Recently I was espousing the quality of the delicacies of my current favorite bakery Chez Christophe, (read that review here) when a friend of mine recommended another pastry shop I hadn’t heard of yet, Thierry.
Well f***, that recommendation is going to end up costing me way too much money.
Thierry is a high end pastry shop on Alberni St, right in the middle of all the designer fashion shops. The place definitely has an “air” about it. I actually feel a bit out of place here. But I’ll get over it. The food looks incredible.
The upscale atmosphere greets you right at the front door.
That front door must have cost a fortune.
Inside that impression continues.
A beautiful and warm interior that screams “quality.”
There’s an amazing selection of delicious looking pastries and cakes.
A nice selection of macarons.
Handmade chocolates. I’m not allowed to buy these anymore lol.
The Canelé from Bordeaux.
A daily selection of fresh made croissants, danish and other goodies.
I have been a few times over the past few months now and this is a compilation of those visits.
First up, a Confit Garlic Danish.
I really wasn’t too sure about this one to be honest. I thought this particluar combination a bit odd but since I love both garlic and danish a sampling is almost a must.
I should have trusted my instincts. You generally expect something sweet when you bite into a Danish. You won’t get anything sweet with this. The garlic flavour, which I normally love, just didn’t work in a pastry. For me at least. Hopefully someone out there likes it.
4/10
Very few things are better to me than a Lemon Tart.
It exceeded my already high expectations. The lemon curd was smooth and had a great balance of tart and sweet. Really tasty. But what elevated it above a regular lemon tart was the pastry. A perfect texture, Tender, baked to perfection.
Can I give it an 11?
A seasonal Caramel tart.
The mousse was very light but still ended up being very rich. Add the caramel and the homemade chocolate tuile and while it worked together very well it ended up just being too much. Yes I know, complaining your high end dessert being too big a portion is a first world problem.
Good, but I wouldn’t get it again.
7/10
I popped in on a Monday afternoon, expecting to find it quiet. I was surprised to see it completely packed. Not a table open. So I just picked up something easy to go, chocolate covered Madelines.
I’d normally just make these myself when I want them. These were good but I prefer mine. I cram more lemon flavour in the batter. I will however start dipping some of the ones I make in chocolate. That’s brilliant, a very nice touch. They were surprisingly moist for not being super fresh.
7/10
Macaron
If you’ve ever tried making these your appreciation for them will grow considerably. One of the most technically demanding pastries out there.
Nice flavours, they had that little bit if a chew a good macaron has.
Tiramisu
This is not your Nonna’s tiramisu. I loved those chocolate wafers creating a “bowl” for the beaufuk custard within. As a modern take they did a beautiful job of keeping the tradition of the dessert while making it suitable for the single serve, cafe presentation.
Aspargus Danish.
This was a much better take on a savoury Danish than the confit garlic one I tried earlier. Beautiful, crisp layers with cream cheese. They didn’t get it 100% right, some of the asparagus was on the Woody side. Had they trimmed that properly this would have been really good. Honestly a bit surprising for an establishment of this caliber.
8/10
Mango tart.
I can’t even begin to imagine the level of patience it takes to make that dessert. It’s so pretty. And delicious. That mango was perfectly right and was bursting with flavor. Underneath was a lemon curd and that short crust pastry shell was delicious. That’s something you’d find in the Michelin star restaurant for sure.
11/10
Cappucino
This cappuccino might be right back to one of the Cafes in Italy that I was at a month ago. As good as it gets.
So is Thierry a better Pattiserie than Chez Christophe? Let’s compare.
Quality – This ones a tie. Both excellent. I can’t penalize Thierry for me just not liking the garlic danish, that’s just personal taste. The quality was there.
Price – I’ll give the edge to Chez Christophe on this one. Prices here are a little cheaper without sacrificing quality.
Atmosphere – Here I’m giving the nod to Chez Christophe. Thierry is a very nice spot but I prefer the less pretentious, contemporary feel at Chez Christophe.
Selection – Thierry has the edge on this one. A bigger selection to pick from.
Overall – I think that’s actually too hard to pick a ‘winner’ and it will come down to personal preference. I have a feeling that as I sample more items at Thierry I will find I prefer their pastries. But I much prefer the atmosphere at Chez Christophe.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.