Striding with confidence, I arrived at Nathan Phillips Square to find barriers erected along the perimeter of the skating rink. Preparations were underway for the NHL All-Stars weekend.
Continuing westbound along the south side of College, I eventually arrived at the doors of Hitotoki Bakery. Across the street was Sanuki Udon, the supposed new occupant of Cuppa Tea (and formerly Jule).
The French-Japanese pastry shop featured a limited selection of products:
- Nama Shokupan (Original)
- Sweet Potato Shokupan
- Custard Egg Tart
- Assorted Tarts, including Crème Brûlée with pudding, fruit-topped varieties, and their supposed signature of Mont Blanc
The LED menu above the counter informed of drinks on offer, which included tea lattes, sodas, espresso-based beverages, and specialties like Mont Blanc Latte and Matcha Espresso. As anticipated, most had been priced upwards of five dollars before tax.
I received a trio of Mini Palmiers for following the bakery's Instagram account, posting a photo of the store and tagging the account. Larger Palmers were also retailed in the shop. Meanwhile, samples of Nama Shokupan were positioned adjacent.
At seeing the wispy layered tart shells, I couldn't resist but pluck a few of their most popular items to try. The Egg Tart, Crème Brûlée Almond Tart, and Mont Blanc Tart set me back just short of twenty dollars after tax. Complementing the purchase were a visually pleasing, wide-bottomed paper bag and partitioned box, both bearing Hitotoki's logo.
The former did not survive the commute, with the edge of the pudding toppling over before reaching home. That said, the pudding was absolutely divine: it feautred a delectable caramel surface and jiggly, silky interior. The lighter consistency contrasted splendidly with the beautiful ripples of the flaky tart shell.
Its specified location of the Oak Room was confusing. Upon arrival at the West Wing though, I quickly learned that the space referred to the area before Metrolinx's 65 Front Street office, the TD respite area, and the York Street overpass leading towards the UP Express.
Other noted traits included more RAM, higher resolution on the front and back cameras (night photography with zoom), and Circle to Search (either from photo or live search from phone lens).
Meanwhile, tolerance for various forms of alcohol was tested via bottled Izumi's Plum Sake, bottled Asahi, and Cave Spring's 2021 Dry Riesling - a phenomenal pick for both fragrance and flavour profile.
All opinions are subjective, but I couldn't help be irked. Consequently, I launched a three-part study on "classic" banana bread - as far as I could go without sneaking in modifications anyway.
- Sunday Baking's Best Ever Banana Bread
- SK's Marbled Banana Bread (sans marble)
- SK's Jacked-Up Banana Bread
I recalled the very moment Sunday had released this recipe, including my initial wariness. Her usage of granulated sugar, oil, and heavy cream were an interesting take on classic banana bread. Moreover, her edition eliminated spices altogether - not even cinnamon was included! The surface would be topped with banana, sliced lengthwise, for additional moisture and brown sugar sprinkled on top.
With few other elements constituting the foundation of the loaf, Sunday's recipe relied heavily on the quality of the banana used. My extremely ripe selection prompted a reduction in sugar from 175 g to 100 g, keeping the creation from veering into cloying territory.
While oil and heavy cream assisted in maintaining moisture, the loaf was generally not to my liking. Stripping the timeless bakery item of nutty, caramel notes and warm spices felt strange and off-putting. Tasty it was, yet succeed in filling the banana bread void it did not.
My go-to recipe would be revisited sans marble for this research endeavour, wherein cocoa powder was swapped for AP flour.
SK was consistent in her usage of brown sugar and melted butter for both loaves tested. In this trial, bourbon was swapped for gold rum and my usual Kirkland vanilla extract was substituted with my own speckled vodka infusion. (Truthfully, I had forgotten about the tinted bottles for quite some time, for they had been obscured behind tissue boxes and paper towel for far too long.)
- Jacked-Up being the most unique
- Marble being the most timeless and versatile
- Sunday's for serving alongside tea, as a snacking cake devoid of caramel tones and cozy spices