If one’s focus is on ’ desserts ’ and not bread or Viennoisse. If by chance you are up my way, you should pay this place a visit?!..excellent quality, way cheaper than Genie and operating a similar business model ( seat-down, serve artisan coffee and Viennoisse…etc
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Had an unplanned visit you the area so decided to visit Dt. John’s bakery. A pleasant surprise awaited as I saw the shortbread cookies on sale. Picked up a couple of bags as they are really good. Unfortunately they are not on their UberEATS menu so for pickup only I suppose. I will try and see if they can substitute for their ginger cookies as those are always on the UberEATS menu as the delivery option is more viable for moi
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Finally got around to try delysees Yorkville location. Have tried them at their old spots a few times and via delivery app.
Busy on both visits but good spot as there is a dearth of dessert spots around Yorkville (most of city as well imo) that stay open late
Just grabbed a dessert. Same as other spots give it a try if you like their stuff. Otherwise this corner hasn’t done well for restaurants and dessert spots so far (Sorrel, joy (tea room from Ottawa that changed their name))
p.s. on the last delivery had a cake for guests and it was frozen to the extent that everyone thought it’s ice cream cake!
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Any feedback about this spt. I have yet to find a good Kougin Amman in TO. We aren’t talking Montreal level rather SF level even.
I like everything I’ve ordered at Le Conciliabule. It’s one of my top 3 bakeries.
To be honest, not too many KAs in Canada are what I like. I tried one in Brittany in 2008, and only have had one similar version at a restaurant in Mtl that no longer exists. I don’t like the Dominique Ansel DKA much.
In TO, the best one I’ve had this year that was a traditional sweet one was at Noctua in the Junction, and the ones at Le Conciliabule would be a close second. I haven’t had any other KAs in TO recently. I like Noctua & Le Conciliabule’s versions better than Blackbird’s.
I don’t like the KA from Kouign Amann on the Plateau that much. I’d give it a B-. I liked an apple KA from Patrice in 2019 (A-)
le Conciliabule’s personal sized traditional KA
le Conciliabule’s savoury KA
Le Conciliabule’s almond croissant
There’s some discussion somewhere on HO about the 2 types of KA found in Brittany.
The croque monsieurs and quiches are also excellent at Le Conciliabule.
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Have you tried Tasso’s Kouign Amman? They’re the best I’ve ever tried!
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Picked up the Roselle holiday cookie tin today. I think it’s priced on the very high end but ok for a once a year splurge
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Agree that Tasso and Gouter make the best Kouign Amman
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This ’ All Chocolate ’ French pasty - " DEGAS " from Rahier is currently my favourite Chocolate dessert in the GTA. Decadent, smooth and intense, comprising multiple components/variation of dark chocolate goodness in both taste and texture!
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Forgot to report I tried a buche de noel tropical at friend’s over the holidays at friend’s home sourced from nugateau
Coconut Dacquoise, Caramelized pineapple & Dragon fruit jelly, Mango passion fruit cremeux, Pineapple Coconut mousse.
As expected quite sweet. I didn’t enjoy the coconut, pineapple and dragon fruit intense flavors.
They bring these out during the holiday season so I guess one will have to wait to try them. Unfortunately didn’t take a pic.
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Had a chocolate pear tart dropped off by friends from Blackbird bakery. Not being a fan of their dessert offerings this didn’t impress much despite pears being one of my favorite things in desserts
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I’ve enjoyed some nice peas tarts from Emmer.
My first pastry purchases of the New Year was the maple pecan tart and pecan scone at Emmer, which I liked, as well as a coconut pandan cookie and vegan hojicha cookie from Rustle & Still which I also liked.
Emmer is a worth a detour for me (20 minute walk), whereas it’s the coffee that is the detour for me at Rustle & Still (also a 20 minute walk), and I sometimes get a cookie (a sidekick, maybe not worth a detour)
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Inspired by your recommendation I ended up picking up a pistachio cream puff, caramel rum croissant and a porridge bread which is quite big.
