Astoria [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Astoria (明星西點麵包)

Address: No. 7, Section 1, Wuchang St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei 

Website: facebook

Style: Chinese  

Price: $$$ 

Quite a few posts back I mentioned that I didn't have any bakeries that got points docked for service in the foreseeable future. So I totally forgot about Astoria. Astoria has been around for a long time and its interior seems to evoke the Old World, yet at the same time there is something indescribably Soviet about it - they run a Russian cafe upstairs as well. 

I was doing research beforehand and read something about Astoria's cakes. While they do have a more unique selection of cookies, marshmallows and cake slices in addition to a small variety of standard baked goods you'll find anywhere, the prices are a bit steeper and the staff certainly leave something to be desired. To wordlessly snatch my tray from my hands and ask "what do you want" when the lady afterwards could pick everything herself, I'll never forget that. I'm surprised they at least threw my cake in a plastic bag, though they did it rather harshly. Ouch. Every time I walked past Astoria after that, I felt angry and upset just looking at it. 

I still did take a cake slice, though. The honey cake, to be exact ($60). The cake had a very good aroma and a honeycomb look that outwardly reminded me a little of cannelé. I thought this would make the cake moist and give it a great texture, but it was very gummy, almost as if they'd added rice flour. Not to mention it had no distinct flavour. Honey cakes are usually more subtle, but this tasted like nothing. To tell you the truth, it wasn't all that good - and don't forget that minus half a point for in-store experience. 

Rating: **