bakerrae

21 Jul, 2026

One time on my way to pick up my girlfriend at work, I was looking at google maps to find somewhere I could grab a snack from. I was so excited when I discovered ‘Bakerrae’, a Filipino-owned bakery/cafe. I googled it to check the menu but to my dismay, I learned that it had closed down a month prior. I was devastated to have missed checking it out! I then ran to Instagram to see if they still had an existing business account. I stalked it for a long time hoping that one day they would announce opening up shop again at a new location.

The baker/business owner would occassionally post updates. It would sometimes be about her working on new recipes or attending a popup event. Until she started mentioning the search for a potential new location, to updates about the construction, and finally on a glorious day in June they opened again! I was too busy with Pride month activities though so I wasn’t able to actually visit until early this month.

This first visit wasn’t even planned, I just happened to be around the area! I was way too early for a show I was watching at the Toronto Fringe Festival so I decided to walk from Broadview station to the venue instead of taking a bus. This was a little more than a half hour walk and even then I still would have had another extra hour to spare. I decided that I would just enter any place that seemed interesting along the way. I was delighted to find out that Bakerrae was right there at about the halfway point of my walk. Just in time for me to need a break from the blaring sun.

The first thing I noticed was how big and attention grabbing the sign at the front of the store was. I have a terrible memory and would forget the names of places I visit almost immediately so I appreciated the giant sign with the bakery’s name on it. I wasn’t as impressed when I walked in though because it didn’t feel as cozy and welcoming inside as I would have liked. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was generally pretty and had cute decor, it just wasn’t what I preferred my sweet treat escapes to look like.

For reference, I really enjoy a more rustic, laidback, and natural vibe. Within minutes of entering Bakerrae, I felt like it was too bright, loud, and overstimulating inside. To clarify, this isn’t really meant to be a critique on Bakerrae’s aesthetic or those who like it. I’m just talking about my preference since this is my personal blog afterall and not a professional review site. Also, some places that have the aesthetic i like are: Understory (a new trans-owned cafe at the gay village), The Alley (my favourite bubble tea spot for many years), and Mofer Coffee (where I had coffee right before I got to Bakerrae because I had no idea I was gonna pass by it).

Now, let’s stop talking about what Bakerrae isn’t and about what it is instead. The website says that they ‘use classic and modern French techniques, with a Filipino flair’. Which you know what, I definitely see that! I appreciated reading about the interesting flavours even though I couldn’t try most of them because of my sensitive stomach. I did pick 3 things for myself though: the red bean sesame twist, original house pandesal, and pineapple bun cookies.

The red bean sesame twist was pleasant. It was crispy, flaky, and not too sweet. I liked the flavour of the sesame seeds (it had a lot!) and red bean together. I wished it had more red bean flavour though. The house pandesal was sadly disappointing and I could only force myself to eat half of it. It wasn’t fresh so I wish there was an option to have it warmed up. For the price I paid for a single piece of bread, it would have been a nice touch. I took the pineapple bun cookie home and ate it 2 days later. I wasn’t expecting to be wowed at this point but it turned out to be my favourite! That cookie was rolling around in my bag on a hot day for hours. It sat on the kitchen counter for days before I decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did. It was the perfect amount of sweet and sour a cookie should be. It was soft, comforting, filling, and now I’m craving it again!

Finally, the drinks menu. Normally I would pick either a sugary iced coffee or tea but I only let myself have one caffeinated drink a day. I get jittery and anxious (more than usual which is already a lot) if I have more and I already had an iced latte from somewhere else that day because I didn’t expect to pass by Bakkerrae. I asked the cashier for any non-caffeinated options and I was sad to hear that they did not have any. Next time I visit I’ll probably try the manila honey latte since it’s closest to what I would usually order. I like caramel, maple, or brown sugar flavours in my lattes.

Honestly, I think I was waiting for this bakery for so long that I built up unrealistic expectations for it in my head. It’s excelling at what it’s aiming for even though it isn’t exactly my thing. I also think that the unplanned impromptu trip did not do this bakery/cafe justice. I plan on visiting at least once more and plan for it next time.

-- M. --

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