Out & About #369 | Sasaki Fine Pastry + BlackGold Cafe

​For those that have ever attempted to make mochi at home, you'll sympathize with the pain of scrubbing every speck of the agglutinative white putty from the insides of your microwave bowl once the painstaking shaping process is done. Mochi ice cream was another arduous task that proved too tense for my slow-moving hands to handle. Such confections are best left to the professionals.

Daifuku is a traditional Japanese sweet that's rare to come across in fresh form. (Frozen variations are convenient, though nowhere near authentic should you inquire my opinion.) Sasaki Fine Pastry is one of the few places - besides Little Pebbles - that specializes in the dessert. Already en route to Pacific Mall, I saw no reason to bypass a stopover at J-Town to experience the excitement behind little mounds firsthand.

​An incredulous number of locals tend to enjoy shopping for groceries in the plaza's Japanese supermarket, which perplexes me since the products tend to be priced higher than majority of other similar establishments. Likewise, Bakery Nakamura's six-dollar cake slices and two-dollars-plus character buns are just too extreme for the average consumer.
I weaved through the supermarket and adjoined eateries twice before resorting to Google Maps for the exact coordinates of the small pastry shop. Quickly verifying its spot within J-town, I discovered Sasaki separated from the prepared food section by an unassuming off-white door, camouflaged by Tora Sushi's storefront. The doors across from Izakaya Ju would have led me directly into the compact shop, however a lack of general knowledge had me blindly wandering until finally arriving at my intended destination.

​Along with several flavours of daifuku, Sasaki also carried dorayaki, macarons, and a straightforward beverage menu consisting of coffee and Sloane teas. Most of the customers that waltzed in were locals, I noticed, and leisurely reviewed the menu without much aim.
In complete contrast, I merely wished to place my order and vamoose to the next stop. The assortment of mochi-covered confectioneries included Coffee Cream, Mango Cream, Sesame Cream, Chestnut Cream, Matcha Cream, Houjicha Cream, Original Cream, and Strawberry, with fruit varieties priced fifty cents more than the $2.50 cream series.

​The selection was limited to Cream, Coffee Cream, Mango Cream, and Strawberry during my time of visit, though the girl behind the cashier noted that more flavours would emerge after approximately fourteen minutes. Opting for the traditional strawberry-red bean combination, two Coffee Cream(s), and a Red Bean Matcha Cream Dorayaki set me back about twelve dollars - quite pricey for a small stall nestled within the depths of J-Town.

​Among the three chosen items, it was not the daifuku that impressed, but rather the dorayaki. While the strawberry of the traditional daifuku was fresh and the coffee cream was bold (and flavourful for the instant variety), both were too sweet for my liking and nearly impossible to halve with a standard knife. The uniformly-browned pancake-like exterior of the dorayaki was soft but resilient - as a dorayaki should be - but denser and again a tad sweeter that preferred. An appropriate amount of anko and matcha cream oozed from within; the ratio allowed for grassy, milky flavours to emerge without being overwhelmed by the coarseness of the red bean paste.

Generally speaking though, it's unlikely I'll take the effort of venturing out to the spot again for the sheer sake of obtaining an item of eighty percent satisfaction.

​The remainder of the afternoon involved a stopover at Pacific Mall, which was more chaotic than normal given the influx of long weekend shoppers, and an impromptu trip to Kennedy Commons that was later succeeded by a slow journey to Brimley and Sheppard.

​Feedthebear and I had been planning a Scarborough excursion for at least one month, and Insta-research had prompted us to add BlackGold to the list. The cafe's storefront faced the east side of Brimley, making it visible to northbound/southbound drivers frequenting the area. For a visitor of the area though, it took slow navigation and at least one incorrect turn to finally arrive.
Parking was shared amongst other businesses in the complex, as well as a large Chinese supermarket. Some signs positioned above the spots stated a two-hour time limit, though it is unsure whether this was, in fact, enforced at all on weekends and holidays.

View the full album HERE !

​The entrance was sleek, somewhat grand, and largely uncharacteristic of eateries in the vicinity. Prior to stepping foot into the plaza, I presumed it to be a large, independent space reminiscent of cafes in Downtown Oakville or Port Credit.
Ascending the stairs into the thoroughly air-conditioned shop, it was discovered that the cafe connected to the neighbouring hair salon and the corridor separating them. Instead of a standalone, BlackGold simply assumed a store spot like CoCo in Commerce Gate.

Decor was earthy and seating was aplenty; a black-yellow colour scheme resonated throughout the interior, providing a sense of comfort and cohesion. Diners could choose from outward-facing bar seats to cozy booths to small group tables to engage in solitary laptop work or casual conversation.

​We took hostage of two bar seats, along with one half of the adjacent booth to rest my charging phone, before considering the options available to us. It should be noted outlets were mainly situated near the booths and in close proximity to the ground. Wi-Fi connection was provided in the form of an open network equipped with browser verification.

​As the menu was vast, I took to requesting assistance of the two girls behind the cashier. Both were extremely amiable and had no reservations about sharing their knowledge with first-time visitors.

​< Pictured above and below: Medium Latte w/ Lavender Syrup, A Small Piece of Heaven, Raspberry White Hot Chocolate, and Spinach and Feta Bistro >

Throughout the menu introduction, a summer beverage by the name of Pegasus was brought to my attention. Its inclusion of elderberry and lavender syrups (and one another I can't seem to recall) was intriguing, however the craving for a toasty caffeinated beverage remained prominent. In an attempt to obtain the best of both worlds, I requested a 12 oz. latte with the addition of lavender syrup - an extra seventy-five cents in charge.
The floral addition wasn't too discernible in terms of taste, though it did lend a faint herbaceous aroma to the drink. Artistic microfoam details were also appreciated.

​Depicted ever so fittingly was A Small Piece of Heaven, whose compact size and delectability proved satisfying in curbing whatever carby desires I needed satiated. Nutty, maple-enhanced elements enveloped in a golden puff pastry was the perfect complement to my invigorating cup of espresso and steamed milk.

​Raspberry White Hot Chocolate was every bit as striking as social media had made it out to be. Feedthebear relayed her satisfaction in its subtle sweetness after gleefully capturing the fuschia-ness of the swirled raspberry syrup. No remarks were made in regard to the Spinach and Feta Bistro.

​A single stall bathroom resided towards the back of the cafe; it consisted of basic toiletries and commercial grade soap in an environment of questionable asepsis. The wastebin was observed to have reached capacity at our time of visit, and remained as such until their operating hours ceased at 6 PM.

​Few complaints can be made towards BlackGold, especially in terms of food quality and friendliness of the cashier. The barista appeared standoffish at times, but was not explicit in expressing discontent should that have been the case. Besides the consistent stream of unexpectedly strong air conditioning and irregular intervals of loud music, the cafe earned a solid impression as a destination for casual chats and independent digital work.

Continue reading PART 2 of Swinging through Scarborough HERE !

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