Marry Me Mochi (Kensington Market)

I'm sure, at the very least, you have seen a mochi donut before.  I'm hoping that you have tried one too!  I personally love the chewy texture of the "balls" that are neatly arranged into a donut.  My first experience with them was at Dochi in Seattle and I will forever compare anything else with it (since they are also really good!).  So while walking around Kensington Market and after some Jamaican patties, we stumbled upon Marry Me Mochi.  They have 13 locations in the area and in fact, I visited the Eaton Centre spot when I returned a few months later.

Now on my first visit, we dipped our toes into the pool lightly and only got one donut in the form of the Crème Brûlove.  Yes, this was a crème brûlée, but they just liked to do a play on words.  First off, this was much less sweeter than it appeared.  Now it was still sweet mind you, but I could definitely eat it without reaching for my water bottle.  There was caramelization that provided a different layer of sweetness.  As for the texture, it was soft with a classic mochi chew.

We were happy with the mochi donut we tried, so a few days later, we made our way back and got 3 more to try.  These included Berry Obsessed, You Had Me at Chocolate and Matcha Made in Heaven.  The berry was a featured donut with raspberry glaze and dark chocolate.  Really enjoyed this as it as fruity and just sweet enough contrasted by the bitter chocolate.  The chocolate donut had a Pocky stick and was pretty typical with a silky milk chocolate glaze.  Balanced and not bitter, the matcha was purposefully sweet and aromatic.

Our next visit yielded the Dubai Chocolate, The Nut to My Heart and Strawberry Marry Me.  Also a featured donut, the Dubai had chocolate mixed with some pistachio glaze.  On top, we found the crunchy kadayif.  Completely covered in sweet and nutty pistachio glaze, the Nut to My Heart also featured chopped pistachios on top.  Definitely a nutty donut...  Last one was basically strawberry Pocky glazed donut with Pocky pieces on top.  Again, not as sweet as it looked and did have Pocky vibes.  Overall, we thought the mochi donuts at Marry Me Mochi were solid with a wide variety of flavours.  Pretty close call between them and Dochi!

The Good:
- Soft and chewy texture
- Sweet, but only sweet enough
- Lots of locations

The Bad:
- If you arrive later in the day, some of the more popular donuts will be sold out (much like any other place)

Goldie's Donuts & Bakery

It is surprising that for a food city like Vancouver, we do not have a wealth of donut shops.  Is it because we are super health conscious?  Or is it that we don't like donuts?  It surely cannot be the latter right?  I mean, we can name off the usual suspects such as Lee's, Mello and Lucky's.  Sure, there are more, but I won't list them all. Actually, we are going to lose Cartems...  Anyways, It just doesn't seem like there are enough in relation to other cities.  So it was with a lot of enthusiasm that we drove out to Horseshoe Bay to check out Goldie's Donuts & Bakery.

So for those who don't know, Goldie's is named after the owner's golden retriever.  There is even a large stuffed Goldie in the shop!  As for their wares, it is for all to see when you walk in.  They boast a variety of brioche donuts with many different fillings.  We started with a trio featuring Matcha Cream, Frosted Flakes Cereal Milk Cream and Strawberry Milkshake.  The donut itself was definitely fluffy and had a moist texture without being wet.  Pretty solid brioche if you ask me.  The fresh cream fillings were light and only semi-sweet.  I would've liked powdered sugar over granulated sugar personally but what do I know as other places have the same sugar on these donuts.

They also have a selection of baked good including the Infamous Korean Salt Bread, Strawberries & Cream Cronut, Blueberry Scone and Ham & Cheese Croissant.  The salt bread was like a soft dinner roll but with a noticeable saltiness.  We found the croissant pretty decent where it shattered and was buttery.  As for the scone, it was quite good with plenty of blueberries and blueberry jam on top.  Texturally, it was firm on the outside and fairly fluffy on the inside.  Cronut was crispy with fresh cream in the middle.  It was light and airy.

We got a few more filled donuts in the form of Mocha Tiramisu and Chocolate Cream.  These were the same cream-filled brioche donuts which were excellent.  I liked these even more so because they were coated with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.  Texturally, that appealed to me more than granulated sugar.  Both were good being just sweet enough.  There was also some special donuts in the form of Dubai Chocolate Donuts in Peanut Butter, Pistachio and Triple Chocolate.  I tried all of them and my favourite was the pistachio due to the nuttiness (also it is the original).  Loved the crunch within all of them from the knafeh and of course the rich layer of chocolate on the outside of the brioche donut.

