Ladurée [Mimi's World Tour]








Bakery: Ladurée
Address: 75 Avenue Champs Elysées, Paris (2 additional locations)
Website: http://www.laduree.fr
Style: French
Price: $$$

/partially copied from my vacation post with all (too many) the corresponding photos/

This was my mandatory trip to Ladurée. As in the home of the macaroon. As in a Cake Tour Must. Aaaah, this was heavenly and I knew it; it was something which I had been planning as soon as I knew (and probably, before) I was going to Paris. There, I chose to go for the Champs Elysées location which is just so cute in all its gold and pale green glory. There, you have a tearoom where you can indulge in overpriced (in my opinion, though I really should have splurged once) treats and drinks as well as a take-out counter. The line, by the way, seems to always be massive though it goes rather quickly. When you order, you continue on and pay and then, in true classy form, they bring you your gorgeous little bag which I carried around the city as the proudest little pastry lover in the world. ;)

Ahem, nevertheless, you go here for the macarons. This is without a doubt; in addition to this place being credited with having invented these little cookies with their ganache filling, these are also the best macarons in Paris. In the world, this is might be contested, especially by my brothers, but he he he we're going to be getting to that at a later date. ;P Anyways, I have to say that their macarons are also the only thing here that's reasonably priced. There are places that charge much more for theirs in Paris (again, at a later date ^^), so at 1,60 euro (if I remember correctly) and the possibility to save some money on the multi-pack gift boxes (though you gotta watch out since some boxes you end up paying for!), they're an affordable snack for anyone. The only problem is that you can go overboard and keep asking for flavours (I saw this happen on the two occasions I was there), you're going to end up paying for it. Duh! So, be like me and calculate beforehand how much your budget will give you and go in there knowing exactly how much you'll buy. ;D

But~ to my purchases. The first time I went, I naturally only went for the macarons. I purchased the prettiest box under 20 euro (la boite arabesque with 8 macarons -- 14,90E to be exact ^^) and pretty much filled it up with the standard flavours, mainly because I'm a fruit lover. So, from the top left (the colours will help you out here as well), I chose: 2x fruits rouges (the French language's version of 'mixed berry'), green apple, blackcurrant and raspberry. This was my first time ever eating macarons and straight from the store, they were amazing. Slightly hard on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside, with the flavoured ganache being intense and very tasty; the green apple tasted a little artificial, but the mixed berry especially was superb: sweet and slightly tangy and tasting unmistakeably of its flavour. Of course, I was quite dumb and assumed they were just like any other cookies and I brought a majority of this box home with me... two weeks later. When everyone sampled them, they were hard as a rock and no one really appreciated them so much. -_- (Mimi's Tip [well, okay, I read it on a pamphlet I got from another macaron purchase]: store these in the fridge and take out 30 minutes before you want to eat them to keep up maximum freshness) But seeing as I did in fact eat some, I went back again to buy some separately (though they were handed to me in a paper bag and were so beat-up after walking around with them, I didn't take a pic of it), this time I got: 2X mixed berry, fleur d'oranger (orange water), mimosa. I tried neither of the latter two; my brother got a mimosa and said it was like "eating Body Shop": very perfume and soap-like. The orange water didn't get rave reviews either; it was slightly bitter and also had that perfume quality to it. Didn't take any of the chocolate, but personally, I'd stick to the fruit. ;)

I also came to treat myself to something, seeing as it was my last day in Paris. I went here (this same second time) late in the afternoon so they didn't have much selection left, but I couldn't resist this one -- it looked so yummy. I was thinking about the amazing Saint-Honorés or Millefeuilles, but seeing the amount of whipped cream in them, I chose the uh, healthier option. It also ended up being one of the most expensive. -_- All the prices were grouped together at the other end, so all I saw was the price of the lemon tart -- thinking that there couldn't *possibly* be such a huge difference in price. Yeah, 2 euros to be precise (6,30 euro). :/ Still, this was special because it was filled with a passion fruit cream, then with the raspberries (with some sort of liquor glaze) heaped on top of it. It was delicious, BUT Stohrer still takes #1. :)

