Hong Kong pastry chef finds sweet success in Australia with her Chinese-style desserts

South China Morning Post

5 days ago

In November 2024, Australian newspaper The Age's Good Food Guide 2025 – seen as the equivalent of the Michelin Guide in the country – named a dessert in its Top 20 Snacks list for Melbourne that looked just like a mango pudding you would see on a Hong Kong dim sum trolley, except it was red and white.
'Equal parts strawberry jelly and vanilla-spiked milk, the heart-shaped textural delight is constructed with just enough gelatin to hold the whole thing together … this hypnotically jiggly sweet treat is worthy of a dedicated trip,' read the blurb.
The strawberry panna cotta is the creation of Hong Kong-born pastry chef Joey Leung Ka-lee, owner-operator of the Melbourne-based artisan dessert shop Joy Jaune, who intended it to be a one-day special for International Women's Day and to take advantage of
end-of-season strawberries
It was picked up by a journalist from Broadsheet, a popular Australian publication, who declared it the best dessert she had eaten all year. Soon, Leung had people coming from over 100km away to try it.
Various puddings by Joy Jaune, including Leung's signature strawberry panna cotta (bottom left). Photo: Joy Jaune
Leung's path to patisserie stardom was not straightforward. Ten years ago, she was working at a Hong Kong advertising firm. But like many young people, she wanted to see the world.
'I decided to apply for a working holiday visa for Australia before I got too old to qualify,' she says.