Windsor Fine Bakery [RIP]

Bakery: Windsor Fine Bakery
Address: 4350 Steeles Ave, Markham ON (inside Market Village)
Website: n/a
Style: Chinese 
Price: $

Last week, I decided to take a trip to Pacific Mall after an absence of five (perhaps more) years simply to see it and take advantage of the close proximity of stores to review more than one bakery. Well, that failed when I realized that it was actually the same one (the one I remembered being in Pacific Mall proper was gone): Windsor Fine Bakeries. In a way, the whole trip was a bit of a waste, since Pacific Mall has hardly changed and, if it has, only for the worse. In the midst of endless rows of cellphone accessories and fashion shops, not a single bakery. Now that's boring. :P

In the smaller shopping mall known as Market Village, Windsor has two separate bakeries pretty much around the corner and down the hall from each other. The one next to the supermarket seems to focus more on their cakes, which come in the usual Chinese types: creamy fruit cakes, taro, green tea, etc. Their second, main location (across from One's) houses their baked goods, although I can't quite see the justification for the "fine" in their name. Don't expect anything other than your usual Chinese bakery staples, although I was surprised to find that they really don't have a lot of the typical buns, especially the always popular meat buns. Instead, the majority of the bakery was dedicated to tables of various bulk-packed cookies (allowing for items to sit for longer vs. freshly baked yeast goods) For the New Year, there was also a variety of moon cakes and other more "unique" treats, stuffed with lotus or bean pastes. Unlike your standard Chinese bakery items, expect to pay more for these (a pack of six moon cakes cost $5.20).

Taking full advantage of the occasion, the brother was on the hunt for a "double happiness" cake and ended up finding it ($2.80; these guys called them "flaky cookies with lotus or yellow bean paste) These are little discs of multi-layered flaky dough filled with quite a bit of lotus paste. It was alright; for sure, it was a different experience in comparison to the usual (boring) offerings. The texture and taste was good, although the brother couldn't seem to get past the smell of the paste. As long as you don't smell it, it's fine. ;)

Going the more 'traditional' route, I also picked out the rice cookie (seen elsewhere under a whole slew of different names; I could have sworn it was $1.00, but I was charged $1.20) which I had tried elsewhere and, despite its plainness, quite liked. Sometimes, I've found these sitting on the counter, rock-hard, but these were actually nice and soft, so that lured me in. I was almost tempted to draw in a face to make the photo a little more exciting, but I managed to resist the temptation. ^.^ Anyways, pretty dry and it does clog a little easily in your throat, but it has a nice, softer texture with that slightest hint of peanut. Not bad.

Overall, um, Windsor isn't beating any records here and comes out as just your average Chinese bakery. It's certainly better those dirt cheap places you find elsewhere with a few items that go beyond the usual cream/pineapple buns that you find everywhere else. And well, if you're in Pacific Mall, it *is* your only baked good option. ;P

Rating: **1/2