Kevin's Taiyaki

Bakery?: Kevin's Taiyaki 
Address: Inside PAT Mart (675 Bloor St W, Toronto ON + other locations) 
Website: n/a
Style: Korean, Japanese
Price: $-$$

Eep, you do know this isn't really a bakery?

Well, it's not quite a bakery, but seeing as someone brought back a whole box once, I was inspired and decided to make a tour of it. ;) Kevin's Taiyaki operates out of small stands in mostly Korean supermarkets  throughout the GTA and some of their products are available in Oriental supermarkets, even when they don't make them on-site. As unbelievable as it seems Kevin's has indeed clamped down on the taiyaki market (if such a thing can even exist) and turned it into a empire.

More specifically, taiyaki are traditional fish-shaped waffles with a variety of fillings: you have a choice between the classic red bean, custard, green bean, and black sesame. Baked constantly throughout the day, these come fresh and are best enjoyed that way, losing some of their "pow" when eaten the following day, for instance. An idea, in that case, is to stick them in the toaster, which works unless the filling somehow starts oozing....

"Contains no fish" (reading that always makes me laugh...)

At any rate, I had the choice of sampling two flavours: red bean and custard. ($1.50 each) Custard is certainly the most "approachable" flavour for non-Asians, although the red bean was unanimously the best, both fresh and reheated. The dough was slightly crunchy with a soft, warm filling on the inside. The custard was pretty good upon purchase, but later on, it didn't hold up as well. It certainly doesn't work so well, regardless of the fact the waffle itself is the same, in the toaster. I thought the custard a little too set, especially when custards and creams found in Korean buns are generally... exceptional. *-*

Overall: Kevin's makes a tasty, impromptu snack while/after grocery shopping, but it's not really anything to write home about... rather, bring home. ;)

Rating: **1/2