Tag: Hodo Kwaja

A Delicious Korean Pancake at Hodo Kwaja

Published on by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Hodo Kwaja
Location: 656 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Website: http://hodokwaja.ca/

I previously tried the walnut cakes at Hodo Kwaja, which is their specialty.  Those things are thoroughly delicious, and it was tempting to just order them again.  But they also serve a few other desserts here, including hotteok — Korean pancakes with a sweet filling.

Hodo Kwaja

You can order these filled with either brown sugar or red bean; brown sugar is the more traditional choice, so that’s what I went with.

Hodo Kwaja

It’s extremely delicious.  I figured this wouldn’t be on the level of the walnut cakes, but I actually think it might be even better?  It’s just as good, that’s for sure.

Hodo Kwaja

The pancake itself is delightfully chewy, and the sweet brown sugar syrup complements it perfectly.  It’s a very sweet dessert, but there’s a good balance between the pastry and the syrup; it’s not the throat-burner you might suspect.

Tasty Korean Pastries at Hodo Kwaja

Published on by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Hodo Kwaja
Location: 656 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Website: http://hodokwaja.ca/

Hodo Kwaja is a delightful Korean bakery that specializes in walnut cakes, which are bite-sized walnut-shaped cakes that are traditionally filled with sweet red bean paste.

Hodo Kwaja

They have three flavours here: red bean with walnuts, mashed potato with walnuts, and mashed potato with almonds.  An order of six is delightfully cheap at $3.75, and if you want you can try all three flavours, which is what I did.

Hodo Kwaja

They’re all very tasty, though the traditional red bean was my favourite of the three.  The mashed potato is interesting; it actually has a similar texture to the red bean, but a milder flavour.  All three have a restrained sweetness that works quite well.

As for the pancake-like pastry, it complements the soft filling very well.  If you’ve ever tried taiyaki, it’s similar to that, but without the exterior crispiness.  It’s a top-notch dessert.