Goldie's also has an array of specialty coffees that are just as appealing as the donuts.  We had a selection including Oreo Cream Mocha, Matcha Cream, Cream Latte, Almond Cream Mocha and Nutty Cloud.  All of them were purposefully sweet, aromatic and creamy.  However, my favourite was the Almond Cream as it was nutty, chocolatey and went down easy.  Oreo Cream Mocha was solid too since it wasn't as sweet as it sounded.  Definite Oreo vibes with the dark chocolate cookie taste without the sickingly sweet creme.  Overall, the things we tried at Goldie's was top-notch and made with care.  Baked goods and donuts are high-quality and so are the drinks.  Best of all, the location is prime with a beautiful view and quaint vibes.  If you are ever in Horseshoe Bay, give them a try!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Quality products that are carefully made

- Things are sweet, but not crazy sweet

- What nice location

The Bad:

- Parking might be a challenge on busy days

Cream Pony

Restaurants located in interesting locations and/or hidden spots can often draw interest on just that alone.  Think of it, a spot off an alleyway is just the type of place that make people feel like they found a hidden gem.  So the lane storefront of the newly opened Cream Pony fits that description completely.  Yes, they face the lane behind 1st Street just off of Lonsdale in North Vancouver.  I dropped by recently in their first few weeks of operation for their brioche donuts, fried chicken and yes...  fried chicken sandwiches!

So they open at 10:00am and you'd better come early because the donuts go quick.  They do not start their fried chicken service until 12:00pm.  So I did go early to get the donuts that included OG Glazed ($3.25), Salted Caramel ($3.50), D'oh Nut ($3.50 & Simpson's reference...), Blueberry Bourbon Basil ($3.75), Lemon Poppyseed ($3.50) and Key Lime Cheesecake ($4.50).  There was one more that is in the next picture...

...being the Honey & Sea Salt Cruller ($3.75).  I thought the brioche donut (OG, Blueberry, Key Lime and D'oh Nut) was light, airy and low on sweetness that let the impactful glaze do all the heavy-lifting.  I would've liked the brioche to be a little less dry, but I'm sure things will change as time goes on (like how Mello did after their initial opening).  The cake donuts were moist and with some crispiness on the outside.  Loved the lemon poppyseed with a nice tang and sweetness.  Cruller was also good with crunch and then a soft eggy interior.  Just sweet enough.  My favourite was the blueberry bourbon basil.  Tasted exactly like I thought it would be and it was balanced.  Overall, I enjoyed the donuts.

So I returned at noon and went for their Buttermilk Fried Chicken with half OG and half Cajun.  I thought the batter was nicely seasoned and crunchy.  The skin was mostly rendered and as for the Cajun, it had a nice spice to it.  The dark meat was juicy but the white meat was a touch dry.  The OG was also seasoned enough, but I much preferred the Cajun due to the complexity of the flavours.  I also got the Hushpuppies and the Tater Tots as my sides.  Crunchy on the outside and somewhat moist on the inside, the savoury hushpuppies were further enhanced with the whipped honey butter.  Tater tots were crunchy and hey who doesn't like tater tots? 

So the REAL reason I was here is pretty obvious, if you follow my new IG account: @shermaneatschickensandwiches !  Yes I ordered both of their sammies including the OG Fried Chicken Sandwich. I added cheese as well as a side of hot honey.  This was pretty good with a soft bun, thick cut tangy & sweet bread & butter pickles and a crunchy batter.  The chicken breast was a touch dry, but not terribly.  With the addition of the honey, it really added the necessary punch of sweetness and spiciness.  

My favourite of the 2 had to be the Cajun Fried Chicken Sandwich that had all of the same components as the OG, but with the addition of spice and spiciness.  The chicken breast was about the same but a little less dry due to its thickness.  The batter was nicely seasoned with a background heat and the spicy mayo added another shot of spice.  Good flavour overall that was balanced off by the sweet and tangy pickles.  The bun was soft, but I would've personally liked one that was a bit less moist.  In the end, I though the donuts were quite good as was the fried chicken and sandwiches.  I look forward to the tweaks that will be made as time passes.  They just opened, I'll return to try them again in the future (now I know where to find them).

The Good:
- Good spice and spices in the Cajun fried chicken
- Impactful donut flavours that have balanced sweetness
- Yes, it has that hidden location appeal to it

The Bad:
- White meat could be a touch more moist
- Brioche donuts could be slightly softer too  

 

Mello

Surprisingly, the donut game in Vancouver is pretty underdeveloped.  Compared to Portland and even Seattle, we don't really have a good variety.  However, there is a new player in town that serves up brioche donuts that have some similarities to General Porpoise in Seattle (and also Blue Star in Portland).  I had visited Mello in the first few weeks of opening and came away somewhat disappointed.  However, I returned with Mijune a month later and their product definitely improved.  This post will be a combination of both visits.

