What does Billie Eilish, North Street cinnamon scrolls and Chu Bakery have in common? They’re all things that Perth residents were willing to line up for last week. While Billie certainly attracted the most impressive lines, with youth camping overnight for prime position to watch the star, the crowd North Street drew as I drove past on the weekend was nothing to scoff at. Nor was the 30-minute line we waited in outside of Chu Bakery. If you haven’t been to Chu, as one of our dining companions hadn’t, we described it as somewhere you’re willing to wait half an hour to try. The teeny tiny bakery that allows only six people inside at a time has takeaway toasts, a range of coffee options, some of the best bread in Perth and a cabinet of stunning sweets, pastries, rolls and toasties. For a trip down memory lane, its iced malt choc ($5.20) tastes like a cold chocolate drink that has been stacked with the amount of milo that your parents would have told you off for. An iced matcha with oat milk ($6.50) is also refreshing and not too bitter as they can too often be. We chose an array of bits and pieces across Chu’s savoury and sweet options to eat on a picnic blanket at Hyde Park across the road. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it for decades to come, its avo toast with whipped feta, sriracha and topped with seeds is the best in Perth in regard to value for money and also deliciousness. While I rarely venture from this toast option, the curried egg with cucumber ($9) was another tasty option with plenty of smooth and subtle curried egg. The cucumber on top looked lovely, but made biting into it a little impractical. The ham and cheese toastie ($9.20) was a winning riff on the brekkie classic, with their high-quality sourdough, plenty of ham and cheese as well as a layer of mustard. In ways of sweets, the apple chai pie ($9.50) was the best of a great bunch. Not only did it look picture-perfect, but the filling of chai caramel, vanilla poached apple, vanilla chantilly, and creme patisserie inside a laminated pastry layers together to provide all of the right notes of chai, sweetness with an array of textures. Equally as aesthetic was the earl grey puff ($8.50) filled with orange confit and earl grey creme chantilly and diplomat (a thicker creme that holds its shape). This was again a testament to the incredible and creative talent in the kitchen, all of the unique flavours came together beautifully. Lastly a raspberry croissant ($6.80) was expertly flaky and buttery and filled with a fresh and tart raspberry jam with custard. Chu Bakery is an institution for good reason, so much so this review could have been 1/20 and it would still have a 30-minute line every weekend for the rest of the year. WHERE: 498 William Street, Highgate OPEN: Tues-Sunday, 7am-4pm CONTACT: 0422 248 674 BOOKINGS: No THE VERDICT : With some of the tastiest baked goods in Perth, particularly the avo toast, this is worth the wait. Better yet, come during the week so you don’t have to wait, and enjoy a sweet or savoury option and great coffee on the grass at Hyde Park. 17/20