Jun Tong Traditional Korean Bakery

Bakery: Jun Tong Traditional Korean Bakery
Address: 4992 Dundas St W, Etobicoke ON (@ Korean supermarkets)
Website: n/a
Style: Korean 
Price: $$

When thinking of Korean bakeries here, the first thing you think of fairly Westernized buns, cakes, and cookies, filled with a variety of filling ranging from whipped cream to red or green bean. If you scroll through the Korean bakeries on my tour, this will certainly be the case; and although this may be the most popular (and judging from what I see, these sort of cake shops abound in Korea itself?), it certainly isn't the most traditional. Now, I love this sort of Korean baking (perhaps too much ^^;;), so I'll admit I wasn't all that eager to try the various rice-cake baked goods from Jun Tong, a bakery that specializes exclusively in customary Korean desserts. I'm not quite sure if their actual bakery is a retail location, but you can pick up trays of "sweet" rice cakes (as well as the classic white rolls or slices) at all Korean supermarkets throughout the GTA at 2/$6 or $3.29 each.

And although these are meant to be eaten as a dessert or perhaps a snack, they can't necessarily be considered sweet. Some, with a dusting of cake crumbs and filled with red bean paste, are sweeter than others, which can include such toppings as kelp or black bean, but regardless, though containing sugar, they're a good treat for those not too fond of anything too sweet.

Bean-filled and green from kelp, these look and taste... healthy

Now, for this particular sampling, I got hold of one brother who seems to have a certain... dislike of Korean cream buns and cakes. I don't know what his problem is... really, I don't. *shakes head in alarmed wonder* But, nonetheless, he's what you would call a granola-bar kind of guy and so I was curious what he would think of the "other" Korean bakery. I picked out one of more elaborate rice cake creations: a layered variety filled with black beans, mugwort, kelp, among other healthy ingredients. It was strange, but not bad. Certainly, it tastes healthy (not sure if that's a good or bad thing XD); it does help if you're well acquainted with the taste and texture of Korean rice cakes (I assume here... I've been eating Korean for far too long ._.).

... And what did the anti-cream have to say? Two enthusiastic thumbs up. (!) He actually stole the rest of the tray, saying even he was surprised how much he liked it. So, there you go. Not all Korean bakeries are made the same, but apparently they're all good... it just depends who you ask. ;D

Rating: ***

Patchmon Thai Desserts

Bakery: Patchmon Thai Desserts 
Address: moved to: 258 Dupont St, Toronto ON 
Website: http://www.thaidesserts.ca/
Style: Thai
Price: $$ 

It usually happens that, when I see a bakery in the newspaper, it's long been reviewed by me. Perhaps, one might even begin to wonder, I'm the inspiration for these articles? And then that false feeling of pride fades away and I realize I'm not actually important or pertinent. Sorry, Mimi. :( Nonetheless, what I wanted to say was that Patchmon was actually one of the first bakeries I've tried based on an article in the newspaper, and can you believe my excitement at the thought of trying authentic Thai sweets?

Savoury and spicy veg curry pasty

Patchmon is a cute, rather small sweets shop that's rather easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for. Inside, the counter is lined with jellies and cookies that you certainly won't find at any other Asian bakery. Add to that coconut-heavy (as one may expect) treats with a few savoury items stuffed with fish, pork or veggies. One thing that makes sampling a whole array of treats difficult is the fact that items are all (with the exception of savoury items which are sold individually) packed and priced at $6; only select items can be split, such as two coconut tarts for $3 and half-half cupcakes. The workers, however, are very helpful and friendly to first-timers, offering samples of pretty much everything.

So, I picked out two items, besides a flaky, curry vegetable pasty ($2.25). Normally, I don't mention savoury finds, but everyone really enjoyed this and was pretty surprised by the flavourful filling that was not -- as all assumed -- an Indian-style potato mush, but stuffed with whole chunks of vegetables with  undeniably Thai spices.

A tropical party with taro and pumpkin cakes

I also tried the "cupcakes", in either pumpkin or taro (purple yam) flavour ($6/box). The bright colours come exclusively from the respective veggie and are both sprinkled with grated cassava. This and the cookies are probably the most approachable for a Western customer. These mini cakes were moist and had a great texture; my favourite was the pumpkin (though it had less of a distinct taste). In the words of one sampler, the taro tasted too "potato-y", but was still their favourite of the two.

Doesn't look like much, but it's still addictive! ;)

Without a doubt, the favourite among all were these sweet and salty coconut tarts (2 for $3 or 4 for $6), entirely dough-less tarts with a sweet, palm sugar-based jelly on the bottom and topped with a salty layer of rich coconut cream. At first scoop, it doesn't seem to match all that well, but spoon after spoonful and you're hooked!

