dessert – Page 4 – Michael Eats

Quick Bites: Doraji, Chica’s, Maman

Published on April 20, 2025 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Bibimbap from Doraji at the Well

I tried the bibimbap here during the media night at the Well, and quite enjoyed it. Well, I just tried it again — spicy pork this time (bulgogi beef, chicken, fried tofu, and vegetarian are also options) — and again, I quite enjoyed it. It’s a very classic bowl of bibimbap, executed perfectly. I honestly don’t have much more to say about it than that. If you like bibimbap, it’s a great version of that dish. And if you don’t, what is wrong with you??

Hot Honey at Chica’s Chicken

While Chica’s days of being the mind-blowing, thigh-slapping best fried chicken that you’ve ever had are long gone, it’s still quite good. For some reason, I hadn’t tried their Hot Honey sandwich until now, and yeah, it’s predictably delicious. Most things at Chica’s tend to be a bit sweeter than I’d like, so I probably shouldn’t be surprised that their version of hot honey is more honey, less hot. A bit more acidity and heat would really help round out the sweetness, but it’s still quite tasty for what it is. And as always, the chicken itself features a great balance between the crispy exterior and juicy interior.

Chocolate chip cookie at Maman

Maman is an NYC bakery chain that opened a location in Toronto a few years ago. They have a whole bunch of sandwiches and pastries on the menu, but I heard that the chocolate chip cookie is the thing to get. And yeah, it’s tasty. Nothing about it knocked my socks off, but it’s clearly an above average cookie. My only real issue is the sugar they sprinkle on top; it’s a neat idea in theory (I’m assuming the idea is to give you a crispy, slightly caramelized top), but in practice it just gives the cookie a slightly grainy texture. I still quite enjoyed the cookie (and it wasn’t too sweet, despite the sprinkling of sugar), but that was a shame.

Delicious Doughnuts at Fab’s Donuts

Published on April 19, 2025 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1618 Queen Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.instagram.com/fabsdonuts/

Fab’s is in the same spot where Maverick’s Donut Company used to be, which I liked a whole lot. Apparently it’s from the same owners, who decided to strike out on their own. Clearly, they know what they’re doing, because the doughnuts here are very, very good.

They are quite different, however — notably, Maverick’s specialized mostly in cake doughnuts, and as far as I can tell, this is a cake-free zone. All the doughnuts that I tried were classic raised doughnuts.

I tried four: creme brulee, pistachio heaven, Biscoff, and chocolate kunafa.

All were generously filled, and all were thoroughly delicious, though the creme brulee — with its crackly top and tasty custard filling — was probably my favourite.

But then everything was thoroughly tasty, with the doughnuts themselves having a nice chewy texture, and with the flavours being right where they should be. It’s all quite sweet, but not a sugar-bomb. They’re great doughnuts.

Tasty Desserts at Bakerbots Baking

Published on March 23, 2025 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1242 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Website: https://bakerbotsbaking.com/

Bakerbots is affiliated with Bang Bang, which serves some of the best ice cream in the city (I’ve written about Bang Bang roughly a billion times on this blog, and while it’s been a while, they’re still great). So, of course, it’s a top-notch bakery.

They used to be in a teeny-tiny location that was about the size of a generous walk-in closet, but have since moved to a much larger spot on Bloor (they even have a few seats!).

I think the assortment of desserts might be slightly larger than before, but it’s also possible they’re just more spread out now. Either way, they have a very tempting variety of cakes, cookies, pies, and other tasty stuff.

I ordered the key lime puff, which features a choux pastry stuffed with whipped cream and key lime pie filling, topped with Italian meringue.

It’s hard for me to not compare a pastry like this to the amazing Choux Lab, and no, it’s not as good as that — but it’s close!

The key lime filling is nicely tart and very creamy. I’m not sure if this needs both whipped cream and meringue, which I think dilutes the lime flavour a bit too much, but that’s a minor complaint. The filling is delicious, and the nicely crisp choux pastry complements it well.

Quick Bites: Ramen Ryu, Matt’s Burger Lab, Lola’s Gelato

Published on March 16, 2025 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Ramen at Ramen Ryu in the Well

I mentioned, a few years ago, that Ryu’s Noodle Bar serves some of the best ramen in the GTA. Well, they’ve got a quick-serve outpost in Wellington Market in The Well, the fancy new food court (sorry: food hall) downtown, and it’s quite tasty. The depth of flavour isn’t quite there and the noodles were a bit on the soft side, but for something from a food court, it’s satisfying. The broth may not be up there with the best in the city, but it’s creamy and tasty. It’s a solid bowl of ramen.

Classic Smash Burger at Matt’s Burger Lab

Though Matt’s Burger Lab has a surprisingly deep menu, with a whole bunch of creatively-topped burger and fried chicken sandwiches, I figured the Classic Smash was probably the thing to get: “4 ounce prime beef patty, fresh onion, iceberg, pickle, Lab Sauce.” I skipped the onion, but otherwise got this as-is. It’s pretty tasty. The patty has a decent amount of crust on it, a nice coarse grind, and a mild beefy flavour. The bun (potato bun, I think) is nice and fresh, and the toppings suit it well. The Lab Sauce is basically like a sweeter, zestier version of the typical Big Mac-style sauce you’ll find on so many burgers in the GTA, and it works. There’s quite a lot of it, which in this case is a very good thing, because the well-done burger patty is quite dry. The sauce basically balances things out, but the dryness holds it back from being much better than pretty good. Still, I enjoyed it.

Almond Raspberry gelato from Lola’s Gelato

This is going to be a quick one. I’ve written about Lola’s a few times before on this blog, and it pains me that it doesn’t always come up when people are talking about the best gelato in the city, because it’s a strong contender for that crown. But I think maybe the word is finally getting out, because on my most recent visit, the place was absolutely packed. Of course, it’s just as delicious as ever. This particular flavour had a great almond flavour, which works surprisingly well with the raspberry sauce they have swirled throughout. And it’s just as creamy and luxurious as always. Good stuff.

Tasty Treats at Andrea’s Cookies

Published on March 15, 2025 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1632 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Website: https://andreascookies.com/

I’ve been wanting to try Andrea’s Cookies for a while. I actually tried to get a cookie a few months back, only to find that they were entirely sold out. Disappointing, but also, I figured, a good sign.

They’re popular enough to have recently expanded, with a second location on Ossington, though I visited just before that one opened.

They have several very interesting flavours that they rotate through (on my visit, they had intriguing varieties like almond croissant and coconut cream pie), but on my first visit to a cookie shop, I’ve gotta get the old standby: chocolate chip or chocolate chunk.

It was chunk, in this case, and it was clearly quite fresh, with the chocolate being delightfully gooey. You can’t go wrong there.

Aside from the generous amount of good quality chocolate, the cookie itself was not too sweet (with a nice — but not overapplied — hit of salt to balance things out), and a delicately crispy exterior.

The cookie is basically a much better version of Crumbl, in that they serve big fat cookies that have been way underbaked on purpose. This isn’t my favourite type of chocolate chip cookie; I like a chewy cookie as much as the next guy, but the gummy texture, not to mention the mild raw flour taste, isn’t particularly my jam. But if you like that, this is a better-than-average version of it.