Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts

CLOSED: Delysees (Toronto)

Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2016 by


It's easy to see why mini desserts are gaining popularity - éclairs, once the size of a shoe, have shrunken into a petite pastry easily contained within a palm. Things become cuter and you don’t feel bad having one … two… okay maybe three.

Recently, I’ve had one of those nights. Delysées threw a summer rendezvous event showcasing their line of miniaturized desserts. Bringing along a sweet loving friend, I had intentions of only trying five things and relying on the expert’s opinion instead. Yet, when I caught sight of the intricate pastries encased in beautiful hues, I started reaching for more.

Chocolate lovers should adore their mousse cake and dark chocolate truffle “Rocher”. The cake was fluffy as air incorporating a slight peanut butter finish to the sweet - quite nice. Chocolate and I have our moments: in general I don’t love the ingredient, but when the dessert’s right it can be delicious. I had my doubts about the oversized Rocher, but it turned out to be astonishingly light in the centre while still feeling indulgent.


I may not be a wedding planner, but Delysées’ collection of Grange of Prince Edward desserts (a limited edition menu of items infused with their wines) would be perfect for the occasion. Although it’s difficult to decipher in the picture, their champagne macaron is dusted with edible sparkles! Brides, please try to contain your excitement.


Then there’s éclairs in every hue and texture: a vibrant red one filled with Sloane raspberry cream, a “soft” cloudy looking coconut, and a whimsical meringue filled with a lovely lemon cream.


Yet the most jaw dropping has to be blinging éclair fully encased in gold (inside is a hazelnut chocolate mousse).


For me, the tastiest is the plain white one – so clean and unassuming looking. The jasmine yuzu cream piped inside is utterly refreshing and perfect after a heavy meal. Although the tea and citrus both aren’t strong flavours, their tastes were still rather pronounced and delicious.


Delysées’ cakes are quite the sight, especially the flourless dark chocolate dome drizzled in blue and pink stripes.


The cheesecakes were not overly heavy: the inside incorporating a fluffy almond tofu texture. I only wish the graham cracker crust on the bottom was thinner given the dessert is so delicate and the thick base finishes it like a granola bar.


For those who want a shot of booze with their dessert, they even have a line of parfaits crowned with a squeeze of liqueur. An earthy pistachio paired with a whiskey or a crunchy almond cream with Grand Marnier?


Their mini choux or cream puffs were also tasty. Instead of the typical sweet whipped cream, this was filled with real Madagascar vanilla bean cream.


Although more understated than the other offerings, Delysées’ tarts are worth a try: the crust is crunchy yet flaky and the fillings the most flavourful of all the desserts. Pictured below is the dark chocolate & salted caramel and the roasted pistachio. I also tried the fresh lemon tart, which was refreshing and balanced.


Overall, the majority of Delysées’ pastries aren’t overly sweet and appear to be flavoured naturally (rather than tasting very strong from the use of artificial extracts). It’s a matter of preference: as a person who doesn’t like overly decadent desserts, it’s perfect. However, if you yearn for the sugary flavourful explosion that can only be subdued with milk, you may be disappointed.

Regardless, Delysées’ new mini collection includes TONS of choice – the above is only a fraction of their overall menu. So, you’ll have to sample and judge for yourself. The fact that they’re the size of a silver dollar? Well, you can just have a few more.    

Disclaimer: The above tasting was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 780 King Street West

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Wooffles & Cream (Markham)

Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2015 by
Wooffles & Cream

It’s inevitable, even with a busy mall’s distractions, when the Hong Kong egg waffle’s caramel aroma enters the nose, I become entranced in its melodic lullaby. Sweet dreams seem near but waiting ten minutes for a fresh batch feels excruciatingly long.

At Wooffles & Cream, you’d be lucky if the wait is under ten, given the waffles are made to order and there’s no hurrying their production time. Even with only a few people ahead of us, it took 20 minutes to get the delightful desserts.

Both the waffle and ice cream is $3.50 each; combining them won’t fetch you a discount, but makes the dessert that much better. Between four of us, we shared the original wooffle with matcha green tea and the black ‘n’ white sesame with vanilla - the perfect amount to satisfy without feeling glutinous.

A slightly crisp shell, airy inside and a mix of sesame to add interest; if we didn’t just have dinner I could easily have one to myself – breaking off a bubble and slathering it with ice cream before enjoying it. As my mouth settles into the warm memory foam waffle, the comforting spongy snack relaxes me – eyes momentarily flutter shut and a satisfied exhale follows.



Childhood memories of simpler times play out as each bubble prolongs the idyllic mood. With our hectic lives, society certainly deserves a luxurious catnap, even if it happens in a crowded suburban mall.

How To Find Them
 Location: Markham, Canada
 Address: 8360 Kennedy Road (inside New Kennedy Square)

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Wooffles & Cream Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Bang Bang Ice Cream (Toronto)

Posted on Wednesday, October 07, 2015 by



Hearing the phrase “bang bang”, images of fire arms, promiscuous activities or maybe Jessie J’s tunes would go through your head. For Torontonians its different – ice cream sandwiches and small batch concoctions come to mind.

Over the summer, images of Bang Bang Ice Cream’s Hong Kong waffle cone ($8) have flooded Instagram, taunting me to enjoy two of my childhood treats together. Therefore, I was elated when I found myself in the neighbourhood, wanting dessert, and the line was only just out the door … at last the treat would be mine! Only to find, after waiting 15 minutes, that it’d be at least another half-an-hour for the waffle cone – their machines simply doesn’t produce them quick enough.