As an absolute sucker for obscure sweets from around the world, this was a great find and a tasty adventure. Thank you, Patchmon. ^/\^ *bows* 

Rating: ***

Leslie's European Deli

Bakery: Leslie's European Deli 
Address: 35 York Blvd, Hamilton ON (@ Hamilton Farmers Market) 
Website: n/a
Style: Hungarian
Price: $$ 

It seems I'm catching up with my pending Hamilton reviews from a few weeks back... here's another one from the year-round Hamilton Farmers' Market, which has a few other baked good stops. Leslie (or: Leslie's? Getting both results online) European Deli is a Hungarian deli and, as is the case with most Hungarian and Eastern European delis, is a cold cuts place first selling a small assortment of classic baked goods, looking very much homemade and low-key, which is quite the opposite of a bad thing. :P Not to mention the fact that, even judging by the Cake Tour, it's not that easy to find Hungarian anything and any new find deserves notice.

Who *isn't* a sucker for Dobos Torte?!

The Dobos torte ($2.75/each) is an absolute must. With layers of simple sponge cake and chocolate cream topped off with hard caramel and shaved chocolate on the sides, rarely does one encounter a bad example of this famous cake. And Leslie, in fact, doesn't stray from this rule: delicious moist cake and just the right amount of rich, not overly chocolatey cream. The caramel topping had a very hard time staying onto the rest of the torte, making it difficult to enjoy all components with one forkful, but nonetheless a tasty treat that I wouldn't hesitate taking again. ;)

Rating: ***

Ola Bakery & Pastries

Bakery: Ola Bakery & Pastries
Address: 232 James St. N, Hamilton ON
Website: n/a
Style: Portuguese
Price: $-$$

This bakery was visited many weeks ago and is located in what can be considered Hamilton's Little Portugal (or as close as you can get to one); like a great many Portuguese areas in the GTA, you tend to see a couple familiar faces when it comes to bakeries, as many tend to have multiple locations. In this case, I believe Ola to be an independent, standalone bakery; unfortunately, Google is giving me Caldense bakery at the same address which is making me wonder whether Ola has been taken over or took over Caldense? Confirmation would be greatly appreciated. ^^

Either way, I have a bunch of baked goods needing reviewing! Ola has all the standard baked goods typical of your local Portuguese bakery. First were these variations on the classic "nada" tart (Portuguese custard tart). Typically, these are fired until the custard on top goes black; these two featured slightly different toppings: one was a lemony custard or maybe jelly would be a better word, which is sometimes stuffed inside buns, and the second had a baked-on crust with simple powdered sugar on top. Alright, but the classic variation is probably more prevalent for a reason...

Up next was the coconut bun, which just so happens to be one of my favourite Portuguese baked goods: with the coconut mass folded in the middle of two thinner pieces of plain dough. This one was pretty good; it was a little dry/plain around the edges where there wasn't any coconut. Not my favourite, but up there.

Lastly was a piece of apple strudel/cake which was not only pretty good, but probably my favourite from all the purchases. Generously filled with apple slices and slivered almonds. A little too browned on the edges for me, but very tasty nonetheless. Not many bakeries carry this one, but I'm always happy to get my hands on it. :)

Overall verdict: fairly good, though not exceptional standard Portuguese bakery with all the dependable classics you know and love.

Rating: ***

Sweet and Salty Bakery

Bakery: Sweet and Salty Bakery 
Address: 2555 Dixie Rd, Mississauga ON
Website: n/a
Style: Polish
Price: $$ 

Attention bakery aficionados in Mississauga: there's a new bakery in town! This Polish bakery opened very quietly what seems like a little more than a month ago and is, in fact, in quite the obscure location, making it almost impossible to find for the casual passerby. Not very prominent signage and a hard-to-drive-into plaza located behind an Esso gas station at the busy Dundas and Dixie intersection doesn't help matters much. If I weren't looking for it, I would have never noticed it... That being said, I was informed of this bakery's opening/existence thanks to my mom, who saw an ad for it in the local Polish paper.

The highlight: a good ol' poppy seed bun

Unlike all existing Polish "bakeries" in the GTA, Sweet and Salty is actually a bakery only. No cold cuts counter, no imported products on the shelves -- just baked goods, plain and simple and I really laud them for that, though at the same time I confess it probably isn't the easiest undertaking. Whether it was due to their recent opening or not, the baked goods selection isn't really that large (some delis have more, in fact) and, especially in comparison to the size of the business, the bakery comes across as big, empty and commercial. There are bakeries that sell much less and still come across as having a full stock; perhaps spreading the baked goods out instead of jamming them all on two industrial racks would help?? Anyways, while they don't come across as very Polish from the outside, the baked goods are just that: cakes sold per weight behind the counter, a couple smaller items (cheese and poppy seed buns) and all the classics such as poppy seed rolls, gingerbread cakes, and loaves of bread. Items are priced and labelled in English with a price per kilo list at the counter for the cakes, making it more approachable for the curious visitor than your usual deli. All self-serve items were well-priced and fairly typical of Polish businesses; the cheesecake I got, however, was quite expensive.

But let's get to it! ^.^ Naturally, I couldn't pass up the poppy seed bun ($1.59, I believe). This was the best thing I bought here. It was a little different than usual Polish bun: it was rolled like a cinnamon bun with a tasty poppy seed filling and icing and crumble on top. Soft and fresh -- just how I like them.

