Black Star's new base raises the cake stakes

Should you wish to work for Black Star Pastry, you will need a good attitude and enjoy helping people. But most of all, says the website, "you must be able to cope with the stress of a long queue of people that need their cake ASAP". 

Ha ha, so true – especially at the new flagship headquarters at Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter, where hi-vis vested tradies, Sydney Swans players and creative types line up at the central counter for their sausage rolls and custard flans.

Founder, award-winning patissier Christopher The has moved his production facilities on site as well, and is still coming to grips with the sheer volume it can generate (like, 3000 to 4000 individual portions of strawberry and watermelon cake sort of volume). "It's a monster," he says.

The space

In a departure from Black Star's raw inner-urban roots in Newtown and warehouse-chic in Rosebery, this is a glass-walled, split-level, white-tiled, monolithic futuredome; all the better for world domination by strawberry and watermelon cake.

It's still a work in progress, with unpacked boxes and aimless staff; but there's table seating for 100 inside and out, a loungy area on the first level, and all the fun of the industrial kitchen and bakery out back.

Allow time to stare, mesmerised, at the ultrasonic cake-cutting device, Japanese egg-cracking machine and Qbo food processor (sort of an industrial-sized Thermomix).

Not to mention the team of minions carving up 1.5 tonnes of watermelon every week for the you-know-what.

The food

Don't panic, it's business as usual with all your BS favourites on the premises, from lamb shank and red wine pies to ginger ninja biscuits, either naked or wearing chocolate. Pastrywork – in a mildly spiced Bangladeshi vegetable pastie chunky with cauliflower, potato, pumpkin and green beans ($6) – is stonkingly superior, and a quiche lorraine ($6.50) is rich, light and almost mousse-like inside.

If you haven't Black Starred for a while, try the Japanese forest cake ($10) – it's if someone has gently dug up a little square of forest floor that tastes like green tea sponge and umeshu plum wine, strewn with matcha moss, dark chocolate leaves and bark.

The brew

You'll be needing it as a counterpoint to all that richness. Little Marionette's custom blend works its caramel and almond notes best in a piccolo but gets lost in a latte.

There's also a daily rotating filter coffee, cold brew, almond decaf, black sesame lattes, Tippity Teas and old-school milkshakes.

The booze

None. Let them eat cake.

The low-down

Address 210 Bent Street, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, 02 9557 8656, blackstarpastry.com.au

Open Mon-Thu 7.30am-5pm, Fri-Sat 7.30am-7pm, Sun 9am-5pm

Avo index High. It comes in a slider with haloumi and pesto ($7), or crushed on grilled sourdough with a spritz of lemon ($8.50).

Overheard "Do I need popcorn on my cake? Yes, I think I do."

Loving The free-of-charge, self-serve, still and sparkling Moda water fountain. Why don't all cafes do this?

Not getting One grumpy girl delivering food to tables. Didn't she read the job description?

Caffe latte $3.50

Score 2 CUPS