Croissant is ok (it’s no kougin aman) cream puff was decent.
Bread is decent as well. I think I will revisit earlier as most items were sold out when I went.
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It’s also possible to buy a half loaf of their breads.
I either buy half, or freeze half the loaf at home.
I mostly buy croissants for other people, typically almond croissants. For whatever reason, croissants don’t agree with me.
I don’t know why I don’t have that issue with KA. I will recommend Le Conciliabule for KA if you’re on the east side of town, and I will also recommend Noctua Bakery, although they often sell most of their goods by early afternoon, and I’m not sure how often they bake KA. I understand Gouter had a good KA but I haven’t tried it.
I find their sausage rolls, and other sausage rolls around town, a little underdone for me lately. I don’t like pink-looking pork sausage- so when I get their breakfast sandwich I order the sausage well-done. I probably won’t buy the sausage roll again. I’ve also noticed this at Brick St Bakery and a couple other places.
Had a cake delivered by Delysee as they have opened up nearby so it’s serves well that one can have dessert real quick if I’m having guests over.
Café Latte Mascarpone Cake was the consensus. Hmm this is the second time I have received an almost solid frozen cake. I chalked the first one up to being a very cold day and the delivery taking it’s time. Their cakes are mostly mousse with very little sponge at the base so beware that you need to let it that for a good amount of time before proper consumption. Those who tried it tasted like an ice cream cake and all the taste profile were lost on moi.
Here is a pick from today with cappuccino (next day so all proper) I am not big into cakes so this is ok not too sweet.
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Had a chance to go to Yorkdale mall early today couldn’t resist the French toast (legendary imo) so had one real quick.
Never disappoints
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I was surprised to see a Delysee has opened on Ossington, too. Who owns this place? Deep pockets!
I bought a loaf of seeded bread & 2 cranberry almond danishes at Dear Grain, and 6 truffles at Avoca today. Haven’t tried them yet.
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Ok I finally picked up the pistachio croissant from Emmer
It’s decent but not at that price point imo
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"RUELO, Times Square, Richmond Hill " - Now, I finally realize why I have NOT been back for ages!!
I was in the neighbourhood of Times Square when my sweet tooth started to act up! As such, I decided to pay ’ Ruelo Patisserie ’ a looooong overdue re-visit.
Due to the lunar new year, their display offered a variety of seasonal , cute, multi-colour, gimmicky looking and ‘expensively priced’ cake products
Avoiding those distractions, I ended up buying myself a couple of regular looking, chocolate based cakes with close resemblance to some of ‘DUO’'s offerings. This would also allow me to carry out some curious and intriguing taste comparison.
Average price of the Ruelo’s regular cake products were priced steep, at around $10 a piece!! These price point were a dollar or two over and above their nearby competitor, ‘DUO’. Portion and size-wise were also smaller and daintier. With these price premium and size disparity, I was hoping Ruelo’s products would make it up in the taste department.
Sad to say, though overall, Ruelo’s products were good and enjoyable. However, none of the products I bought were standouts, featuring only acceptable, ho-hum taste components. In fact, their signature all-chocolate house-special cake, ‘Ruelo’ was overly sweet for my liking. ( based on my recollection, DUO’s version was more complex and featured multiple dimensions of flavour and texture components ). Sprinkling of bitter dark cocoa-powder on top of the other ‘Hazelnut’, cream and praline cake was a nice touch though, adding another dimension to offset the overwhelming sweetness.
IMHO, for value, quality, presentation, taste and service, DUO is still the undisputed go-to French pastry place north of the 401 and in the Richmond Hill/Markham neighbourhood.
Now I truly understand why, on a busy Saturday morning, there is always a long line queuing outside of DUO’s shop whilst today, I was the only customer in Ruelo’s premises during my lunch-time visit!!..and why I haven’t been back for years!!
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