Regular visitors of this space would already be aware of the fact that I enjoy short adventures, in particular venturing into unexplored culinary territory, regardless whether the result is disastrous or rewarding. That being said, I decided to embark on a journey in search of Portuguese egg tarts.
The storefront was easily recognizable even at a distance, unlike cafes in Toronto, and consisted of a series of glass windows to allow for a decent amount of natural light to penetrate the interior. Half of the bakery was allocated for plastic tables and chairs, while the remainder was comprised of a cashier and storage area, hot water dispensers, and two large display cases - one for baked, bread-like goods, and the other for elaborately-decorated pastries.
We took to ordering two of their self-proclaimed (and evidently Yelp user-acknowledged) "Famous Custard Tart", which were priced at $1.30 individually.
Large chunks of bread topped with chewy, fragrant coconut shreds lay by the cashier, While definitely deserving of a purchase, we opted to save it for another visit, and a layered, custard-filled Napoleon-like creation was added to the order instead.
Frankly speaking though, the Napoleon/puff pastry was much too sweet for my liking, and the fact that they had topped an already rich item with powdered sugar made the piece even less appealing. But in its defense, the size was well warranted by the amount that they had charged; it retained an almost identical length and thickness to both my hands put together!
Also somewhat unexpected was that there were washrooms located at the back of the bakery. Instead of being a fast-paced eatery whose primary concern was to turn over tables, Caldense provided a more relaxing atmosphere than other Chinese bakeries (even if the furnishings aren't the greatest.)
To be honest, I'm not sure where the name "Caldense" hails from. However, my sole method of relating its name to product line(s) would be that the bakery seemingly only retails calorie-dense (and probably carb-dense too) products to customers. They truly are tasty though, so I suppose it can be seen as the rare splurge for the uber health-conscious. Personally, I can envision myself driving up to obtain several for when cravings hit.
Families had gathered around the upper level upon catching glimpse of the crowd of tweens gathering near the stage, eventually learning that the Coquitlam-native would be singing his own hit songs and some other popular radio hits. (I actually ended up Googling his name on the spot to learn more about the performer.)