Overall, Ladurée is a must-see when you're in Paris. Brave the lines and pick up something tasty; it's worth it! Sadly, the above price rating is an average between the $$ macarons (both small and large sizes are reasonably priced) and the $$$$ cakes and pastries. The latter are phenomenal, but at 5+ euro per piece, are they worth the price? Hmmmm, probably not (and yes, that took a lot of deliberation XDDDDD), especially when you can pick up equally tasty, elaborate treats at almost half the price elsewhere... you just won't get the pretty pink box (alas!). ;)

Rating: ****

Dimpflmeier

Bakery: Dimpflmeier Bakery Factory Showcase
Address: 26 Advance Road, Toronto (Etobicoke) ON
Website: http://www.dimpfelmeierbakery.com
Style: German
Price: $

If you want good pastries, cakes, baked goods, breads and buns at a ridiculously good price, check out Dimpflmeiers. Yeah, you actually don't need to read the rest of the post now, because I'll pretty much do nothing except elaborate on this. Really though, I don't know how it took me so long to find out about this place.

Through these unassuming doors, you step right into a German Bäckerei and Konditorei, which just happens to be of massive proportions. On one half of the considerable store, you've got aisles of breads and buns, featuring their "famous" spring-water German ryes. On the other side, you've got German bakery heaven. *-* And not only is there everything here you can possibly imagine, it's at such prices that you can afford what you want and then some. I haven't photographed everything we've purchased here, but if you ever get down here, go for their cakes, tortes, sweet buns, doughnuts which change seasonally because of availability of local ingredients and holiday -- really, the list can go on and on.

After some time's absence and a more.. informed/paranoid/alarmed mind, I do have to add a warning that, for those ingredient-conscious customers, you really have to watch out for the stuff pre-packed on the floor which ranges from perfectly natural with only a few simply ingredients (refrigerated cakes, muffins, some cookies) to some stuff absolutely loaded with preservatives. I was pretty heartbroken to find that one thing I had enjoyed in the past, the spelt poppy seed cake, has preservatives listed as the third ingredient and is just chock full of chemical additives. I won't be getting that again! :/

My personal favourites are definitely everything and anything with poppyseeds and these *points* giant choux puffs (50 cents (!!) each): hollow and moist on the inside, and hard on the outside topped with glaze and rock sugar. They also have a chocolate-drizzled option, but really, these ones are perfect.... ;)

Another regular buy of mine is the poppyseed ring ($4.95) which is great value: this thing can easily feed 6 and is so overstuffed with poppy seed mass you wouldn't believe it. Even the icing and plain poppy seed on top is delicious. Very good! *_*

I have to add onto this that the only real miss we got was their plum cake ($5.95), which was, again, a giant slab for ~6 people and filled with plums. On the first day, when I sampled a piece of this, it was delicious... the next day (pictured), all the juice had soaked into the thin dough and the glaze on top had turned into Jello. By the third day, no one else wanted it; with the soggy dough and chunks of jello, I thought I was going to puke. X_X

Overall, though, this is a good place to go if you love baked goods of any sort and you don't necessarily want to blow too much money, and have the time and patience to sift through the better treats. ^___^

Rating: ***

BnC Bakery


Bakery: BnC Bakery
Address: 12-257 Dundas St., Mississauga, ON
Website: http://bncbakery.com/
Style: Korean
Price: $$

I must say I've always had a soft spot for Korean bakeries, especially since they really make tasty baked goods and other sweets that are a pretty delicious mix of Asian and European styles. Does that make any sense to you? Probably not. Well, Koreans really try to make their goods more "Western", and though you may not recognize the original recipe it's based on, the odds are it'll still be good. :P BnC, pretty much the only Korean bakery in the city, falls right into this description. Their stuff is delicious and you can choose from oodles of sweet buns and cookies with various fillings from the more authentic red bean or green tea to strawberry or chocolate creams. The only real minus is that their more European baked goods are also quite creamy.

I actually read somewhere online that someone thinks this place also makes the best Opera torte. Of the little I have had here, I did try their Opera torte once, although you can't really call it that. With its alternating layers of vanilla and chocolate cake dough interlaid with whipped cream and topped with a dusting of cocoa and whole coffee beans, this is pretty un-authentic. But it's good.

The highlight of this place, though, is their cakes. At around $28 for, I believe, a 10' cake, it's not the cheapest, but it's easily the best cake in the city. With matcha green tea in both the cream and the dough (and with a hearty dusting on top), this is not only absolutely delicious.

