Jean-Claude Patisserie, Perth, Australia

Nestled along Rokeby Rd in Subiaco is Jean-Claude Patisserie. Not only a place of fond memories (which I won't discuss for personal reasons) but also home to freshly baked goodies.

A very traditional bakery, nothing is better than the whiff of freshly baked breads during the cool late Autumn season.

With my little package of goodies, I headed to the best nearby picnic spot.

Kings Park is practically just located across the road (Winthrop Ave) from Subiaco and is not only home to...

the ANZAC memorial but also...

a pretty cool view of the little city that is Perth and the Swan River which flanks her.

But let's get back to the real stars of the show shall we? Over 10 years ago, Jean-Claude used to serve their ham and cheese croissants with a pretty kickass bechamal sauce but now it's only served plain.

The light and crisp buttery croissant still tasted as delicious as when I first had it.

There's something about the pecan tart that exudes a warmth over your whole palate when you take that bite.

I'm not sure whether it was the rich caramel, golden syrup or roasted pecans that made this so good but that doesn't really matter; bottom-line is: this tasted so good.

King's Park is not only a park but also a botanical garden with many trees lined up against the small roads.

Each tree represents a fallen soldier who died during service.

Ok, back to the chocolate éclair that was begging so much attention - from me no doubt haha. Strong in chocolate flavor with a light choux pastry, this cream "hotdog" went down pretty fast.

In the tradition of leaving the best for the last, the strawberry tart is the ideal example of what Jean-Claude's is capable of.

Fresh strawberries coated in a light jam, sitting above fresh custard on a chocolate-coated biscuit base. Every bite wasn't just a gustatory splendor but a poignant memory. I guess some memories are best served cold.... it helped that this was sweet as well.

D