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Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn

Beloved cake and dessert maker Mountain River Patisserie unveils its new cafe in Runcorn

In the heart of Runcorn there exists a cluster of streets that share a particularly appetising produce-inspired naming scheme. Orange Street and Lemon Street branch off one side of Mango Street, while Pear Street and Plum Street peel away perpendicularly from the other. Down where Mango Street hits Nectarine Street, just an apricot-pit toss from Fruitgrove Station, sits the new home of Mountain River Patisserie. Though not a dispenser of berries, citrus, melons or drupes, the product produced here is just as sweet. After spending its infancy operating from Food Connect's Salisbury kitchen, Mountain River Patisserie now has a beautifully decorated cafe space of its own, where fans old and new can sample the dessert maker's handmade Hokkaido cheesecakes, castella and canelés alongside cups of specialty coffee, tea and matcha.


Anyone that has flubbed a cake recipe or two knows that baking is a very precise art form. Most of us barely have the attention span to follow packet instructions correctly, but local patissier Sing Ho is not only talented enough to figure out how to cannily reverse-engineer recipes of his favourite desserts, but also put his own unique spin on them. Sing’s cake concept Mountain River Patisserie – a dispensary known for its highly sought sweets named after Brisbane’s hilly terrain and winding river – is an example of something big growing from humble beginnings. Sing and his partner Befian started the business in 2018 with the intent on making variations on confections they devoured while travelling the world (think pillowy soft Hokkaido cheesecakes and Japanese honey sponge cakes, to name a few). At the start they worked one day a week in a small shared kitchen at Food Connect’s Salisbury HQ. In those days, the duo were simply fulfilling small orders online, but, as is the case when word of a good thing spreads, demand rapidly grew. By 2019 the couple were in the kitchen six days a week, pulling 17-hour days to cater online and in-person custom, as well as cafe wholesale and market appearances. Realising that Mountain River Patisserie had outgrown their Salisbury stomping ground, Sing and Befian began searching for a space of their own in 2021.

The ideal site, one where they could create a more dynamic, customer-service-oriented experience, was found in Runcorn in the former home of Plum Street Restaurant. Once they’d obtained the keys, Sing and Befian overhauled the interior aesthetic to mirror the cafes in Japan they adored. Mountain River Patisserie’s alfresco dining area and coffee window are shielded by a timber slat facade, with steel lattices allowing natural light to filter through creeping vines of greenery. The patisserie’s inside dining space employs warm materials, textures and decor (including pendant lights wrought from imported copper canelé moulds) to create a comfortable atmosphere, with timber banquettes and counter seating (the latter of which will be used for soon-t0-launch tea ceremonies) bringing the total capacity to around 40. Various shelves are used to display an assortment of handcrafted goods sourced from other local artisans, ranging from ceramic coffee cups and jewellery to flowers and matcha kits. The duo is also indulging their love of jazz music, with lively tones filling the air alongside the aroma of fresh coffee and straight-out-of-the-oven cakes.

In the kitchen, Sing is putting his new ovens to the test by producing even greater volumes of Mountain River Patisserie’s greatest hits (500 cheesecakes were sold during the new cafe’s soft-opening weekend). The cafe is serving only its established menu during its initial launch period, but will look to expand the range over time with some inventive new menu additions. That said, there’s plenty to enjoy as it is, starting with the patisserie’s famed Hokkaido cheesecakes. These covetable cubes boast two textures courtesy of its dual-layer construction, as well as an indulgent flavour thanks to Sing’s use of locally sourced cream cheese and Italian mascarpone cheese. Flavours include original, hojicha (dark-roasted green tea), matcha, black sesame, dark chocolate (with a cheeky rum and whisky infusion), Hong Kong-style milk tea, yuzu, tiramisu, and purple sweet potato and taro. Up next is castella, a style of honey-infused sponge cake that originated in Nagasaki. Mountain River Patisserie’s interpretation is made using honey sourced from the Lockyer Valley, while its matcha and hojicha are imported from Japan. Fans of French patisserie treats will be stoked to hear that canelés (caramel-coloured treats with a crispy outer and seductively soft centre) are also available in flavours such as vanilla and rum, earl grey and rum, matcha with matcha sake, yuzu with yuzu plum wine, and lyche with sweet sake. Rounding out the range is a strawberry and soaked-cheffy black forest cake, Hong Kong-style cream puffs and fluffy soufflé cheesecakes as well as onigiri rice balls for those seeking a savoury snack. Befian is overseeing Mountain River Patisserie’s newly minted beverage offering, which is anchored by Padre coffee, Tsujiri uji matcha, Japanese tea from Marukyu Koyamaen and Inouesaryo, and Kimino sparkling juices (available in flavours like Japanese mandarin, yuzu, plum and apple).

Mountain River Patisserie is now open to the public – operating hours and online ordering details can be found in the Stumble Guide.

The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.



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