EDIT: I was downright stunned at the *** rating I gave this place and had to return and upgrade it after yesterday. Someone had no idea where to buy a good cake for a work party in Mississauga and I suggested BnC. They weren't sure everyone would enjoy the green tea above, but went with the strawberry. That's not important though. As a thank you, they bought me the most amazing baked good ($2) I've had in a while! No, I didn't think of taking a picture because I never thought it would blow my mind the way it did: a flaky, fluffy doughnut cut in half and filled inside with orange milk cream -- reminiscent of soft serve ice cream -- and topped with icing and shredded orange peel. OMG! I'm still reeling from this ingenious creation... this was insanely good. I have no idea how I'm going to drive by this place now and not run in and get one!!! O.O -- EDIT 2.0 After that one time, I have never seen this stuffed crueller again and I've been going to BnC on a semi-regular basis. What happened?!?

Rating: ***1/2

Stohrer [Mimi's World Tour]








Before I begin, I have to pop in and present a little subdivision of my humble blog: Mimi's World Tour! ^__^ This is pretty much taken from my various trips over the years, and seeing as I've been a nut for documenting my sweets purchases, I have plenty of material as it is. And to celebrate this little offshoot, I even made a special logo... and no, that is not me.
That hideous pink and white thing is supposed to be an apron and turned into an unsightly dress, so no, I would never wear that either. And yup, you can tell my skills are nonexistent. Still have to make something up though... but without further ado: the first post on the World Tour.Bakery: Stohrer
Address: 51 rue Montorgueil, Paris
Website: http://www.stohrer.fr
Style: French
Price: $

Seriously, I had read that this place was closed until Aug 15th and I, being in Paris from around the 8th to the 21st of August, could NOT wait for it to reopen. Of course, I didn't want to go on the first day like a complete idiot (especially when that could mean nothing would be made yet), so I went on the second. ;D

This, then, is Stohrer, a pastry shop opened up in the mid-1700s by, get this, Louis XV's pastry chef! From my photo (which I really do like, since it makes it look... so palatial), you can probably see what you're able to purchase here: finer pastries and elaborate cakes. You're treated to an amazing and tantalizing variety of chocolate tortes in various sizes, fruit tarts, and other cakes "à l'ancienne" along with homemade ice creams outside in the freezer. There is a more savoury part on the other side serving I don't remember what.
Anyways, I bought myself a strawberry tart (something around 2,90 euro) because it looked so good. When I delved into this thing, I couldn't believe it. Best. Tart. Ever. It doesn't look so fancy-shmancy as say, Ladurée, but the perfect crust, the soft filling, the perfectly glazed strawberries -- this really is heaven in muffin-form paper. :D I can't say anything more. In fact, the only thing I regret is not getting my butt over there in the last few days of my stay in Paris and get myself something else from this paradise of baked goods. ;DDDD

Rating: ****

Future Bakery

Bakery: Future Bakery
Address: St Lawrence Market (multiple locations exist as sit-down cafes)
Website: N/A
Style: Eastern European, Ukrainian
Price: $$

I'd heard of Future Bakery countless of times before: their breads (mostly European rye breads) can be found in multiple supermarkets, but I never actually thought that they were a real bakery (as in not a commercial, bread-only sort of place) until we chanced upon them on my very first trip to St. Lawrence Market, although they apparently have multiple locations all over the place. Figures. Nevertheless, we came here after our rather disastrous trip to the Christmas Market and found prices to be pretty reasonable, although still not really, really cheap. Still, after the Christmas Market, it was a very welcome change. ;)

The bakery itself has two stands across from one another; the side pictured features pretty standard, "Canadian" baked goods: choco-chip and sugar cookies by the doze, pecan tarts and icing cakes. Suffice to say, this really isn't my kind of thing, so I was more interested in the opposite side which featured their countless rye breads and more of Eastern European goods: various sweet buns and whatnot. (ha ha honestly, I can't remember what was behind the glass here... -___-)

Seeing they had poppy seed buns, and I *absolutely* have to try every poppy seed bun I see, I couldn't resist! At $1.90 + tax, the price wasn't over the top, but I've encountered cheaper. Still, I really didn't know that this place was Ukrainian (I actually haven't tried a Ukrainian bakery yet; this is exciting) until I did my research online, but I would have said that the bun was more Russian-style, especially with the poppy seed mass. This is a good thing though; the dough was also good, although it was a little dry on the top layer and there was a little too much raisins for my taste (I don't like raisins XD). Still, it was pretty tasty. Not the best, but delicious nonetheless.

