Chouquette - A little bit of Paris in New Farm

I remember when my first friend got married and she told me that her Mother-in-Law was a nutcase who belonged on “Everyone Loves Raymond” so I was hugely concerned about acquiring my own family of inlaws – especially when she told me “They even started out normal… but as soon as we were married, all the kookiness came out”. So it’s such a nice surprise for me to have a whole other family that I really do adore. (We’ve been married for almost a year now, and no new kookiness to report on yet!)

It was my MIL’s birthday recently and it was just too revoltingly hot to make her a cake – even though it went against everything I believe in – that birthdays should ALWAYS be celebrated with cake. So to try and make up for it and to help ease my guilt – I promised to take her out for a nice coffee (and cake of course!). She had just recently come back from Paris and was desperately missing the wonderful Boulangere’s that dot every street corner in France – so where else could I take her but Chouquette.

This is the 3rd time I have been here and my heart breaks every time. Not only does it remind me of backpacking through Europe, but also that I now live in the ‘burbs. We may be only 15km’s from the city – but it may as well be on the other side of the world for all the chances I get to visit.

Chouquette is pure Parisian chic. I was barely in the door before I started drooling – I wanted one of everything but it just wasn’t possible – and not even because the selection of pastries was outstanding – it is also pretty damn expensive!

We finally decided on baguettes to start: Champagne Ham with Ementhal Cheese and Salad for me, and Goats Cheese with Grilled Mushrooms and Roasted Tomatoes for MIL. They were exceptional – simplicity is something that the French do so well, and Chouquette is no exception. The bread was delightfully fresh and chewy – to be honest, you could have locked me a room with that bread and a slab of butter and I would have died happy. But the salad that went with it was also lovely – super fresh Summer greens and sliced Roma tomatoes that had been seasoned and left to rest in a tasty dressing.
Staring at the pastries while eating our baguettes was motivation enough to hasten the digestive process and we ordered a Pomme Tarte and Chocolate Éclair to finish. Our coffees came first and they were sublime – strong, creamy and piping hot. The only hiccup of our lunch was that they forgot to bring our pastries until we had almost finished our coffees despite us trying to catch their attention several times. To be fair, as soon as they realized that we had been forgotten, they raced them to our table and offered us another coffee on the house which I thought was a nice touch.

All in all, this is a fantastic French Patisserie and by far, the closest thing to a traditional Boulanger that I have seen in Brisbane so far. Do yourself a flavour and drop in.

The Verdict: Amazingly simple but stunning French Patisserie. You get what you pay for.

Recommendations: While they looked pretty "run of the mill" - the baguettes were delicious. The pastries are phenomenal and I dare to try and leave without trying one... Why fight nature? Sit down and have one with a coffee. You won't regret it!

Contact:
Chouquette

19 Barker Street
New Farm