Bakeries – Page 26 – Michael Eats

Nugateau

Published on February 16, 2018 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Meh.

Can that be my whole review? Just meh? It’s my blog, so yeah, it can. But fine, I’ll expand on that a little bit.

Nugateau is a fancy eclair place that is (for now, at least) in the Concept section of Yorkdale Mall (they have a permanent location on Queen Street as well).

I tried a pistachio and a salted caramel eclair, and they were both fine, I guess — but if I’m paying six or seven bucks for an eclair the size of a spring roll, I kinda want to be blown away. Nothing about the custardy filling in either of these things particularly stood out in any meaningful way.

Worse, they both tasted like they had been filled way in advance. The pastry was… well, “mushy” might be overstating it, but it had seen better days, that’s for sure.

Momofuku Milk Bar

Published on July 28, 2013 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 190 University Avenue, Toronto
Website: http://milkbarstore.com/main/toronto/

When the much-anticipated Momofuku opened its doors in Toronto a few months back, it was missing one key piece (in my sugar-addled, dessert-craving mind at least): the Milk Bar, where they serve up cookies, pastries, and perhaps most famously, Crack Pie.

That omission has finally been rectified, with all kinds of treats available in a walk-in closet-sized space on Momofuku’s second floor (all baked, oddly enough, in New York and shipped here on a daily basis).

What’s Crack Pie? it’s basically a sugar pie, or a butter tart without the raisins, or a pecan pie without the pecans. It’s nothing you haven’t had many times before, which makes its moniker a bit of an over-sell; it’s good, but I’m not going to be rushing out to have another one. It’s not quite as addictive as its name implies (and whether a small slice is worth six dollars is up for debate).

I will be back, however, to try some of their cookies, which are much more reasonably priced at two bucks each.

My favourite thing about the Crack Pie is probably the crust. Though the filling is quite tasty, if a bit overly sweet, the crust is pretty great. It’s dense and buttery, with a thin, crispy layer of caramelized sugar on the outside. It’s probably the closest thing to crack-like addictiveness in this pie.

Bake Sale – Carrot Cake

Published on May 9, 2013October 17, 2019 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 3076 Bloor Street West, Etobicoke
Website: http://www.bakesaletoronto.com/

So the carrot cake from Bake Sale bakery? Best store-bought cake I’ve ever had. Seriously. Most store-bought cakes have the same airy, vaguely processed texture that I find somewhat unappealing. Not this cake; this one is dense, moist, and very close to cake perfection.

It has walnuts interspersed throughout, which add a satisfying textural component as well as a vague nuttiness that complements the cake quite well.

The cream cheese frosting is rich and sweet, but not overly so. It’s also really well proportioned, giving you a perfect amount of cake and frosting in each bite.

It’s raisin-free, which I found delightful. Hey raisins: what’s the point of you? Go home. No one likes you.

Look, it’s a classic carrot cake. They’re not reinventing the wheel here. This isn’t someone’s take on a carrot cake; it is a carrot cake, executed to absolute perfection.