As a business major, thoughts of poor operations management and bottlenecks flashed through my mind. Ultimately, it was decided that I wouldn’t reward inferior planning by subjecting myself to a wait – after all, if a business wants to miss out on selling a higher margin product, that’s their prerogative.

Instead, I settled on a double scoop ($5.35) with the two I had painstakingly decided on. With over a dozen to choose from (prominently featured on paint cans), it’s not an easy decision. Not only do you have to narrow it down to two appealing flavours, but they also need to work together as they’re bound to start fusing!


Since the beginning, the London Fog beckoned with the delicious combination of floral Earl Grey tea and creamy vanilla. But, then would beer ‘n’ brown bread (a popular choice) or Totaro add to it? After trying a taste of the first, Totaro ended up prevailing.

As a pun, the flavour is named after a popular Japanese cartoon character and pays homage to the light purple root vegetable. Vibrant with a mellow earthy taro flavour, there were also flecks of what may be egg rolls to add texture and slight almond twinge. London Fog and Totaro proved to work well together!

Aside from the waffle cone, Bang Bang also offers ice cream sandwiches (ranges from $4.40 - $9 depending on whether you want a half/whole cookie or vegan ones). Somehow these didn’t sound appealing as the cookie tends to overpower the ice cream (or it could the awful messy childhood memories of me attempting to bite through the cookie without squishing the ice cream). There are also cream puff ($4.75 - $5.00) and macaron ($5) versions as well.

So, although my picture isn’t the most Instagram worthy, the dessert was nonetheless delicious. 
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 93 1/2 Ossington Avenue

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Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, May 31, 2015 by


What would possess someone to wait for two or more hours to buy a cake? When I heard about Uncle Tetsu and their notoriously long lines, it was the first thing to pop into my mind. Two hours? It better be some damn good cake!

In May, I found myself with a day off work and no particular plans; I knew this would be my chance to finally brave the line.  @Tetsulineup provides pictures of the queue throughout each day and weekdays at the end of the lunch hour seemed shortest to me. Arming myself with magazines and a full stomach, I made my way to the store and joined a line that reached the start of the narrow driveway between Uncle Tetsu and the neighbouring building.

On a beautiful sunny day the time went by quickly; I got through a magazine, made a couple of reservations and before I knew it, half an hour later, entered the store. The smell is intoxicating with whiffs of butter, sugar and egg dancing throughout the small bakery. There was much to see with the batter being carefully combined and the madeleines funneled into their waiting cups.


Really, the last fifteen minutes in the store flew by and before I knew it a fresh cake was being branded with the familiar smiling cartoon character, then boxed and bagged in front of me. At last, the coveted six inch cheesecake ($8.88) and add on madeleines ($2.22 each, buy 3 get 1 free) were mine!


In reading reviews on the product, descriptions often used are “soft”, “light in cheese flavor” and “light”. Conceptually, I could imagine what the cake was like but didn’t seem detailed enough to understand what made them so good. So, I will attempt to expand on my thoughts for the cheesecake.

The Smell

Despite the rich buttery smell at the bakery, which must be derived from the madeleines, the cheesecake is relatively muted in smell. In the end, there’s only a delicate sweet egg-like fragrance.

The Consistency

When viewing the cake it looks like a larger Korean honey cake – a light airy sponge cake. But, upon touch it’s much moister and heavier than expected. The consistency isn’t cake-like at all: as you cut through it with a fork you can hear small bubbles give way and the cake bounce back up.

The closest thing I can describe it to is the coconut gelatin desserts found at dim sum restaurants, when eaten warm. There are small air pockets that contrast against the smoothness of the cake. However, after chilling it in the fridge it becomes denser and closer to the western cheesecake consistency; even denser still on the second day.


The Taste

It’s remarkable how different the cake will taste when eaten warm compared to chill. Progressing even further when eaten on the first day compared to the second – I know you’re likely wondering how I made it last two days!

Everyone seems to have their own opinion as to what tastes best so I’d suggest trying both to gauge your preference. Personally, I could eat it either way but do like the cold cheesier version. When warm, there’s a delicate flavour (think ricotta or whipped cream cheese) that ever so slightly peaks out to remind you this isn’t a sponge cake – a cheesecake peek-a-boo. But, once chilled the cheese isn’t hiding anymore; it’s definitely there and you’ll taste it. Having said that, it is still much lighter than the New York cheesecake variety you’ll eat.

Uncle Tetsu’s menu is still expanding and the only other item currently being sold in large quantities are their madeleines - a larger version of the French butter cakes. Theirs is still rich and fragrant except the top of it has a crust rather than being a delicate cake.


Unlike muffins where the top of the pastry is the best part; I found the madeleine’s bottom layer more desirable. These certainly aren’t worth the wait. But, if you’re already there, you might as well pick up one to try. They have their own appeal: once you get past the crust, you’re greeted with a moist buttery pound cake that leaves a delicious eggy vanilla scent in your mouth.


If you’re one of the first customers, you may also get to purchase a cone of Uncle Tetsu rusks ($6.66), dried biscotti like offerings made from damaged day-old cheesecakes.

In speaking with the cashier who works there, she notes they are already planning other Toronto locations (maybe at Union Station and/or getting more property around their Bay and Dundas location). Perhaps, at that time, customers can finally start purchasing some of their other baked offerings including the Angel hat, other flavours of madeleines and from their website something called the Sol-chan’s cheese tart? Nevertheless, the original cheesecake will likely be what draws people in.

With the store opening earlier at 7am, hopefully more people can get their cheesecake fix in any given day. Indeed, I wouldn’t wait for two hours to get another taste of the cake, but perhaps half an hour, on a nice day - that would be bearable.  


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 598 Bay Street

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