The popular Taiwanese bakery chain, Bake Code, is now open Toronto. The location at Yonge and Sheppard in North York is the first in Canada, and the second in North America, following the recently opened location in Los Angeles. We attended the media preview just before the grand opening on September 17th, and discovered a bakery unlike any other in the city.
At Bake Code, French baking techniques meet Asian ingredients, together creating fresh and truly unique products. Take for example the Gangnam Star rolls – on the outside they look like ordinary dinner rolls, but on the inside you’ll find kimchi cream cheese. A favourite of mine is the Mentaiko Baguette – a traditional French baguette with a topping consisting of fish roe and wasabi; this is a must taste.
Taro knots and Gangnam Star rolls
With so many interesting combinations, you’ll want to try many to find your favourite. Luckily, there are samples available, which I think everyone can appreciate. How many times have you gone into a bakery buying items that turned out to be not what you expected? Now there’s no second guessing. Once you do find a favourite, you’ll want to checkout the timetable, another great idea, near the entrance to see when specific baked goods will be available. Note, this timetable will eventually be available online. In the morning you’ll find more items geared for breakfast, changing into more snack-style items as the day progresses.
So many samples to try!
For those of us who have a sweet tooth, there are desserts as well. Some of the desserts we sampled were the Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcake, a Japanese style cheesecake, a mille crepes cake, a selection of tarts. They were all well made and delicious. Along with your desserts you can enjoy some coffee and tea, including those from Chatime Express. You can sit inside, or find a spot on their patio while the weather is still warm.
Cream puff
Bake Code aims to reinvent the bakery scene here in Toronto with some original flavours drawing upon European and Asian traditions, ingredients, and techniques. It’s definitely worth the visit. Bake Code is located at 4910 Yonge St., two blocks north of Sheppard. For more information:
http://www.bakecode.com
Twitter: @bakecode
Instagram: @bakecode
Facebook: bakecode
Photos by John Tan
