Double Baked Black Sesame Almond Croissant from Bake Code Croissanterie

Double Baked Black Sesame Almond Croissant from Bake Code Croissanterie

I found this croissant to be overwhelmingly dry and hard. The outside layers were quite hard to chew, and the inside wasn’t very airy. The black sesame paste had a good amount of slight sweetness, but it also tasted dry. I’ve consistently had poor experiences buying pastries from bake code, and the quality of the desserts have gone downhill (used to be a massive fan of their vanilla Mille crepe cakes a few years ago). Cost was $5.90, wouldn’t say it’s worth the purchase when there’s probably better black sesame croissants in the city.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 1 day ago

Black sesame milkshake from shake shack

I tried this in Japan a few months ago (hence the mini size), but am posting it on here as it’s currently a limited flavour that’s available in Toronto. It was creamy, although the sesame aroma could’ve been slightly stronger. Not a bad milkshake, definitely a unique flavour and it’s worth a try. The Japanese one was ¥610 (specifically from the Narita airport).

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 3 days ago

Black sesame cream box cake from Soft Dough Co.

For how small the box is, the price is a bit steep ($12.50, was 15% off) for the portion size. The cream has very light hints of sesame, and I found the vanilla sponge cake to overrule the flavour. Don’t think I’d purchase this again, as nothing about it particularly awed me and it tasted liked a typical vanilla cake. If the sponge cake was sesame flavoured, it would help to deepen the flavour more.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 4 days ago

Black sesame cookie from Good Behaviour

Forgot to take a photo of the cookie itself, but it was very soft and matched the texture I prefer in cookies (slightly flattened, with a chewy dough that’s nicely spread out in the entire cookie). Had a decent sesame aroma and was not overly sweet, I enjoyed it overall. Cost was $4.00, I do prefer them compared to the ones from Soft Dough (bringing them up because they share the same pickup point in the same store) even though they cost a bit more.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 5 days ago

Crispy, chewy black sesame cookies from Soft Dough Co.

These cookies live up to their “crispy and chewy” name, with a crispy exterior and chewy interior. The cut is quite thick, so they’re satisfying if you enjoy eating large cookies (if you’re someone like me who enjoys their cookies on the thinner and softer side, it might feel like you’re biting into a brick). I did find them to be too salty, and was surprised that they tasted like peanut butter cookies. I expected they weren’t purely sesame flavoured (judging by the appearance alone), but even the grey patches didn’t have a strong sesame aroma. If I ate these blindfolded, I would’ve honestly thought I was given a peanut butter cookie. Cost was $7.50 for 2 cookies, I don’t think I’d purchase these again as I don’t want to be paying for peanut butter cookies if I didn’t have any intention of buying them in the first place.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 6 days ago

Black sesame tong yuen cookie from Daan Go

This cookie was packed with peanut butter chocolate chips and rice mochi bits, and I thought was a creative take on making a Tangyuan inspired cookie. The PB chocolate chips were the highlight for me, they tasted really good and blended well with the black sesame dough. The cookie itself didn’t taste overly sweet, which I really liked. They keep the cookies in a freezer, so I had to wait a few minutes it to defrost before taking a bite. I was worried the mochi would be hard, but the bits were still relatively soft and easy to chew. I personally wish there were less mochi pieces in the cookie and more of the dough itself, since there’s already quite a bit of chocolate chips (if you’re a mochi fan, you might disagree with me on this point). Cost was $3.75, overall a decent cookie that I can see myself repurchasing as a treat. I used to go to Daan go when they sold mini cakes, sometimes I wish they could bring them back.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 7 days ago

Mom is still spiteful at me for not pursuing med school

I got accepted to multiple US dental schools and my top Canadian pick (committed there), finally felt fulfilled that I’m finally going to be a Dr. because my whole life has ultimately led to this point but my mom is still spiteful that I didn't go with the med school route.

A key point is that she seems extremely angered that I "paved my path at 18 to become a physician," but "suddenly changed my mind out of nowhere" in my last two years of undergrad when I decided dentistry was fit for me. I heavily enjoyed biology and chemistry in highschool, and was thus encouraged to pursue med school. It's true that I said I was open to becoming a physician, but I look back and realize I was moreso following the typical mindset of every highschooler who enjoys science, but aren't aware of any other careers aside from medicine. How was I supposed to follow the path of becoming anything else, if I wasn't aware of my options in the first place? I was also pressured a bit to go down this route as my grandpa and uncle are doctors, and they wanted another doctor in our generation of the family (in addition to the job’s prestige and salary). From her perspective, this was my word, and I had sealed the nail in the coffin at the moment when I decided to study life sciences at a "mid-tier" university (I'll speak on this more later).

