Maman

I was on Chowhound just doing some random reading, seeing if theres any new places (restaurants, bakeries, coffee houses, etc.) to check out.  I saw a really old post re-appear regarding kouign amann, meaning, that there’s a possibility of kougin amann in Toronto?  Super excited!  This would mean I don’t have to wait until the hubby travels to Vancouver or Montreal to get this sweet treat?!  I told my food boyfriend about this, and the very next day he went to scope out Maman for me.  He came back with half disappointing news.  They make kouign amann, but there’s no set day of the week where they will make it.  Feels like my hopes have been crushed.  To make my day less horrible, he did bring a white chocolate blueberry lavender cake, and a chocolate chip cookie.  When he told me it was white chocolate blueberry lavender cake, I was like eww.  I don’t like white chocolate, and there’s no chocolate in white chocolate!  Why is white chocolate even called chocolate?  Strike one.  Lavender in food?  To me, lavender belongs in soap, and lotions.  Strike 2.  I like blueberries?  So at least there’s one good thing.  The base of the cake seems to be a pound cake.  Love pound cake. My pants, not so much.  To my surprise, this cake was pretty good, light on the lavender, so you can taste it faintly.  No soapy taste that I was worried about.  There were a few blueberries floating around the top of the cake.  If the name didn’t have the words white chocolate, I would have never tasted it.  Overall, pretty good cake, nice and moist.

Blueberry Lavender White Chocolate Cake

The cookie had large chunks of chocolate.  A good balance of chocolate to ‘dough’.  The downside, it wasn’t as chewy as I was expecting.  I prefer chewy over crunchy.  So personal preference again.  But still VERY good, with lots of buttery flavour.  

Chocolate Chip (Chunk) Cookie

Maman is a French bistro/cafe/bakery from what I see on their website.  It looks like they also serve sandwiches and stuff.  The pictures alone on their website remind me of Paris, making me miss Paris even more.  I need to make a trip to Maman myself.  Hoping that when I do go, there will be kouign amann to try.  Right now, the best kouign amann I’ve had is still from Montreal.

Maman

100 King St. W.,

Toronto, ON

M5X 1B1

Phone:  (416) 216-6767

Hours: Monday - Tuesday 7:00am - 8:00pm

            Wednesday - Friday 7:00am - 10:00pm

            Saturday 10:00am - 3:00pm

http://mamantoronto.com

Thobors Boulangerie Patisserie Cafe

This is a little piece of Paris heaven for me.  Which makes me happy and sad at the same time.  I love Paris so much, and the last time I was there was when I went backpacking in 2005.  Even though I saw Paris through the eyes of a poor student, I still fell in love with it.  To this day I long to go back.  Each and every time I hear that a friend is going to Paris, it makes me cry a little inside.  Thats how much I want to go back.  I think for now, Thobors is the closest I can get to Paris.

Thobors is a cute little French bakery/patisserie.  It's not only that they make French pastries, but everyone that works there speaks fluent French (speaks English with a thick French accent), and they typically converse in French.  The regulars that walk in the door all speak French too!

When I walked in the door, even though the space was quite small, I was overwhelmed with the selection of cakes, pastries, and breads.  We went for breakfast, so I ordered an omelette with tomatoes, mushrooms & cheese, and the hubby ordered a ham and cheese thing in a puff pastry.  After I paid for my order, I saw this older couple already sitting down and eating just a baguette with butter and jam.  I HAVE FOUND MY PLACE!  I've been looking all over for a place that would serve just that.  I have been on the hunt since Paris.  Something so simple, but yet so hard to find!  Back to my breakfast.  My omelette was made very well.  Eggs were cooked just right.  I find typically when I order omelettes, they always come overcooked.

Omelette

The puff pastry was TO DIE FOR.  Super buttery, flakey mixed with cheesy goodness.  It was so good that we decided to get a loaf of bread, and a bunch of croissants to try at home!

Puff Pastry

Sourdough and Croissants/Pain au Chocolat

While doing some research on Thobors, they say they use Belgian butter, which is supposed to have a different percentage of fat vs water.  Whatever it is, when the croissants are reheated in my little toaster oven, it has a delicious buttery flakey texture.  I would say it's my fave so far!  I'm glad Thobors is so far away from home, otherwise I would get so fat....

Thobors Boulangerie Patisserie Cafe
627 Mt. Pleasant Rd.
Toronto, ON
M4S 2M9

Phone: 416-544-1733

Hours: Wednesday to Saturday 7:30am - 6:30pm
            Sunday 7:30am - 5:30pm

http://www.thobors.ca/index.htm