FEATURE // Asian desserts
Sweet thing It’s the season of bingsu, mochi toast, and pandan shokupan. WORDS Amy Northcott
ASIAN CUISINES EACH have their own approach to desserts, with some dishes anchored by fresh fruit and condensed milk and others pandan,
ube, and matcha. The flavour profiles of these foundational components
come to life via bingsu, thick-cut toast slathered with spreads, and drinks that double as desserts.
Not-too-sweet post-dinner options have been on the rise over the
last few years, and venues dedicated to Asian desserts are beginning to increase in density across the country. Bingsu-centric Nimbo and Thai
dessert café Homm have recently joined the scene and talk to Hospitality about their offerings.
Nimbo opened its blue-hued premises on Melbourne’s Hardware
Street in 2022. The concept began as a creative outlet for Owner Kim Liew before it morphed into its current iteration. “Nimbo started off
as an experimental lab for fun and whacky dessert flavours on bingsu and toasts,” they say. “Now we have a permanent menu including an extended range of matcha offerings and seasonal desserts.”
Liew says Nimbo was born from a goal to share Asian-style desserts
with Australian diners and reacquaint those who were already familiar.
“The pandemic made us reflect on what was important to us — sharing our memories and flavours with friends and family,” they say. “Our mission was to open a dessert café where people could connect,
reminisce, and share diverse flavours from home and also introduce those flavours to a new audience.”
Nimbo’s menu features a range of bingsu and toasts with various
flavours including pandan, ube, and matcha. “Our dishes and flavours are primarily influenced by South-East Asian cuisine,” says Liew. 34 | Hospitality
