Anyone who’s visited Quang Nguyen’s Devour Dessert Patisserie in Richmond or his former Prospect Road site will feel right at home in his latest digs, Third Time Lucky. Especially if you’re into doughnuts and coffee.
The cafe opened quietly in Lockleys last week and it’s not just the freshly applied white paint, brass fittings and timber tables and benchtops that make the place feel fresh. The shop, squeezed into a block of tired-looking properties, positively beams with cheer. A neon maneki-neko (fortune cat) welcomes customers and a cabinet packed with glazed treats – baked by Nguyen – add to the happy feels.
The venture came about quite incidentally. Nguyen and business partner Heath Dalziel were approached to take over the expiring lease and went to suss it out on a whim. The combination of location, timing and the shop’s gorgeous curved window frontage won them over.
Locals were quick to offer advice based on the previous businesses’ failings but the duo has confidence in its modernised cafe staples.
“We don’t want to do just sandwiches and salads,” Nguyen says. “We know what works and what our customers want, so we’ll do our own thing.”
The focus is on pastry done well: pies, sausage rolls and some very special doughnuts. The end goal is to set up their Devour pastry kitchen on site.
“We use a dough we developed over a couple of months,” Nguyen says. “We spent a lot of time tweaking it to get the doughnut flavour profile and texture right. It started out as a brioche dough and evolved to what it is today.”
Nguyen says a great doughnut is all about depth of flavour. “You can definitely taste the slow ferment we do with the dough.”
Nguyen is known for his elaborate sweets and dessert nights at Devour Dessert Patisserie, so expect a few one-off events at Third Time Lucky. “It’s a smaller space so they’ll be more intimate,” he promises.
The little kitchen turns out brunch Monday to Friday. As of August 20 it also opens on Saturday. There’s great espresso and filter coffee, too. Hyemi Lee comes across from Bar 9 to work the tools.
Third Time Lucky
4/436 Henley Beach Road Lockleys
Hours
Mon to Fri 7am–4pm
Sat 7am–4pm
Sun closed
