Category: Bakeries

Middling Taiyaki at Sukoshi Mart

Published on by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Sukoshi MartLocation: 160 Baldwin Street, Toronto
Website: https://www.sukoshimart.com/

Sukoshi Mart is a little Japanese convenience store in Kensington Market that sells hard-to-find Japanese goods.  They also sell freshly-made taiyaki, a waffle-like dessert that’s traditionally filled with either red bean or custard.

Sukoshi Mart

I like this place.  If you’re looking for Japanese snacks or candy, it’s worth a visit.

The taiyaki, on the other hand?  Not so much.

Sukoshi Mart

It’s fine.  It’s perfectly edible, but the exterior is dense and doughy, and the red bean is overly sweet.  It’s also misshapen and haphazard, so it doesn’t even have the (usually) delightful visual component.  It’s not the best.

Tasty Japanese Cream Buns at Hattendo Cafe

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Hattendo CafeLocation: 13 Baldwin Street, Toronto
Website: https://www.hattendo.ca/

One of the things that takes some getting used to in Asia is that some countries there consider white bread to essentially be a dessert.  More than once, I’ve gone to a convenience store and bought what appears to be a Twinkie-esque pastry, only to realize that it’s just a plain white bun, like a hot dog bun.

Hattendo Cafe

Which is to say that if you’ve never had the type of Japanese cream bun they serve at Hattendo, you might be surprised to discover that the bun itself is basically just a soft, fluffy hamburger bun.  Once you get used to it, however, it’s quite tasty.

I tried three: custard, chocolate, and red bean.  The bun itself is quite nice.  It’s soft, fluffly, and just a little bit sweet.

Hattendo Cafe

The custard was my least favourite of the three flavours.  It was nice and creamy, but the flavour was middling; there just wasn’t much to it.

The chocolate was much better, with a pronounced cocoa-infused flavour and a satisfyingly restrained level of sweetness.

Hattendo Cafe

The red bean was the best of the three.  If you normally don’t like beany sweets, this might just be the perfect gateway dessert — it’s super creamy and tasty, with a really nice balance between the creamy custard and the sweet red beans.

Chocolate Cream Pie at Bakerbots Baking

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Baker BotsLocation: 205 Delaware Avenue, Toronto
Website: https://bakerbotsbaking.com/

Chocolate cream pie is one of those desserts that’s incredibly simple (it’s basically just chocolate pudding in a pie crust), but incredibly satisfying.

There’s not much to say about this; it’s exactly what you’re hoping it’ll be.

Baker Bots

The filling is dense and rich, with a very pronounced bittersweet chocolate flavour that’s nice and intense without being overpowering.

Baker Bots

The cream helps to cut the richness from the chocolate filling, and the little bits of chocolate on top add additional texture and flavour.

Baker Bots

The crust is nothing to write home about, though the pie was in the “day old” section of the bakery at a discount, so it’s possible it might have been better when it was just baked.  There certainly wasn’t anything wrong with it, but nothing about it jumped out at me.  The balance between the chocolate and the cream was so tasty, however, that it really didn’t matter.

A Delicious Apple Fritter at Dipped Donuts

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Dipped DonutsLocation: 161 Baldwin Street, Toronto
Website: https://www.dippeddonuts.ca/

I almost didn’t order the apple fritter at Dipped Donuts.  Sanremo — an amazing Italian bakery in Etobicoke — sells an apple fritter that’s so delicious, getting one anywhere else feels like a waste of time.  How can you top it?

Well, I’m not sure if Dipped Donuts quite tops it, but it’s pretty damn close.  Their fritter is absolutely amazing.

Dipped Donuts

It’s got the perfect balance of crispy, chewy, and fluffy.  It’s sweet but not too sweet, with the rich glaze balancing perfectly with the cinnamony, apple-infused pastry.

It’s easily the best doughnut I’ve had from Dipped Donuts — and everything I’ve had from that particular shop has been extremely delicious.  It’s ridiculously good.

A Tasty Sandwich at Blackbird Baking Co.

Published on by Michael Nusair1 Comment

Blackbird Baking Co.Location: 172 Baldwin Street, Toronto
Website: https://blackbirdbakingco.com/

The ham and pimento cheese sandwich from Blackbird Baking Co. is exceptionally simple.  It’s just ham, pimento cheese, and arugula.  Less is more.

Getting a sandwich from a good bakery is usually a pretty safe bet; if nothing else, you know the bread is going to be good.

Blackbird Baking Co.

And the bread here was especially tasty, with a great flavour, a lightly crispy exterior, and a nice hearty chew.  I could eat a big hunk of that bread on its own and be satisfied.  The filling is almost a bonus.

Pimento is a southern sandwich spread consisting of cheddar, mayo, and pimentos; its presence in this sandwich takes the classic ham and cheese combo and kicks it up a notch.

Blackbird Baking Co.

It’s creamy and rich, with a nice sharp cheesy flavour and just a little bit of spice and garlic.  It’s the perfect accompaniment to the meaty ham.  It makes for a top notch sandwich.