Ube-lievable treats you should try in Canberra
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A purple electric hue is dominating Canberra’s food scene.
From cloud lattes to crepe cakes, ube has crested over Canberra in a purple wave – but long before it became a fixture on café menus (and our social feeds), ube has been cultivated and cooked for centuries in the Philippines.
A purple yam so vibrant that it feels almost synthetic, ube has long been used in various Filipino desserts and dishes, adding a gently nutty, lightly earthy taste with a soft vanilla note. But while it might look visually stunning thanks to the vivid violet, it’s the taste that has Canberrans coming back for more.
From lattes to loaded croissants, here are some of the ube-lievable treats you should try in Canberra right now.
The Ube Coconut Sponge from Manila in Canberra
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Filled with fresh coconut flesh in the centre, this ube coconut sponge cake is soft, creamy, and made fresh in‑house. Our Associate Editor Emma Macdonald was lucky enough to try this dessert at Manila in Canberra, and she couldn’t stop raving about it. It may even be one of the best things she put in her mouth this year…
Highgate, G4 190/260 City Walk, City | manilaincanberra.au
Wildflour Ube Croissant
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This ube-flavoured version of the iconic loaded croissant from Wildflour is iconic – and for good reason. Think: flaky pastry filled with a thick ube crème, best paired with their ube latte (which is topped with whipped cream).
Various locations | wildflour.com.au
Ube Cloud Matcha from Piccolo
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Perfect on a hot day, this drink is creamy, sweet and perfectly balanced. Made with Hello Matcha and Hello Ube powder (which is 100 per cent natural ube sourced from the Philippines), you can try the cold foam matcha or commit to the Ube Cream Latte – a purple latte topped with ube cold foam and toasted coconut.
12 Dalby Street, Fyshwick | @piccolomrktcoffee
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Your next brunch awaits in Lyneham. Go to Cafè Luzon to try the delicious fusion of ube sticky rice, white chocolate, salted yema mascarpone, burnt coconut, granola, and caramelised banana. It’s Filipino comfort food at its best.
Shop 4/2 Colville Street, Lyneham | @cafe_luzon
Iced Ube Coconut from Supersweet
This mix of sweet ube and coconut water served over ice is a favourite of our Digital Content Producer, Georgie Smith. Have it with a slice of ube Basque cheesecake to complete your ube-solutely delicious experience.
G11/27 Lonsdale Street, Braddon | supersweetcafe.com.au
Anything from Lolo and Lola
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As any Canberra foodie history buff knows that it’s Lolo and Lola’s ube cake that put this Filipino bakery and restaurant on the map. Constantly coming up with innovative dishes made from ube, here you’ll find everything from Ube Polvoron bread (soft ensaymada buns topped with ube polvoron crumbs, served with creamy ube pastillas dip) to ube soft serve and even a thick ube shake. Keep an eye on their Instagram account to see what new creation you can try, and book yourself a table ASAP.
3 Watson Place, Watson | loloandlola.com.au
Ujin Matcha House Taro x Ube Crepe Cake
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There’s so much more than matcha happening at Ujin. Leaning into the power of the purple yam, their taro ube crepe cake features delicate, paper-thin French-style crepes stacked with a rich taro and ube cream. It pairs beautifully with their matching drinks: the matcha taro cheesecake foam or coconut taro cheesecake foam.
64 Northbourne Avenue, City | ujin-matchahouse.com.au
Halo Halo from Sharon May’s Filipino Cuisine
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This hidden gem serves authentic Filipino dishes made with fresh, local ingredients. A must try? The halo-halo. Made with shaved ice with sweet banana, jackfruit, beans, sago, coconut jelly, flan, corn flakes, rice crisps, flan, ube, milk, ice cream and a wafer stick, it’s the perfect traditional sweet treat.
u3/5 Hibberson Street, Gungahlin | sharonmays.com.au