Initially, I got a selection that included Lemon Curd, Vanilla, Chocolate, PB&J, Strawberries and Cream as well as a Cake Donut.  In terms of texture, the donuts were indeed soft and fluffy, but curiously dry.  Hence, it didn't fulfill the promise of a brioche donut.  I thought the lemon curd to be creamy and balanced in flavour.  Not too sweet and just tangy enough.  Nothing special about the vanilla and chocolate.  Texturally, it was like eating pudding and the flavours were pretty much on par for pudding.  Despite being the simple combination of peanut butter and jam, that was one of my favourite donuts as it was familiar-tasting and classic.  Surprisingly, the best donut of the bunch was the glazed cake donut.  Nice density balanced with a moist fluffiness.  Slightly crispy on the outside with just enough glaze.

With Mijune, we ended up with a similar selection except for the Tiramisu and Corn Flakes Cookie.  This time around, the brioche donut was not dry and it was even fluffier.  So much so, it started to deform on the bottom as it sat on the table.  No matter, we enjoyed it and I am glad they were able to tweak the recipe.  Tiramisu donut was pretty good but the cocoa powder blew everywhere after the first bite.  Was pretty funny as it ended up all over Mijune.  Although dry, the cookie was reminiscent of an almond cookie except with the extra crunch of corn flakes on top.  So I'm glad I got to try Mello again where it yielded better results.  Also, they are open during this Covid-19 pandemic, so you can still pick up a box.  I might just do that as well.

The Good:
- Fluffy and light
- Not too sweet
- Cake donut is good too

The Bad:
- Expensive
- Limited flavours randomly available

Dochi

There it was, splattered all over IG - the mochi donut.  Colorful, unique and claimed to be delicious by many.  Sigh...  "Another fad", I thought to myself.  But then again, I was curious.  Also, Deanna posted some really nice IG pics on Dochi in Seattle.  Fine, we added this to our itinerary while we were in Seattle for the a few days.  Fortunately, the lineup wasn't so bad and neither was the weather.  We ended up getting every flavor that was available that day.  Mind you, there are only 6 to choose from.  My cousin visited it recently (which was a good 3 months after I went and there was only one change in donut selection).

If you are curious how the texture of a mochi donut would be like, it isn't as dense as you might imagine.  Rather, it is very similar to a regular cake donut except with the classic chewiness of mochi.  In some ways, it is lighter than a classic cake donut.   I took a sample of the featured donut during Thanksgiving being the Pumpkin Spice and yes it had all the fall flavors with a pleasant cinnamon and nutmeg kick.  I liked how it wasn't too sweet either.  I tend to like fruity desserts, so it wasn't a surprise that I was drawn to  the Strawberry Shortcake.  I guess it had a somewhat "Pocky"' taste to it, but I didn't mind.  The crunchy bits on top added texture and pop of tang.  One of the sweeter creations was the Cookies & Cream with cookie butter.  For me, this was too much sugar but I'm sure it would satisfy someone with a sweeter tooth.  Once again, the cookie on top added more texture to the donut.

I also very much enjoyed the Ube Glazed as it was simple and again, was only sweet enough.  I wouldn't say the ube was really all that strong, but it was definitely there.  I guess I just like simple donuts.  Although the Taro Pebbles was also a relatively sweeter donut, I didn't mind it as the crunch from the cereal was nice and I do love taro (although it wasn't very strong either).  Another relatively simple donut was the Matcha Oreos.  This featured a glaze like the strawberry and taro, but with the matcha, it did add some bitterness.  However, much like the other donuts, it was muted in flavour.  I really didn't get much Oreo either but I could see it.  Okay, I'll admit it, I enjoyed Dochi.  I would come back.  I would also eat other mochi donuts.  Fine, it isn't a fad.

The Good:
- Appealing chewy texture
- Not as sweet as it looks
- Good line control and plenty of product available

The Bad:
- Flavors could be even stronger

Bun Appétit Donuts

While finishing up our filling Japanese lunch at Satomi, it was suggested we check out Bun Appétit Donuts nearby.  We weren't overly familiar with the place, but once inside, we were amazed at the large selection of designer donuts.  Getting over the initial sticker shock ($3.50 - $5.00 per donut), we went about ordering a selection to go.  On that note, before anyone judges the pricing, one must have to actually eat the donuts first.  That we did where we discovered the quality and care that goes into every donut.

