Japanese-style desserts are the hottest thing since cronuts, with locals and visitors alike lining up for steamed cheesecakes, matcha soft serve… and so much more! Want to indulge your sweet tooth in Toronto-meets-Tokyo style? Here are 5 spots we’re sweet on.
Mille Patisserie specializes in Japanese-meets-French pastries
The sister shop to Millie Creperie in nearby Kensington Market, Millie Patisserie & Creamery (12 Oxley Street, Unit 101) focuses on French-inspired Japanese desserts. Translation? Exquisite yuzu cheesecake tarts, matcha-azuki cheesecake and Millie Crepes cake.
For Japanese roll cake, stroll over to Old Town’s Neo Coffee Bar (161 Frederick Street, Unit 100), which specializes in this spongy dessert. Matcha & Aduki is offered year-round, while local fruit makes seasonal appearances, such as in Ichigo Daifuku (which balances the flavours of strawberries, red beans and gyuhi rice cake).
Le Café Michi
In an unassuming Scarborough strip mall, in the city’s east end, foodies eat every last crumb at Le Café Michi (1802 Pharmacy Avenue), where the cakes—including the light-as-air green tea mousse cake, rave-worthy tofu cheesecake and sumptuous chocolate sake cake—have just the right hint of sweetness.
Established 24 years ago in Markham’s J-Town complex, Bakery Nakamura (3160 Steeles Avenue East, Unit 9) bakes everything on the premises, turning out delicate choux aux crème, creamy black sesame tofu cheesecake and azuki doughnuts.
In the heart of downtown Toronto, Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Cheesecake (598 Bay Street) serves up melt-in-your-mouth fluffy cheesecake (its matcha counterpart, which incorporates green tea powder and red beans, is available next door at Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Matcha Café). It’s what gets gourmands salivating.
