Esther & Sons

Bakery: Esther & Sons
Address: 652 Cook Rd, Kelowna BC
Website: http://www.estherandsons.com/
Style: North American
Price: $$$

The number of outstanding bakeries to review in Kelowna (and the Okanagan, for that matter) is quickly diminishing, so I was very excited when a quick online search had this "bakery" in the Mission pop up for me. Looking through the website, I spotted a certain southeast Asian inspiration behind many of their advertised products and was immediately intrigued. I love pandan cake, but have a hard time finding it anywhere; the Black Forest cake with Okanagan cherries or madeleines were also something I'd be willing to try. In fact, even their chicken congee with dough stick was right up my alley.
 
That being said, it was a good thing I didn't plan on going for lunch too, since stepping into the bright, airy space with minimalist decor and even more minimal counter space, I realized that the website clearly didn't reflect what was available in store. Esther & Sons really shouldn't even have been labelled as a bakery. Yes, they make their own treats, but isn't that how it should be with any cafe? The thing is, there simply isn't enough for it to warrant a special bakery tag: a few scones and muffins, one loaf cake and a carrot cake in the fridge. Moreover, there were no "southeast Asian" influences in anything, so had the cafe changed owners or management? Had they switched over to a more boring ahem, standard array of products? Expecting something unique, I was disappointed.

Not wanting to come for nothing, I went with their most unique item up for offer: the blueberry earl grey loaf ($4.05 with tax). Filled with whole, fresh blueberries, I could definitely see and taste those with every bite. The lemon icing was a nice touch, and certainly flavourful. The Earl Grey part... not so much. Pretty good in taste and texture, a bit dry without the fruit; it was too pricey for what it was and just not what I was expecting.

Rating: **