Cherry Darlings - Once you pop, you can't stop!

Cherry Darlings - 5a Aroha Tce, Forestville

Cross over the tram line on your way to Cross Road and you'll pass a pair of shops on your left hand side. These two little suburban gems are like the bright neon lights of Vegas on the dessert horizon. I've driven this road a billion times (possible exaggeration) and never noticed any sign of retail life until today when I was on a mission to get me a vegan bakery fix - stat!

Cherry Darlings Cruelty Free Bakehouse

Having only opened a week ago, I was expecting a degree of chaos due to the mid-week lunch rush and lots of tables with dirty crockery on them. Instead, I walked into a calm, happy, clean environment with smiling staff and customers quietly gushing over their baked vegan treats. Mind you, the team are well versed in everything vegan and baking, Veganised is another one of their successful businesses.

The cute candy stripe counter draws you in and the pie warmer filled with freshly baked pies, pasties and sausage rolls teamed with a cake fridge packed with cruelty free sweet treats wins your heart. Taking a closer look at the surrounding walls adorned with pictures, cross stitch and action figures; they're all tied together in the theme of loving sweet and savoury everyday vegan baked goods.

Colourful interior and crockery

I ordered a satay pie, vanilla slice and cream soda float. I don't know whether it was the bright interior that evoked childhood memories for me or the excitable (and attractive) man serving me but I threw my calorie controlled diet to the wind and ordered everything I wanted. My pie and slice were delivered to me on the counter, just like the Willunga Bakery did when I was a kid.

Satay Pie

I got stuck into my pie first and was pleased by the flakey pastry, how piping hot it was but not enough to burn my mouth and how I could identify the ingredients in the filling. I didn't know what to expect from the flavour, I mean, what is 'satay' with being prefixed with 'beef' or 'chicken'? Well, I found out it's vegetables with a well balanced peanut flavour. Aside from it not lasting forever, my only criticism is the the filling could've been more substantial and if anything, it was a tad dry for me.

Cream Soda Float

Knowing that almost everything sold at Cherry Darlings is handmade, it wasn't a surprise to know the ice cream is also crafted with the same fine hands. I learned the ice cream had been made and set only 30 minutes before I received my cream soda float at 12:45pm on a Tuesday. Assuming the freshness of ice cream doesn't have a huge influence on the flavour, I highly recommend ordering a float at any time of the day. It's sweet enough to satisfy even the sweetest tooth and the creaminess of the ice cream matched with the cream soda made it a sugar cream overload. This is an indulgence I've only enjoyed once before but one I'll find hard not to enjoy again soon!

Vanilla Slice

Something I've missed dearly since eating a vegan diet is custard slices and custard tarts. Probably custard tarts are at the top of my 'miss list' and both are on offer here. I was swayed by the nice man telling me the vanilla slice is Cherry Darlings' hero dish and had to be tasted. But if you're after a custard tart, be quick because when I was there, there was only one left!

The slightly soggy pastry sandwiching the firm, smooth and sweet vanilla custard filling and the thick layer of vanilla frosting and desiccated coconut stayed together with every sliced fork full. Not only was this the best vegan vanilla slice I've tasted but I'd say it's worthy of a medal in the Merbein Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph.

Now, you might think I've gushed way too much about this place but as Adelaide's only full time vegan bakery, I had high expectations and they were exceeded. This is the type of bakery vegans can take their meat eating mates to and get away with it. It's also the place you can swing by to pick up cakes for the office. Whatever your reason for visiting, do it soon and do it often, you won't regret it.

Ambiance - 5/5: It's a happy, friendly place to enjoy a cruelty free lunch
Service - 5/5: Enthusiastic, above and beyond and efficient. What more can you ask?
Food: 9.5/10: Oh gosh, half a point off for the pie filling but really, I'm splitting hairs.

In total, Tom gives Cherry Darlings Bakehouse 19.5 chops on the chopping board. An all time high? I think so.