I do feel bad knowing she wanted to help me with the med school path, as she immediately hired a med school advisor, and spent money consulting how I should plan my future with them. However, I had never begged for her to hire a consultant whatsoever. I told her the service was overly expensive and made it clear to that I'm able to do my own research about the admissions process (which is true, I'm someone who's capable of independently gathering info on what to do to accomplish my goals). They went ahead with hiring them anyways, and now it's my fault for wasting their money. I ended up not consulting the advisor that much anyways, and didn’t find they were much help aside from giving generic advice (ex: telling me I should take the mcat after my 2nd or 3rd year of undergrad…which is what everyone does).

I surrounded myself with different industry professionals when I started school, which led me to discovering + researching different healthcare careers. I knew for certain i wanted to work in healthcare, but I wasn’t 100% sure if I wanted to commit to medicine (specifically chose not to take the mcat right after my 2nd year of undergrad due to this reason). I didn’t “randomly” pivot towards dentistry either, as I was interested in the artistic element of the field early on and spent lots of time shadowing dentists + joining pre-dental club events. I solidified my choice by my third year of undergrad to take the DAT and apply to dental school, but my mom was not happy with this decision. She brought up that I had gotten accepted to a more big-name school in Canada (UofT) and said if I didn’t want medicine, I should’ve gone there and studied whatever, as it would give me an upper hand with pursuing a masters in the US. For context, I chose not to attend UofT as they are known to deflate grades, and GPA is often the most important factor if you’re applying to professional schools. I knew very early on that these programs do not care about the prestige of your undergrad school name, so it wouldn't have mattered where I did my schooling. I still chose to attend a good program at a decent university, it just wasn't a big-name that had a high global ranking. She stated that I gave up my only chance to attend a prestigious school for the goal of medicine, and giving up that goal means I’ve completely wasted my livelihood and everything I’ve accomplished in my life up until this point. I knew one of the major reasons why she was disappointed in me choosing dentistry over medicine is because it’s not as prestigious, but she was still alright with the career as it meant I'd still be getting a doctorate title.

She’s still glad that I got into a competitive program, but often throws passive aggressive insults towards me about my choice. When we talk about my dental school applications she’ll randomly bring up med school, like “IF you took the mcat you would’ve done as well on it as the dat” “IF you applied to US med schools you would’ve gotten multiple offers too” when no one asked (and how do you know I’d succeed? I could’ve very well flopped the mcat or gotten 0 med school interviews)? When it came to getting student loans for my schooling, she states how expensive dentistry was, and randomly brings up that it would've been so much cheaper if I had studied medicine (she’s not the one who’s paying for my tuition though). I was talking about a pre-dental student reaching out to me to schedule a meeting the other day, and she scoffed that “it’s very impressive they have their future planned out well and nailed down so early” when I told them they were in their 2nd year of undergrad, as a direct insult to me being a "late bloomer" with making my decision to pursue dentistry.

I understand some of her frustrations, specifically the money spent on the med school advisor. To be truthful, she’s willing to help support me and my goals, and I’m grateful that she took on the opportunity to try and help me out. However, I clarified that I didn’t want the service and had never asked for it in the first place. I had also expressed instances of shadowing different healthcare professionals, but I don't think she took my interests too seriously and instead thought that, this entire time, I had been hyperfixated on pursuing medicine as the end goal. It just irritates me that I'm starting dental school in a few weeks, but she still constantly brings up medicine to berate my choice and project her image of the kind of person she thinks I should’ve become.

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u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 8 days ago

Roasted black sesame macaron from Dainties Macaron

The macarons here are quite large and generously filled with cream. The outer shells tasted like typical macaron shells, so most of the sesame flavour came from the cream, but it wasn’t particularly strong. The buttery flavour of the cream overpowered the roasted black sesame bits, making it a little too rich for my taste.
I also tried their purple potato macaron and actually preferred it, as the cream had a much stronger purple potato flavour that came through more than the butter. I’m personally not the biggest fan of macarons, so I don’t think I’d pay $3.50 for this again. They also sell a black sesame macaron ice cream sandwich, which I’ve never tried before.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 9 days ago

Black sesame tofu cheesecake from Icha Tea

This cheesecake was tiny for its price ($6.80), and I honestly don’t think it was worth it. It has a strong cream cheese aroma, but the sesame flavour lacked in comparison. Didn’t really taste like I was eating a rich cheesecake, but moreso cream cheese with a hint of sweetness. I also couldn’t really taste the tofu, which could be a good/bad thing based on your preference. There’s some grinded black sesame powder sprinkled on the top, but it I don’t think it was made from toasted sesame seeds because it tasted dry (toasting sesame seeds makes the sesame flavour stronger and more fragrant). They were also easily shaken off when I cut into the cake, so it can be messy to eat. When it comes to black sesame cheesecakes, I often find the basque ones to be of better quality (have a stronger sesame flavour + served as larger slices), so they’re a better option imo.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 9 days ago

