European pastries with East Asian flair
Taiwan-based croissant franchise Hazukido opened recently in T.O.
Whether it’s people waiting for Uncle Tetsu’s airy Japanese cheesecakes or Tsujiri’s matcha soft serve, Toronto’s Bay-Dundas intersection has long been the site of lineups.
The latest food spot that saw lines upon its grand opening — even amid the pandemic — is the first North American location of Taiwanese-based croissant franchise Hazukido.
Located at the Atrium at Bay Street and Dundas Street West in the former Timothy’s Coffee space, Hazukido’s croissants fall into a hybrid category that incorporates European pastries and technique with East Asian flavours.
Among the 14 flavours at the shop right now (Hazukido has over 100 flavours in rotation) there are croissants filled with a custardy salted egg yolk, smeared with cod roe and topped with melted cheese.
On the sweet side there are croissants filled with a deep pink strawberry panna cotta or dipped in chocolate and chopped hazelnuts.
Prices start at $3 for a plain croissant and go up to $5.50 depending on flavours.
Hazukido Canada’s managing partner Alice Chu, who is part of the investment firm Fourfold Capital, which has the Canadian franchising rights, says the croissants are inspired by the ones made in Japan where pastry culture is huge, and croissants are often given a Japanese spin with additional sweet and savoury flavours.
In Toronto, there are many examples of European baked goods given an East Asian flair.
Think Butter Avenue and its matcha chiffon cake, Japanese bakery and cafe Neo Coffee Bar’s Swiss rolls, Markham’s Duo Patisserie making gateau basques flavoured with matcha and raspberry, and Daan Go Cake Lab with mango and pandan macarons.
It’s this appetite for everevolving global flavours that made Hazukido (and many other operations with international food concepts) choose Toronto as a testing ground before anywhere else.
“Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world and a great kick-starter to feel out the market and demo
graphics for other cities like Vancouver and Calgary,” Chu said.
“Torontonians have a very acquired taste and have high expectations, which is why other brands choose Toronto as a starting point.”
It’s for a similar reason that the owner of hand-pulled noodle spot Omni Palace chose North York as its first location outside of China in 2018 — the GTA’s large East Asian popula
tion meant there was already a built-in brand awareness and knowledge of the food.
The line to get into Hazukido stretched all along the outside of the Atrium when the bakery opened this month, although it’s now considerably shorter as the downtown core is a lot emptier with new COVID-19 restrictions instituted by the province.
Still, Chu says it’s better to order for pickup through the ba
kery’s website to avoid a wait.
The location will be rotating new flavours onto the menu, Chu says, such as a croissant with an Earl Grey milk tea filling as a nod to the chain’s Taiwanese roots (naturally, the place also sells bubble tea).
Eventually she says they’d like to incorporate Canadian-inspired croissants with smoked salmon or maple, and open additional locations in the downtown area.