Out & About #496 | Taiyaki NYC...Toronto

For reasons why the trendy dessert parlour chose not to name their Canadian outpost by the name of "Taiyaki Toronto" remains absurd to me. I suppose the business idea had been limited to New York City at the time of conjuring, however it is still a firm belief that a unique name should have been adopted for the first out-of-U.S. expansion.

​The first day of their Grand Opening proved hectic though otherwise manageable.
Wait times averaged fifteen minutes: five minutes to reach the cashier and ten to receive our custom Soft Serve Signature Taiyaki. Our entire visit spanned twenty five minutes.

​Customers had the option of plucking a Signature creation from the list, or embarking on the Build-Your-Own route. With the exception of Black Sesame and Houjicha soft serve, all menu items were available.

My preference lay with Matcha Soft Serve, while my dining partner-in-crime's was a dairy-free Mango Sorbet. Mine was topped with Strawberry Syrup, Condensed Milk, Oreo Crumbs, and "Unicorn Sprinkles", while hers with Strawberry Syrup, a handful of Rainbow Sprinkles, and a chocolate wafer stick.
The two fish-shaped specimens came to a grand total of sixteen dollars. At this point, it would be worthy to mention Taiyaki's exclusivity towards cashless payment. I greatly appreciated the seamless inclusion of Square as a primary payment method.​

​The cones themselves were quite tasty, despite being tricky to consume. Soft serve portions were abundant, which was both a blessing and downfall. Too shallow were the cones to prevent spillage, and too warm were they to prevent rapid dissolution of the contained swirls. The taiyaki cones proved crisp initially, but gradually dampened with time. I found myself gobbling down the dessert within minutes as to ensure minimum waste production.

Ultimately, we declared the fish delicious but unworthy of the eight-dollar price tag. Our hands were also left in a sticky, unpleasant state, a situation that prompted us to take to the single stall bathroom to amend. The washroom was spacious, but abnormally dusty and grimy for the first day of operations.

Pre-inflated Unicorn Floaties were distributed as part of the grand opening promotions. Useful they were not; however, bragging rights were earned as curious onlookers peered at the all-too-adorable contraption tucked underneath my arm (and sedate all-black ensemble).

​Following their Grand Opening weekend, I returned for a taste of their Traditional Taiyaki. Filling options were restricted to custard or red bean -  a sharp contrast to the tremendous degree of customization found in their Soft Serve Taiyaki. Kevin's Taiyaki carries a total of five varieties, while even Sukoi supports three.

​In a previous attempt to purchase four pieces to go, I was informed that the shop did not offer boxes for takeaway orders. Convinced that thin paper bags would fail to protect the crispy treats on the long journey home, I opted to revisit on another occasion with a container in hand.
It should be noted that such efforts would not have been exerted had I not been in the area already.

Unlike most establishments, there were no combo pack deals present. Each piece retailed at $2.65 - or three dollars after tax. A quartet of two Custard and two Red Bean taiyaki were puchased to go.

​Sampled first was the Red Bean variation, which boasted a deep bronze hue and light crisp. The interior had been filled generously with a textured blend of sweet red bean paste and partially softened chunks. Its profile wasn't overly sugary, but the batter was denser than the conventional taiyaki: spongey and cakey, with very fine air pockets.

​The Custard Taiyaki was an enormous letdown. Despite being constructed from the same batter as the Red Bean version, its finish was soggy and extremely dry. Moreover, the batter had not been poured into the mold uniformly and a prominent aritifical airiness revealed a heavy inclusion of baking powder. Lastly, the custard filling was scarce and, frankly, lacking in both depth and creaminess.

Re-toasting the taiyaki did not yield better results either. The custard remained disappointing, and the exterior persisted in dampness.
Tasting the fresh rendition proved no different.

​A peculiar inclusion for the menu was a series of matcha-based beverages. Regardless of the complexity of the drink, each would ring in at $6 after tax - a peculiar aspect of their pricing system if you ask me.

I took to a Matcha Latte for the afternoon, and was asked whether I preferred soy, almond, or whole milk. The third option was the recommended choice, and thus I followed suit. One could also opt to have the latte sweetened or unsweetened - or lightly sweetened upon request.

Given that there was not a lineup in sight at this time, I anticipated speedy delivery of my order. It appeared that the whisked matcha lineup was less popular than the lilac Taro Slush, for a solid five minutes passed before my name was called out.

​A floral but faint grassiness was present, but far more subdued than what I was accustomed to. Comprising of an approximate 1:1 matcha-to-milk ratio, the resulting product was passable given that the establishment did not specialize in such a feature.
For those that are less keen on strong, bitter flavours, Taiyaki may be your exact cup of tea. Matcha fiends can continue to source their green utopia at Tsujiri across the intersection.

​Given that I hadn't stopped by Taiyaki NYC's original location in the States, I cannot provide a comparison against their north-of-the-border expansion. As a local explorer, the coordinates of the shop are great for attracting students and workers in the area. Prices are undeniably steep, but worthy of at least two visits: once with a group of friends to sample different Signature Taiyaki creations and a solo trip to try a matcha-and-red-bean-taiyaki pairing.