The Pearl of Highgate

The Pearl of Highgate (which may have been a deli in a previous incarnation) is a small bakery located in a quiet residential street off Bulworth Avenue. After reading Timothy Fawcett’s brief on this place at Six Thousand, I was intrigued. So this morning I went to have a look.

The Pearl of Highgate

In a quiet neighbourhood…

As you walk in, you immediately get a waff of fresh smelling baked bread – a really wonderful thing. To the right is a display window of sweet treats showing off escargot, panforte, tarts, chocolate and kahlua cakes, as well as gugelhupf – dome shaped cakes – a German/Austrian favourite. To the left of the display window is a giant silver oven, holding an array of different flavoured pies – steak, lamb and mint chutney, beef and chilli goulash, and Malaysian beef rendang. To the left of the entrance is a wall display of homemade jams. Everything from the look and feel of the shop to the food was distinctively European (if I may state the obvious…)

I bought two beef rendang pies ($4.20 each), one beef & chilli goulash pie ($4.20), one panforte ($2.60), and a banana & walnut gugelhupf ($4.50).

About an hour and a half later I arrived home to find the chocolate on my gugelhupf had melted, and my pies a little worse for wear because of the heat and moisture in their paper bags – it was a hot day. But there was nothing to worry about as the chocolate was purely cosmetic, and the pies would go crispy after a reheat in the oven for a few minutes.

Both the beef rendang and beef & chilli goulash pies were light in texture, with the pastry gently crumbling under forced pressure from my knife.

The beef rendang pie was filled with juicy morsels of beef covered in gooey rendang “curry”. I was expecting more of a chilli kick, but maybe it’s just me – I can take a lot of chilli – trust me, you don’t want to hear my stories about chilli… The pie was good but it could have been a lot better if they didn’t overdo it with cinnamon spice (a core ingredient of Malaysian cooking).

Beef Rendang Pie

Inside the Beef Rendang Pie

Chunky pieces of beef in the Beef Rendang Pie

I actually enjoyed the beef & chilli pie a lot more – it was packed full of ground beef and chilli – it really hit the spot.

Beef & Chilli Goulash Pie

Inside the Beef & Chilli Goulash Pie

The banana & walnut gugelhupf looked great on the eyes but was a little dry on the inside.

Banana & Walnut Gugelhupf

Lots and lots of nuts…

The panforte was very chewy and rich. But I was not a fan… I have had better.

Panforte

In my opinion, the pies were good but the cakes were so-so. I wondered if the cakes had been sitting in the display window for days; surely not… They looked freshly made. Maybe it was a bad day at the “office” – after all, it was a Sunday.

The Pearl of Highgate
Address: 189 Lincoln Street, Highgate
Tel: +61 8 9228 9011

Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Friday (7:00pm – 4:00pm)
Saturday – Sunday (7:00am – 1:00pm)

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