Gustave

I’m at that age where I believe that I’m the expert on the human interaction and that thing they call relationships. You know, when you feel like you know what you’re doing when in reality, you know nothing at all. Trust me on that one.

About 7 months ago, this guy had this major crush on me, and I liked him as well, or so I thought. It was one of those close best friends that turned into a spark and that so called drama of a boy meets girl and life changes. And just like any other human boy girl interaction, the boy will try to impress the girl with doing things she likes, taking her places and so on.

Now I love cake! Really, like I LOVE cake, everybody knows that, and I was the expert when it comes to where to buy cake and what’s good and what’s not. So, this man of mine, tried to impress me by taking me to the most amazing cake selling store in history, at least that’s how he put it.

And so we decided to go. The place was named Gustave; it is located in Hamra Street. I love that street personally. The ability on stumbling over the most random stores and people while you just make your way there is amazing. I just love to see this interaction and diversity of people and places. You can see the most expensive shops to the most vintage old newspaper book store.

As we made our way around the crowd, interacting with sharing stories that happened around this area, we made a turn right before the turn you take to get to the famous pubs in the area. Don’t ask me about names of roads because in Hamra Street it never mattered to me. It was always marked with special signs. Next to that wall where they hang posters, next to costa, around the bank street etc… That is my Hamra map.

I nearly crossed that shop without realizing there is a cake place here, though his voice stopped me telling me we’re here.

We entered this very small shop made of 2 floors, both very cozy and kitchen like atmosphere. The lady inside is wonderful, she’s just like that cook you see in cartoons with a very warm smile and voice, wearing an apron and having her blond her tied up to the back.

There was 2 fridges or 3 I can’t really remember because I was drooling over the shape and variety of cakes found. My crush told her to let me taste whatever she has that is good and so the tasting experience began. She lead me to a very small table and gave me the very first heavenly taste red velvet cake. Oh dear lord, that cake was breath taking, I am drooling just thinking about how tasty it was. The look on my face just eating the cake was breathtaking or at least, that’s what he says. The moment I finished the cake and opened my eyes to actually realize I’m still in that place, I ordered an 80% dark chocolate cake with cocoa. After finishing that piece, I couldn’t breathe, I was so full, so satisfied, so happy, that I didn’t want to leave my spot. I didn’t want to stop! I wished I had a bigger stomach to try all the rest.

After I was done, the lady told me it was so amusing seeing the look of satisfaction on my face after eating every bite, and the most wonderful was how he was looking at me and laughing on how happy I was. I was just like a little girl who you gave candy to. We had to leave, so I took some muffins to go. The lady told me before I leave, do not let him go, he can surly make you happy. I really felt the warmness of a mother and realized that she puts her soul into her baking that made the cake taste so amazingly good.

Even though that was one hell of a perfect day, the idea of thinking that I know it all faded away. That guy and I didn’t work out but we are still very close and every time we pass by Hamra Street we pass by Gustave for a red velvet cake. 

By: Farah Antar