K-Oui Pâtisserie

About K-Oui Pâtisserie

K-Oui Pâtisserie is an artisan patisserie in Nelson founded by chefs Hankyul Kim and Eva Nivet. Bringing together French pastry technique and Korean flavor profiles, the kitchen crafts intricate sweet and savory creations designed for events, celebrations, and weekend market visits.

Their range spans delicate petits fours, celebratory cakes, fresh morning viennoiserie, and savory canapés. Operating with a focus on local ingredients and eco-conscious kitchen practices, K-Oui supplies sweet tables, wedding receptions, and high tea services across the Nelson Tasman region. Orders can be collected from their kitchen on Bridge Street or found weekly at the Saturday Nelson Market.

K-Oui Pâtisserie: Where Classic French Technique Meets Korean Flavor in Nelson

Nestled in Nelson, K-Oui Pâtisserie introduces a distinct culinary concept to the top of the South Island. The venture is led by pastry chefs Hankyul Kim and Eva Nivet, who met while working in Wellington at the renowned Hippopotamus restaurant. Hankyul, originally from Ulsan, South Korea, trained in classical French pastry at Le Cordon Bleu Wellington before honing his craft across capital city kitchens. Eva, who grew up in Limoges, France, transitioned from a career in accounting to pastry, learning under Hankyul’s mentorship. Their enterprise combines their respective heritages into a harmonious union: 'K' for Korea, and 'Oui', the French word for yes, together sounding phonetically like Kiwi, a nod to their adopted home in New Zealand.

Rather than presenting standard patisserie fare, K-Oui reimagines traditional French structures through subtle Korean ingredients. The balance is deliberate, incorporating notes like roasted sesame, red bean, miso caramel, yuzu, and mild gochugaru chilli into delicate desserts that remain refined and elegant.

Petits Fours and Artisanal Baking

The cornerstone of K-Oui's offering is their selection of petits fours. Designed as miniature works of art, these bite-sized desserts rotate regularly based on seasonal inspiration and market availability. Standout creations include the Seoul Opera, layering dark chocolate ganache with sesame joconde sponge and miso caramel buttercream, as well as the Red B. Cheesecake, which pairs confit red bean cream with bright raspberry and lemon shortcrust. Fresh fruit elements feature prominently in creations like the Mango Coconut Noir, delicately spiced with cardamom.

Beyond individual delicate pastries, K-Oui produces an inventive morning baking range. Their double-baked Sesame Croissant provides a nutty twist on classic viennoiserie, accompanied by brioches with seasonal toppings such as feijoa, pear with blue cheese, and sesame gianduja swirls. Cookies incorporate unexpected savory-sweet elements like miso with dark chocolate or gochujang chilli, while French madeleines are offered in gluten-free variations flavored with lemon, matcha, or dark chocolate.

Events, High Teas, and Sustainable Kitchen Ethos

K-Oui caters widely for celebrations across the Nelson Tasman district. Their savory canapé menu matches their sweet offerings in innovation, featuring dishes such as beetroot-cured salmon on buckwheat blinis, deep-fried vermicelli-wrapped shrimp with wasabi mayonnaise, vegetarian kimbap, and mini quiches infused with Korean ssamjang paste. They provide full dessert tables, petits fours towers, and bespoke wedding cakes, including handcrafted millefoglie centerpieces.

Sustainability forms an active part of daily kitchen routines. Ingredients are prioritized from local producers and regional markets, packagings are fully home-compostable, food waste is composted, and deliveries are conducted by bicycle whenever possible. Nelson locals can pre-order collections directly from their 131 Bridge Street kitchen, discover their stall at the weekly Saturday Nelson Market, or sample selected baked goods through partner cafes across town.

Signature items

• Seoul Opera
• Sesame Croissant
• Mango Coconut Noir
• Red B. Cheesecake
• Ssamjang Quiche
• Lemon Tart

Menu

Cakes

• Classic Dark chocolate and Coffee Opera cake — Layered classic opera cake with dark chocolate and coffee
• Intense Mixed berry mousse cake — Light and fruity layered celebration mousse cake
• Mandarin & Cocoa Entremet — Molded French entremet cake pairing bright mandarin and rich cocoa
• Earl Grey and Yuzu CheeseCake — Specialty cheesecake blending Earl Grey tea and citrus yuzu
• Millefoglie — Custom layered pastry showstopper crafted for weddings and special events

Drinks

• Hot Chocolate — Intense dark 72% chocolate, vegan
• Grapefruit Ice Drink — Chilled refreshing grapefruit drink
• Blood Orange Ice Drink — Chilled citrus blood orange beverage
• Korean Ice Tea — Chilled tea brewed with ginger and cinnamon

