Mt. Albert's latest cafe

If you go down to L'oeuf today . . . you're in for a few nice surprises. The hand-made decor, the young, passionate team, the unusually delicious flavours of dishes such as "The Cambodian" and "The Hunter" - this new Mt. Albert cafe has cult Sunday hangout written all over it.

Opened by French-Kiwi brothers Jasper and Ludovic Maignot, both chefs, and Jasper's partner Celeste Thornley, the floor manager, L'oeuf was inspired by their work in the Melbourne hospitality scene, with the name hailing from a 1970s architecture book, L'OEuf: The Egg.

Fill up on the house-made orange blossom and mango lassi and walnut crumbed soft-boiled eggs, delicately encased in a filo nest, but save room for dessert - the cakes baked by the Maignots' cousin Zoe are to-die-for.

• L'oeuf, 4a Owairaka Ave, Mt Albert. Ph (09) 971 4155.

- VIVA