In addition to my poppy seed bun, we actually came to this bakery to buy something for my other brother, who obviously also needed a little treat, because the tarts from the market were too overpriced to buy three. So, in keeping with my brother's tastes (which are a little different than my own ^^), we picked for him the Chocolate Chip Bun, which was the same price, I believe, as the poppy seed bun. This was a cinnamon-style bun with rolled dough filled with chocolate chips and drizzled on top with powder sugar and chocolate glaze. And because I didn't actually eat or taste any of it and I totally am going for authenticity here, I decided to go ahead, call my brother over here and ask him what he thought about it. So, I quote (yes, I'm really having too much fun with this //has no life//):

Mimi: Hey, what did you think of that chocolate chip bun?

G.: Nothing special. *pauses to think about it* I mean, would I get it again? Probably not.
Well, that's my brother's opinion. He seemed more impressed while he was eating it, a few days ago, but it's his opinion.

Overall, Future Bakery is one of a few bakeries in the St. Lawrence Market and easily the most exciting. Reasonably-priced, good -- not great -- baking, and worth a try. :)

Rating: **1/2

Fabian's Café

Bakery: Fabian's Café
Address: 876 Markham Rd., Scarborough ON
Website: http://www.fabianscafe.com
Style: French, German
Price: $$$$

Seeing as I didn't actually visit Fabian's Café in person for this review, but went to their booth at the Toronto Christmas Market (Dec. 3-12, 2010 -- Distillery District), I think it's only fair that I say right away that my review is based on this experience only.

Still, I really think it's enough to say that it's not worth it. The Christmas Market itself was a huge disappointment and I recommend that people don't brave the sub-zero temperatures to go this thing. The website tries to make this sound like a decent knockoff of the Weihnachtsmarkt in Germany, which it clearly wasn't. Descriptions of the market included plenty of stalls with baked goods, a beer garden, and much much more. No. First of all, my baked goods hunting pretty much failed: not only was there nothing to choose from, the prices were absolutely ridiculous. The only place with reasonable prices was the Slovenian stand, but all they had was what looked like pączki. :( There really wasn't anything else.

++

This sort of bitter was still lingering when we encountered a stand for Fabian's Café, a bakery/café in Scarborough, which claims they're also a "Konditorei", despite the fact that none of their baked goods were in the least bit German. I'd call it more French: fruit tarts, croissants, flans, St-Honoré, etc. They had their pamphlets for the taking, and we were looking through it, mostly because they had the prices listed. The above tart was listed as being $2.60, which is pretty reasonable. And yet, we went to pay and it ended up being $3.50, not what was listed which was a little annoying. 

As for the tart itself, it was alright. Ha ha ha I'm now much more discriminate after tasting the best in France , but it certainly could have been better. As you can even see from the photo *points*, it was rather... skimpy on the fruit. There was a lot of glaze and a lot of, though tasty, custard in the homemade shell, but considering that *is* supposed to be a raspberry tart, the 'raspberry' part was sadly lacking. Really, the number 1 thing you could taste was the custard. The best had to be the shell which was lined with an almost invisible, though slightly detectable coating of dark chocolate; teamed up with the custard and raspberries, it was tasty. Overall: good, but a little disappointing. And not worth the price! ;P

[UPDATE]  So once, several months ago, one brother went to Scarborough and returned with baked goods from Fabian's, thinking that I'd never reviewed it, though it did look familiar. Turns out we went to this place looooong ago (years before the Cake Tour existed) and it had already been reviewed. Seeing that this review is based on the Christmas Market experience, I thought I'd still add an appendix. The Cafe itself has a variety of German cakes, slab cake slices as well as chocolates. From the selection, he chose a Napolean (Mille-feuille) which was alright, though it turned out rather doughy. Good cream, nice icing on top. The second item was a Bienenstich, a yeast-based dough filled with generous layer of cream and topped with caramelized almonds on top. The almonds were a little difficult to penetrate, but it was fairly good. Not the best I've tried, but far from the worst. Ha ha now I can let my conscience rest easier following this add-on. ;)

Rating: **1/2