My daughter couldn't control herself and went straight for the Double Chocolate Donut.  After I was able to sample it too, it was obvious why.  Normally, cake donuts are dense and heavy, but not this one.  Similar to chiffon, the donut was light and airy.  Rather than being straight-up sweet, it was full of dark chocolate flavour.  On the bottom left, the Everything Donut was savory with cream cheese filling and tasted like the bagel, but in a donut!  The 3 filled donuts were Ube, Hazelnut Cream and Strawberry Cream.  Of the 3, I enjoyed the strawberry the most because of the fruitiness.  On the other hand, the hazelnut was aromatic, nutty and only purposefully sweet.  I didn't mind that one either.

The one donut that stuck out in my mind was the Peach as it was deceptively filled with jelly in the middle despite being ring-shaped.  As such, the entire thing was truly peach-flavored in every bite.  Combined with a delicate texture, this did not eat heavy.  Being a donut, it was naturally sweet, but not so much that it was overwhelming. Similarly, the Lemon Lavender was also filled in the middle.  As such, it was also a bigger donut in terms of diameter and thickness.  Again, it didn't eat heavy and despite being sweeter than the peach, it really wasn't overdoing it.  I usually do not like lavender in any of my desserts, but this was subtle enough to be appealing.  Just above the lemon lavender, there was the Guava Cheesecake.  Unmistakably guava tasting, the donut featured cream cheese in the middle and it really did have elements of cheesecake (especially with the graham crackers on top).  Nothing much to say about the Churro donut other than it had the classic cinnamon sugar as well as a dulce de leche drizzle.  The Rocky Road ate someone like a s'mores due to the toasted marshmallows on top.  Lastly, the Tiramisu was appealing with a creamy marscapone filling as well as a dusting of cocoa powder on top.

We tried 3 more filled donuts in the Kalamansi, Mango and Chocolate Cream.  Predictably, the kalamansi was the most flavorful of the 3 with an explosion of tang and sweetness.  Loved the silkiness of the custard cream.  Rich and purposefully sweet, the chocolate was solid.  I thought the mango was just as good as the kalamansi with impactful natural flavors.  If you remember the pricing of these donuts, the total cost of 15 donuts was around $70.00.  Was it worth it?  Like everything else, it comes down to subjectivity.  I loved the donuts and the cost was not really an issue.  However, for some the price maybe too steep.

The Good:
- Carefully crafted
- Unique
- Huge variety

The Bad:
- Expensive

T. Komoda Store and Bakery

With the kids nixing the plan for heading up to Haleakala, we never made it out to T. Komodo Bakery and Store. It was supposed to be a stop along the way, so we could pick up some items for breaky. Viv and I had been up to the crater before, so it wasn’t a priority that we endure 3 hour round-trip. However, the thought of missing out on guava malasadas kept me up all night aboard the Pride of America. So much so, I just went ahead by myself early in the morning to pick up some items.

I did end up with 3 of the aforementioned Guava Malasadas and oh yeah, they lived up to the hype. Small and compact, these two bite gems (one bite for some) were soft, and only purposefully sweet. With an aromatic guava filling that was easy on the sugar, the whole thing was balanced. I really liked these and wished I had bought more! I also enjoyed their Cream Puffs filled with custard (and the second one was chocolate). The choux pastry was light, moist while still airy and slightly crispy. Inside, the custard was not very sweet which made it pleasant to eat.

For my son, I got him the Donut Stick with 4 mini-donuts squashed onto a skewer. These were remarkably light and airy while only sweet from the even amount of glaze. What set this apart was the portion between each donut, as it was not glazed and pillowy soft. With the same yeast dough, the Strawberry Jelly Donut was equally good. Again, the filling wasn't too sweet, so that the glaze could do its thing.  So as you can appreciate, the stuff at T. Komoda wasn't exactly complex.  However, everything that I got was on point and enjoyable.  It was worth the 20-minute drive both ways to get it.

The Good:
- Stuff was delicate, not heavy
- Not overly sweet
- Guava malasada, enough said

The Bad:
- Go early, things can run out
- Selection is surprisingly limited, but okay given the quality

Leonard's Bakery

12 years ago, Viv and I hiked Diamondhead in about 20 minutes all the way from the park entrance (we were too cheap to pay for the $5.00 parking).  Fast forward to the present and I was up for the challenge, but Viv, having not played hockey for the last 5 years due to concussions, didn't find it as easy this time around.  In fact, while we were going down from the top, my son was kicking my arse.  Yes, it might've been something to do with age, but I would like to blame the 2 Malasadas I consumed just prior.

