. I've seen many photos on instagram and they always look delicious and colourful. I didn't feel too adventurous so I just got the mango shack which was a mango, banana, mint, coconut flesh, camu camu, nut mylk with added protein. The smoothie was rich and filling. It had a full body mango and banana taste with the texture of coconut flesh blended in. I can now understand why people in Elwood go nuts over the smoothies here.

For our second visit I got the liquid passion. Normally I'm not a passionfruit fan but I was a sucker for the pretty colours and I love berries and mango. This was not as sweet as I had hoped it to be, more on the tangy side but it was very refreshing. Again it had protein powder, nut milk and coconut flesh so it was a heavy smoothie.

D for blue moon, which as the name suggest is a blueberry based smoothie. It had chia seed, banana, coconut flesh and protein powder. This was just as heavy but less tangy compared to the liquid passion. I quite liked this one and it Combi was closer, it is something I'll happily have for breakfast every morning.

Despite all the heavy smoothies, I still managed to get a bite in on both occasions. The acai bowl caught my eye. Acai bowls have been a new favorite breakfast of mine. I was sucked in by the super food promise but stayed because I liked the taste and found it a good alternative to bircher muesli on all my Sat brunch catch ups. Combi's acai bowl came with blueberries, banana, coconut flakes, apples strawberries, dates, buckinis and nut milk. It was like eating a smoothie in a bowl with lots of crunchy bits. Unlike other brunches, I walked out feeling full but not in the need for a nap.

D was overwhelmed by all the "healthy stuff" so he got the toasted sandwich with ham, cheese and tomato. It was served on seeded bread but it wasn't anything exciting.

Second visit we just got the granola to share, as we were in the area for Lune croissants so we didn't want to completely stuff ourselves. The granola was made of almond, walnut bits with honey and cinnamon. It was served with apple, banana, vanilla yogurt and coconut milk. I found it just right in terms of crunchiness balanced  with yoghurt and coconut milk. I would like more fruit but that's just more me, liking lots of fruit in my breakfast.

Overall 15.5/20 I was very impressed with their smoothie collection and found the acai bowl very enjoyable. I love the variety they offered for healthy alternatives. I don't think this place is for everybody but I certainly liked it and will come back.