The many alleys and side streets of Northbridge prove to be somewhat of a puzzle at times – you never really know where you’re going to end up on a wander through the locale. Well keep walking down James Street beyond Russell Square and follow the sweet scent of baked goods and you should find yourself at Zonts Bakehouse; a place where the humble croissant is re-imagined.
The unassuming bakery is situated beneath a pastel yellow apartment block, which coincides with Zonts’ colour scheme, with the addition of rosy pink. Upon arrival at Zonts, your eyeballs will be greeted with a glass cabinet filled with freshly baked, beautiful croissants of all shapes and sizes that are topped with a vibrant array of decorative ingredients.
One standout croissant on Zonts current menu is potentially one of a kind, at least in Perth; that being the Malaysian Sarawak laksa croissant. It’s irresistibly warming and is stuffed with laksa coated prawns, chicken, egg omelette and beansprouts, and is served with a side of spicy sambal belacan, fresh calamansi for that zesty tang, and a small bowl of rich laksa broth for dipping.
They even make a vegan version too using laksa coated silken tofu, tofu puffs and beansprouts, with the same condiments as the non-vegan croissant! The specials have proved to be that popular and sensational that Zonts have extended the laksa croissants until the end of October.
As well as their savoury fare, Zonts also offer a delectable range of sweet ‘ssants including:
- Pandan kaya and coconut filled croissant (plant-based)
- Round croissant filled with spiced chai custard and dulce de leche, topped with dark chocolate ganache, meringue pieces, feuilletine and biscoff crumbs
- Sticky date pudding filled croissant, bourbon whiskey whipped cream and vegan butterscotch (plant-based)
- Durian custard filled croissant
And if your mouth isn’t watering yet – the crispy crescents are packed nicely in boxes so that the gloriousness that are Zonts’ croissants don’t end up squished, and the flaky goodness ultimately diminished – what a nightmare. But of course you can dine in too, if you’re lucky; there’s a select few al fresco tables and chairs on the street so you can eat your snack in style.
The Zonts Bakehouse team state that, “We fuse traditional French-style artisan baking with modern contemporary techniques to deliver a new experience. With flavours tailored to your taste buds, we are ready to change your perception towards standard butter croissants.”
These croissants may very well be completely life-changing – now you wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?