Black sesame croissant egg tart from Maison 118 Bakery & Cafe

Very similar to the typical egg tarts you’d find at an Asian bakery, except there’s two tang yuan pieces baked inside. The egg flavour of the custard filling is a bit on the lighter side, it was overall more creamy and lightly sweetened. The outer shell is thick and flakey (like a croissant), and had a nice crunch. I found the tang yuan pieces a tad small, and there wasn’t much black sesame filling inside. Although the tart itself is large, I don’t think I’d pay $7.25 for it again as I could pick up egg tarts and frozen tang yuan from an Asian supermarket and cook them at home. I think it’s also better to eat tang yuan fresh on its own, as the baking process takes away the plump and chewy consistency (which is how it normally tastes when boiled and served with hot soup).

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 10 days ago

Black sesame cube croissant from Kream

The croissant was filled with a large amount of cream inside, which had a strong black sesame aroma and a good level of sweetness. It reminded me a bit of eating a cream puff, except you tear it apart for eating. The outside had a nice crisp, although it was a little hard. The inside layers were quite soft, although they could have been more airy and less moist. Cost was $6.50, this flavour specifically is only available on the weekends. I’m pretty sure they also sell black sesame drinks and a black sesame drink mix, which I’ve never tried before.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 12 days ago

Black sesame softy bar from Soma Chocolatemaker

I’ve never had black sesame chocolate before, and thought it was a pretty unique concept. The chocolate texture was rich and velvety, it was overall very good. The only drawback is that there wasn’t much sesame flavour, as it mostly tasted like typical milk chocolate with hazelnut filling. Not poorly made, but it just wasn’t what I was expecting (and cost $12).

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 13 days ago

Black sesame Madeleine from Soul Made Cafe

Was excited to try this, but it fell short of my expectations. The madeleine was extremely dry, and easily crumbled. It tasted as if it sat in the fridge for too long, and the quality wasn’t worth the cost ($3.05). I was disappointed and didn’t end up finishing it. Perhaps the cakes or drinks at this cafe are better, I’ll go for those if I return in the future.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 15 days ago

Black sesame mochi cookie from Mochi Mochi Cafe

I loved the black appearance of this cookie, but found the texture to be crumbly. It wasn’t necessarily too dry, but the consistency wasn’t chewy. The sesame flavour was also a little faint, so it tasted like a typical sugar cookie. I did like that the cookie wasn’t overly sweet though, and the mochi inside was sesame flavoured. Cost was $3.97, I’m hoping their other cookies better, or maybe I just had an off batch.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 16 days ago

Black sesame pastry from St Germain’s Bakery

The outside of this pastry is flakey and smooth, while the inside has a good amount of sesame paste and a piece of mochi (which I bit out in the second photo). Can be messy to eat, the flakes fall apart easily and sometimes the top is cracked open. I have mixed feelings about the filling, as it either tastes good or a little odd. The first time when I tried these, it tasted like sweet black sesame paste. I had them again, and the sweetness seemed a little artificial (not too sure how to describe it exactly). For $2.85, I’m satisfied with the amount of filling as I typically expect there to be a lot less in these kinds of pastries. The convenience of the DT location at the Eaton Center is pretty convenient for stopping by after work.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 18 days ago

Black sesame Mille crepe cake from M2 cake

I love Mille crepe cakes, and this is one of the better ones I’ve had. The layers are very soft and delicate, it’s not overloaded with too much cream, and melts in your mouth. Doesn’t taste too sweet, and has a good black sesame aroma. My one complaint is that the outer layers are a bit dry, which can be hard to chew. Price-point is a bit high at $12 per slice. Wish there were more options for Mille crepe cakes in the city! The store is takeout only, just a note.

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 20 days ago

Best places in nyc for seafood donburi bowls? Coming from Toronto!

A few places I have marked down: Ozakaya, Tomoni, Kaoru, MAKI. Would love some more suggestions, or opinions on the places marked above as well!

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u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 20 days ago

White miso black sesame krispie from Bakerrae

This Rice Krispie is chewy and tangy, with buttery miso glaze melted into it. Black sesame and miso are a great combination, and they did a great job blending the flavours together. I loved the consistency, it was easy and satisfying to chew. The krispie itself is quite large, so you may want to break it into smaller bites. I did find it to be a little salty, and felt thirsty while eating it. Cost was $4.50, a good option if you’re looking for a light dessert and don’t feel like indulging in anything too heavy. I think the bakery is also newly opened, they have a wide menu specializing in Filipino pastries and I’ll definitely be back to try more!

u/Round-Swimmer-4854 — 22 days ago