Yes, you guessed it, we paid Leonard's Bakery a visit before we made it out to Diamondhead.  Once again, we were doing the touristy thing, yet remember, we had 2 hungry kiddies with us.  Also, they would never pass up a donut from any culture.  We got a 1/2 dozen Malasadas in Original, Cinnamon Sugar and Li Hing (sweet & salty dried plum dust).  Oh boy, these were made to order and one bite into the fluffy light center made me a convert.  Yes, it was only a fried ball of dough, but the texture was so enticing and easy to eat.  I gobbled up 2 just like that.  My favorite flavor was the li hing with a good mix of sweet, tart and salty.

We also got a 1/2 dozen of the Puffs filled with Chocolate, Coconut, Custard and Macademia Nut.  Exhibiting the same eggy light texture, these were graced with an extra amount of sweetness.  In fact, the chocolate filling was very sugary, yet fortunately, the actual malasada was not sweet to begin with.  I liked the coconut filling the most as it wasn't super sweet while being aromatic.  Despite being advertised as macadamia nut, I didn't find much difference between that and the standard custard.  Not necessarily a negative, just an observation.

Lastly, we got a couple of the Ham & Cheese Wrap to give the kids something that resembled breakfast rather than a bunch of Malasadas.   With a generous slice of rolled-up sweet honey ham in the middle, the thing ate well with plenty of filling while wrapped in a soft pastry.  But really, we didn't come here for that.  It was all about the malasadas and they really go that part down to a science.  It was well-worth the wait for the made-to-order treat.

The Good:
- Made-to-order ensures freshness
- Soft and not too sweet

The Bad:
- A little greasy
- Parking is an issue

Krause Berry Farm

Labour Day marks the end of Summer (even though it isn't technically over) and the start of school.  It also means that there are no more holidays for the kiddies until Christmas, the beginning of rainy days (for the next 6 months) and saying goodbye to delicious berries (unless you pay for the imported stuff).  To celebrate, or more appropriately mourn the loss, we headed over to Krause Berry Farm for some lunch and berry pie.

Of all the savoury items available, my daughter wasn't interested in any of them.  Rather, she only had her eye on the Waffle with strawberries and whipped cream.  Freshly made, the waffle was lightly crispy while fluffy throughout.  It was topped with a considerable amount of freshly-sliced strawberries and only a light drizzle of syrup which kept the sweetness to a minimum.  For myself, it was all about the Corn on the Cob because it always reminds me of how I "stalked" Viv (get it?) at the PNE, always buying corn on the cob from her in hopes of asking her out.  This one was pretty good with niblets that burst with sweetness.

I regretted getting the Corn Chowder though as it was thin and overly sweet.  There should've been much more salt to balance it out.  As mentioned, the consistency of the broth was not quite right for a chowder.  I would've much preferred that they thickened it more.  Moving away from the sweet things, we had their Grilled Panini with tomato, pesto and cheese.  This featured crunchy bread with a thick slice of fresh tomato and effectively aromatic pesto.  By virtue of being a vegetarian sammie, I think there needed to be more salt to elevate the impact.  The panini was quite bland and wet (from the tomato) as a result.

My son went for the Moo Melt which was essentially a grilled cheese on multigrain bread.  Since it was prepared on a panini press, the sandwich was not greasy and relatively dry.  On the other hand, the moisture was provided by the cheddar as there was a good amount of it.  Something that was both savoury and sweet was the Corn Pizza.  Overloaded with niblets, cheese and a piece of artichoke heart, the slice of pizza was more like a slice of pie.  The whole thing was rather substantial and yup pretty sweet from all the corn.  The crust was more bread-like than crispy though.

We also tried their Fresh-Cut Farm Fries which took a bit of time to fry up.  Sadly, these were not crispy at all.  Instead, they were limp, wet and rather dense.  They appeared to be made with russet potatoes and fried only once.  Whatever the case, they were fresh and we accepted their limpness.  We ended up finishing them. But what we were really here for was the Berry Custard Pie that featured enough strawberries and raspberries for 3 normal-sized pies.  Sitting atop a firmly crispy crust, the thick and sweet custard gave way to fresh tart berries.  As much as there was a seemingly excess amount of glaze on top, it was not sweet at all.  Personally, I don't like overly sweet desserts and this hit the spot.  Possibly it might be a bit too mild-tasting for some.  Overall, I would say the highlights rested on anything with berries in it.  Not surprising for a berry farm.

The Good:
- Great place for families
- Lots of products to choose from
- Fresh berries (duh)

The Bad:
- Non-berry items were mediocre