MICA Express dishes prompt pasties and swift sandwiches at MacArthur Central
If you’re choosy when it comes to croissants or picky about pastries in general, there’s a good chance you’re already intimately familiar with the baked goodies at MICA Brasserie. The lauded Breakfast Creek cafe, patisserie, bar and bistro caused a bit of a stir with locals when it opened last year, but its arrival was only step one of a greater plan. MICA Express is a new grab-and-go-oriented satellite location that is bringing the bakery’s popular French-inspired goodies to MacArthur Central, which is terrific news for any discerning danish devourer in the inner city.
Long before MICA Brasserie opened in the midst of 2020, Shannon and Clare Kellam had a plan in place. When the brains behind Bowen Hills mainstays Montrachet and King Street Bakery signed on to oversee culinary operations at the new Breakfast Creek Lifestyle Precinct, their long-term goals involved not only creating a solid base of operations to support existing endeavours, but also provide a launch point for further expansion. The Kellam’s culinary studio and events space Lumiere and state-of-the-art pastry kitchen The Kneadery opened before COVID hit, while ground-floor eatery MICA Brasserie managed to open in a streamlined capacity in early April – adding new elements as restrictions eased. Commencement of the next expansion stage – the opening of smaller satellite outlets around Brisbane – was understandably pushed back to 2021, but last week the Kellams officially unveiled the first quick-service MICA Express location inside MacArthur Central – just next to the Apple Store on the ground floor.
Intended to give those working in The City greater access to the baked goods produced at The Kneadery, MICA Express is showcasing a veritable cornucopia of breads, viennoiserie, tarts, cakes, savoury pastries and lunch items – all the deliciousness you’d find at Breakfast Creek plus a few items exclusive to this inner-city nook. The gleaming pastry cabinet is stocked with buttery croissants (baked on site every 30 minutes), bear claws, pain au raisin, flaky suisse, freshly made sandwiches, fruit-filled danishes and Florentine biscuits, while a hot cabinet is where you’ll spy osso bucco pies, braised Tasmanian-lamb pasties, quiche Lorraine, fetta-and-mushroom tarts and roasted pumpkin and burghal ‘sausage’ rolls. MICA Express specials include handmade chocolate bonbons, caramelised peanut cruffins, chocolate-and-raspberry pain au chocolat (with dough made out of chocolate and filled with raspberry jam), strawberries-and-vanilla bavarois and lemon-meringue tarts. Folks seeking a coffee-and-croissant combo can add a cup of the good stuff from Bear Bones Coffee. Two blends are one offer – one robust and one mild option, with beans also available to purchase.
MICA Express is open to the public – you can find more information in the Stumble Guide.
The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.
