It seems like the work here at the cafe is never done, and I’m not even talking about getting the chai mousse parfaits out of the test kitchen and onto the menu. I’m talking about major works and renovations – it’s not the parking lot getting revised or the upstairs nook being transformed into boutique accommodation, it’s renovations. There’s no end to them! In fact, I’m starting to realise that this place will never be ‘done’ until I say so. Until then, we’re just going to keep finding more and more things to overhaul.
I went into this line of work to serve innovative and inspiring desserts, not to be a guinea pig for kitchen renovations concepts. Melbourne, it seems, just has this effect on people – you have to compete with billions of other cool eateries and make sure you’re up to scratch, or you run the risk of falling behind. It’s both the upside and the downside of setting up shop in a city that’s got a strong sense of taste.
All of that said, I must admit that the new kitchen is going to be awesome. Maybe there’s just a little bit of all this that’s coming from my own enjoyment of luxury kitchen facilities, and high-end spaces in general. It’s even possible that I’m contributing to the competitive cafe culture in this part of the world, for no reason other than a love of fancy kitchen appliances and clever storage solutions.
I guess I should take responsibility for the ongoing nature of the renovations. Like I said, I’m the one with the power to decide when enough is enough – that the space is ‘good enough’. I’ve never been the sort of person who’s willing to settle for ‘good enough’, though, which is probably what’s driven me to start work on my latest recipe: the best chocolate cake ever. That’s not just a name, mind you; the goal is actually to create the best chocolate cake ever. Perfectionist, much?
In conclusion, I do actually need that designer kitchen.