Clement at the South Melbourne Market is hosting a dessert bar every Thursday night to coincide with the South Melbourne Night Markets. Owner Kris Wood has teamed up with pastry chef Matt Forbes (ex-Vue De Monde, Michel Roux, Raymond Le Blanc and Maze) and will be serving up coffee-inspired desserts without the coffee.

Forbes, who already supplies the cafe with cakes by day, will design a short dessert menu each week around a particular coffee bean, as chosen by Wood. “The desserts are based around some of the coffee that Clement café serves,” says Forbes. “Kris breaks down the flavour profile of a coffee and I build desserts around that.”

Last night Forbes took inspiration from a tropical palette. On the menu was a coconut mousse served with kaffir lime leaf tapioca, or guava jelly with fresh mango and green peppercorn ice cream. Or for those keen on reliving their childhood, there was the delectable ice cream sandwich (strawberry ice cream squashed between shortbread, half dipped in white chocolate and served with some freeze-dried Meyer lemon).

“We want to serve something that’s practical for people who are walking around the markets, so we serve two desserts in jam jars, and offer an ice cream sandwich as well,” says Forbes.

The dessert bar runs every Thursday until December 21 from 6pm until about 10pm.

Clement
Stall 89, South Melbourne Market
116 Cecil Street, South Melbourne

southmelbournemarket.com.au