I do love my gingerbread, but overwhelming in the plum jam

The next thing I got was the gingerbread loaf cake ($5/each; there are actually two: one sold by piece and the other sold by weight). This was one of the more traditional gingerbread (I love gingerbread; if someone's got it, I bought it ;), with a nonetheless moist spiced dough separated with a layer of plum butter and topped with chocolate and slivered almonds. This was fairly good, but I feel like it was more assembled than baked; the plum butter as well as the chocolate glaze had no complexity and tasted like it was simply scooped out of a jar.

Pure, unadulterated cheesecake ;)

Lastly was just a classic "Viennese" cheesecake (forgot how much per kilo: I paid $9.50 for half a slab, around $3 more than the average deli). Like sweet cream ice cream, I love this type of cheesecake, not only for the taste, but only for the fact that it allows you to assess the quality of the cheese mass without additional nonsense like jelly. ;) This one was also pretty good: the cheesecake was fresh and moist. Everyone agreed it was nice, creamy, and stuck together very well. I can't say it was the best I've had, but it was certainly up there among the better ones. Not quite sure if it's worth the extra cost, but fairly tasty nonetheless.

Truth be told, Sweet and Salty didn't exactly knock my socks off, but it's still among the top Polish baked goods destinations in Mississauga and I do wish them the best of luck (just try make yourself a little more seen!).

Rating: ***

The Home Bakery [International Correspondent]

Bakery: The Home Bakery
Address: 300 South Main St, Rochester MI
Website: http://thehomebakery.com/
Style: American
Price: $$

I went to Rochester/Detroit awhile ago and have been annoyed into finally doing a review for the bakery I did visit. In fact, I was charged to go to some sort of French bakery in downtown Rochester and never found it. It was only the next day, when I was leaving in the morning, that I realized the bakery entrance was actually on the back of the main street, in the back alley. So instead I chose to go to Home Bakery, about a block away. This looks like the original bakery on the street, it being located in an old building (then again, so is every business in downtown Rochester...) and having that well-established look to it; noticing this, I was hoping for some simple, classic baked goods, but was kind of disappointed that, besides the more traditional look of the breads, the sweets were more gimmicky with kids cookies, kronuts, though they did also have some fancier French-inspired baked goods.

The classic apple fritter

Not knowing how authentic the French dough was and not liking French dough unless it's done right, I instead selected the classic apple fritter. The apple fritter is a good item to take at any bakery. It's both foolproof and a good indicator of how good that bakery is. Apple fritters must be, in fact, one of my favourite "homestyle" baked goods, along with cinnamon buns and carrot cake. Home Bakery's apple fritters were good, with a nice amount of apples and nicely fried with a good glaze. Not amazing or remarkable enough to set them apart from others, but still good for me.

Rating: ***

Sweet Olenka's

Bakery: Sweet Olenka's 
Address: 23 Jutland Rd, Toronto ON (+3 locations)
Website: http://www.sweetolenkas.ca/
Style: Cakes 
Price: $$-$$$ 

Having previously only tried Sweet Olenka's ice cream, I was thrilled and excited when one brother saved me a leftover slice from the cake he got from Olenka's for a work party. Judging from the ice cream -- of which I'm a fan -- I could only expect the Haagen-Dazs of cakes and that certainly didn't disappoint! Olenka's is, I would say, first and foremost a chocolate and ice cream shop, both of which are made from scratch; decadent cakes of various sizes, including individual 'mini-cakes', are also available. The selection depends on store and day, but expect a few of the standard flavours (vanilla, chocolate, black forest) with some more original ones like lemon cranberry, Grand Marnier, etc.

The cakes, just like the ice cream, can perhaps only be likened to an overindulgent Eastern European grandmother who will feed you platefuls of food until you burst and proceed to scold your parents for starving you. They're rich. They're creamy. Don't even attempt one when you're on a diet. You might think you can get away with a small sliver of a slice or a mere sample, but one bite turns into two, and then ten, and somehow you end up having eaten the whole darn slice. ;) Olenka's is thus a guilty pleasure: you can just tell how much whipped cream and butter has been used... and somehow you've stopped caring.

No, I'm pretty sure this is not meant for two people...

Well, maybe I'll go back and start from the beginning: I had the chance to try a chocolate buttercream (I don't know what size he got: small is $25 and medium is $35) cake. Over-the-top decorations include mini chocolate balls, cocoa powder and white chocolate leaves and, for whatever reason, spoons. Cutting it open, you could instantly *smell* the chocolate coming from a super moist and fluffy dark chocolate cake and thick layers of milk chocolate buttercream in between the cake as well as smeared over the outside. Truth be told, I saw this and was no longer that interested, given the fact I'm not fond of chocolate cake. Maybe I can like a chocolate cake combined with something else (nuts, fruit, vanilla), but the double chocolate looked brutally decadent and simply not to my taste. I agreed to try the decorations on top since I like white chocolate and I thought I should really try just a forkful of the cake to see how it is. And even I, the chocolate cake skeptic, had fallen under Olenka's spell! Insanely rich with thick-like-butter cream, yet strangely irresistible.
You might as well surrender right off the bat... XD

Rating: ***1/2