Fresh Baking

• Sesame Croissant — Double-baked croissant filled and topped with sweet sesame cream
• Miso Dark Chocolate Cookie — Freshly baked cookie combining miso and dark chocolate
• Gochujang Sweet Chilli Cookie — Freshly baked cookie infused with gochujang sweet chilli
• Caramel, Ginger & Cinnamon Cookie — Spiced cookie with caramel, ginger, and cinnamon
• Seasonal Brioches — Rotating flavors including pear and almond, rhubarb mandarin, feijoa, and pear and blue cheese
• Ginger & Cinnamon Braided Bun — Braided brioche bun spiced with ginger and cinnamon
• Sesame Gianduja Swirl — Swirled brioche pastry with sesame and gianduja
• Chocolate Chips Brioche — Classic soft brioche packed with chocolate chips
• Lemon Madeleine – GF — Gluten-free classic French mini sponge cake flavored with lemon
• Matcha White Chocolate Madeleine – GF — Gluten-free mini sponge cake with matcha and white chocolate
• Dark Chocolate Madeleine – GF — Gluten-free classic mini shell sponge with dark chocolate

Petits Fours

• Mango Coconut Noir – GF/DF — Mango cardamom, coconut mousse, dark chocolate
• Red B. Cheesecake – GF — Raspberry insert, confit red bean cream, lemon shortcrust
• Peaches & Cream – GF — Peach and vanilla mousse, peach insert, lemon genoise
• Seoul Opera – GF — Miso caramel buttercream, sesame joconde, dark chocolate ganache
• Noisette – GF — Hazelnut mousse, praline and dacquoise, milk chocolate
• Lemon Tart – GF — Black sesame praline, lemon curd, Italian meringue
• Matcha & Pistachio Opera – GF — White chocolate matcha ganache, pistachio buttercream
• Black Sesame bavarois – GF — Black sesame praline, active charcoal, rice cake
• Mandarin Sucré Salé – GF — Aromatic mandarin entremet
• Gochugaru Opera – GF — Dark chocolate chilli ganache, coffee buttercream

Savory Canapes

• Beetroot cured salmon on buckwheat blinis – GF — Beetroot cured salmon with crème fraîche on buckwheat blinis
• Vegetarian Kimbap – GF, VE — Crunchy vegetable stuffed rice roll sushi-style
• Goong Sarong with wasabi mayo – GF — Deep-fried shrimp wrapped in vermicelli noodles served with wasabi mayo
• Ssamjang, bacon and cheese Quiche — Savory quiche made with Korean fermented bean paste and smoked bacon
• Savoury Choux – V — Choux pastry filled with blue cheese mousse and candied walnut

Frequently asked questions

Where can I purchase K-Oui pastries in Nelson?

You can purchase pastries directly at the Saturday Nelson Market, order online for pickup from their kitchen at 131 Bridge Street, or find selected baked items at Sublime coffee shops across Nelson.

Does K-Oui offer gluten-free or dairy-free options?

Yes, many of their petits fours, cakes, and canapés are naturally gluten-free (GF) or dairy-free (DF), though they are prepared in a kitchen facility that handles gluten.

How far in advance should I order petits fours for an event?

Custom and event orders can be placed online through their shop or inquiry form. For daily baking, pre-orders must be submitted a day early by text or email.

Do you offer delivery in Nelson?

Free refrigerated delivery within Nelson is available for orders of 24 petits fours or more with prior arrangement. Delivery further afield can be arranged for an additional fee.

How many petits fours should I order per person?

For morning or afternoon tea alongside other food, 2 petits fours per person is recommended. For a dedicated dessert course, plan for 3 per person.

Can K-Oui cater weddings and corporate functions?

Yes, they provide dessert tables, petits fours towers, custom cakes like millefoglie, and savory canapé selections for private parties, corporate events, and weddings.

Tips

• {"body":"Head to the Saturday Nelson Market early to browse their rotating showcase of seasonal petits fours and pastries.","title":"Visit the Saturday Nelson Market"}
• {"body":"Do not miss the Seoul Opera, an inventive house creation pairing miso caramel buttercream and sesame joconde with dark chocolate.","title":"Try the Seoul Opera"}
• {"body":"If you want specific morning baked items like the sesame croissants or specialty brioches, remember to pre-order a day early.","title":"Order Viennoiserie a Day Ahead"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Offers gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan options across both sweet and savory items.","sustainability":"Uses home-compostable packaging, low-waste composting practices, and bicycle transport where possible."}