toronto

Lamoon Thai Cafe

Lamoon is also famously known as Nam Wan, and you could get their famous drinks in a bag at various food festivals. They were always the stall with the crazy line ups but so worth the wait. Not only are their drinks refreshing with fun and unique flavours, the drink bags are just too cute!

Needless to say, when they opened an actual storefront, I became a regular. The owners are lovely and so kind. It’s been a positive experience each time. The cafe itself is adorable and aesthetically pleasing (perfect for getting those IG lifestyle shots). There are lots of cozy spots to enjoy the food/beverage and hang out, including a super nice patio in the back to enjoy the sunshine.

They offer an amazing menu with lots of authentic items you’d find in Thailand (beverages, pastries and savoury dishes) and added their own unique twists. Since I’m all about my desserts, I will focus on the pastries and beverages that blew my mind.

Vanilla butter cake with strawberry jam

These bunnies first caught my eyes because of how cute they are. But once I’ve had a taste, I was hooked. The cake is soft and buttery, and the burst of fruity strawberry filling in the centre goes perfectly with the vanilla flavour.

There are also little pandan bunnies. For the pandan fans out there, it’s a must try!

Cookies, cookies, cookies!

All of their cookies are fresh and baked in-house (so talented!). If you’re like me and love a good soft and doughy cookie, these are the cookies for you. They are so soft and have almost a cakey texture because of how bubbly they are. As usual, the flavours are amazing. Pictured below are the: pandan with toasted coconuts on top, Thai tea with macadamia nuts, purple yam with pistachios, and taro.

Yes, I did eat these cookies all by myself. I love the soft chewy texture of the cookies and the flavours are on point. If I must pick a favourite, I’d say that the taro and pandan are tied for first place. The Thai tea and purple yam are a very, very close second. I recommend trying them all!

Coconut Biscuits with pineapple jam

I can not get enough of these cookies. I won’t get into how many bags I’ve already gone through (too many to count).

These authentic cookies are made in Thailand and imported here based on availability. Since this may not always be available, I stock up whenever I see them. They are the perfect finger food for snacking. It’s so easy to finish a bag in one sitting (or maybe it’s just my porky appetite).

The coconut biscuits are crunchy and buttery. The generous pineapple filling inside is chewy with that sweet/tartness from the pineapple. I love that they use fresh pineapple and you can actually taste the tiny strands from the pineapple chunks. The texture of the cookie and filling combined is pure perfection *chef’s kiss*

One of the reasons I am so obsessed with this particular cookie is because the filling reminds me of the Taiwanese pineapple cakes I used to eat as a child. There’s a nostalgic feeling whenever I eat them.

Sidebar: Lamoon also supports local businesses in Thailand by using their handmade rope handles for the to-go drinks, as well as introducing products such as tote bags and scarves that use pa kao ma (Thai fabric). I always love seeings locals supporting locals and this also extend our to other small businesses in all the countries that have been impacted.

Cheers!

You may have noticed the beautiful drinks in each of the photos. After all, these popular drinks are what launched this incredible cafe. Their origin story, so to speak. Below are the drinks that are shown in the pictures above:

  • Lychee butterfly - lychee, soda, butterfly pea flower (this is the colorful purple drink)

  • Iced matcha latte

  • Pandan latte (my favourite) - this is sweetened with condensed milk but you can request to adjust the sweetness level. I personally like it less sweet so it’s more refreshing.

*Substitutions are available for the milky beverages such as oat, soy, and almond.

Lamoon Location 📍

713 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1Y5

Roselle

Definitely one of my favourite bakeries in Toronto since it opened in 2015. Whenever I have friends visiting from out of town, this is always one of the spots I take them to as a must try.

Roselle offers a variety of cakes, eclairs, cookies, chocolates, pavlova and so much more! They work with fresh and quality ingredients, this includes working with fruits from our Ontario farms. They often have rotational treats depending on the seasonal fruits. Strawberry season is my favourite!

