In Carnegie, there’s a little patisserie turning out some of the most beautiful cakes in Melbourne. Tommy Er’s T6 Patisserie has been open just over a year and already has a loyal following, very definitely including me. Tommy’s pastries are French in style but layered with the flavours he grew up with in Southeast Asia. There’s pandan sponge with custard inspired by his great-grandmother’s onde-onde, mango lime cheesecake, glossy, precise cakes that look almost too perfect to eat - definitely eat them - and a Hazelnut Rocher cake that tastes exactly like the chocolate it’s named after; a crowd favourite and Tommy’s personal pick. Tommy has been in kitchens since he was 13, learning both Malaysian and French techniques, and still tests and tweaks every creation until it’s exactly how he wants it. It turns out that Tommy’s secret ingredient isn’t pandan or chocolate or caramel, but patience.