It was love at first bite with their earl grey “shorties”. The smooth and silky ganache with pieces of candied orange is sandwiched between earl grey shortbread cookies. Who knew the secret to making shortbread cookies even better is to turn it into a shortbread sandwich!

I never leave Roselle without at least a few madeleines. These buttery cakes are the perfect little treats. There are a few flavours to pick from:

  • Lemon glazed

  • Earl grey peach glazed

  • Strawberry lemonade (seasonal)

The earl grey soft serve is definitely a must try for all earl grey lovers out there. This creamy and fragrant soft serve is so light and refreshing.

The “next level” soft serve includes: white chocolate crispy pearls, injected with house made lemon cream and a mini earl grey shortie.

Location: 362 King St. E, Toronto, ON, M5A 1K9

Hattendo

I have always been a fan of Japanese desserts. Needless to say, I’m always on the lookout for authentic Japanese bakeries that really transport me back to the days of me eating my way through Japan. Hattendo did just that.

They recently opened up a new location in Markham so there’s now another location to satisfy my cravings! Especially with the savory sandwiches available now, this really is a one-stop shop for a quick lunch or a light dinner.

Locations (some locations are temporarily closed so make sure to check with the store before heading over):

  • 13 Baldwin Street, Toronto

  • 50 Bloor Street West, Unit 9, Toronto

  • 100 City Centre Drive, Mississauga (Square One)

  • 3401 Dufferin Street, Toronto (Yorkdale Mall)

  • 7357 Woodbine Avenue, Markham (NEW location!)

Hattendo’s menu does not disappoint. There’s lots to pick from, depending on your cravings! From cream buns to melon buns, savory sandos to fruit sandos and of course, the perfect little jars of pudding. Definitely something for everyone!

The menu includes some of my favourite things and captures everything I love about Japanese desserts. Light, not too sweet and the perfect portions. I had a chance to try pretty much every item on the menu and these are the 3 items that stood out for me.


Puddings

Hattendo may be known for their cream buns, but these puddings stole the show! I cannot get enough of these little pudding jars.

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The pudding is so creamy and smooth. There are a few pudding flavours to choose from. I definitely recommend trying them all, but the classic caramel pudding is my favourite. It’s made with natural ingredients, no preservative or artificial flavours. Because the pudding itself is not too sweet, that extra caramel sauce balance it out perfectly.

Pudding flavours:

  • Caramel pudding

  • Almond tofu

  • Matcha annin tofu (a combination of almond tofu and matcha. They’re a real matcha made in heaven!)

Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate these super cute and sustainable packaging? These reusable jars are such a fun little bonus!

Cream Buns

These light and airy buns hold a generous amount of cream in the middle. There’s nothing more disappointing than biting into a filled bun, only to find a little dollop of filling. Hattendo has the perfect cream to bun ratio for their cream buns. You can taste the cream in each bite. These little buns are bursting with flavour!

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These individually packaged buns are perfect to take on the go and for sharing.

Classic cream bun flavours:

  • Custard

  • Whipping cream

  • Matcha

  • Chocolate

  • Red bean

In addition to the classic flavours, there are always interesting seasonal flavours too. I personally love citrus flavoured things so the seasonal Yuzu cream bun is my favourite. It’s not tart but the citrus is so refreshing. There are real chunks of yuzu in the buns too!


Sando

Now, let’s talk sandwiches (aka Sando). Hattendo offers a unique selection of sandwiches.

Sando flavours:

  • Tamago burger

  • Egg salad sando

  • Fruit sando (strawberry, grape or mango)

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To me, an egg salad sandwich is classic because this was something that my parents used to make for me when I was little. There was something nostalgic about eating this sando. Making the perfect egg salad sandwich is practically an art. This made the top 3 list because the egg is soft boiled so the yolk is not too dry. The mayo to egg ratio is just right so I’m not just eating mushy goo. Lastly, the sando was made with sweet milk bread. I absolutely love milk bread and can just eat plain slices of milk bread on its own. This Japanese milk bread has a slight sweetness to it and it’s so soft and airy. All of these things together equals a perfect egg salad sando!