Carol and Don (photo: Mahek Mehrotra)
Report by Mahek Mehrotra
My matcha manic brain made me have my first ever stop at the ube brioche stand at the farmer’s market last summer. The Downtown Farmers’ Market at 10113 104 Street is my go-to for Splurge-Saturdays. Among the vendors, my favourite one has been Ube Brioche. Carol is an extremely talented baker and her passion for her food shines through every brioche bun that she serves.
The classic ube flavour which is the catalyst for the entire concept of this baker features with a second flavour on the stands. This second flavour changes every few weeks. I have tried blue berry cheesecake, pumpkin spice, matcha, apple pie, and mango. Every flavour does justice to its name, not only in terms of its taste, but also the way the oozy warm filling dances in your mouth. The mango brioche had a compost and a cream filling that brought in the balance of sweet as well as sour mangoes. Don’t even get me started on the matcha flavour! The matcha filling was so skilful to me because it was sweet, yet it retained the earthiness of matcha, unlike certain lattes that are overloaded with sugar or cream and basically taste like plain milk that only looks green. The pumpkin spice brioche had a thick filling of pumpkin spice compound that offered an interesting balance of sugar and spice. The blueberry cheesecake brioche, the crème and blueberry compound are worth ALL your money in your bank account (no pressure!). The classic ube for me initially had a soft launch, but gradually my taste buds adapted to its unfamiliar starchy flavours and now I make sure to get one every time! The classic ube is a fantastic choice for someone who doesn’t like their fillings too sweet. The ube filling is warm and thick, with a comforting mouthful that would go perfect with your morning coffee or matcha latte.
Their immaculate flavours are not the only thing that is loveable about these buns. Carol, the heart and skill of this business, bakes them fresh every morning. She wakes up at 5 am (if she wants to sleep in that is!), and then freshly bakes the buns, fills them up and then makes the final white chocolate coating. Mind you, fillings are made a day early and with absolutely no preservatives.
With such a unique concept of a filled brioche, I think it would be unfair to this delicacy and the talent behind it to not know its story.
Carol has always had a passion for cooking and really wanted to go to culinary arts school as an after degree. While that didn’t happen, she turned to her love for bread and was inspired by French brioche buns. She wanted to steer away from the traditional and conventional. This was the spark that brought her to give the traditional French buns a classic Philipino twist! She filled the buns with ube – a purple yam that is traditional to the Philippines. What better way to introduce one’s culture than to make something traditional and twist it into a widely loved dessert? Every bite has the delicacy of French baking and a little hug from the Philippines.
Heat these beauties in the microwave for five seconds and the white chocolate layer just melts onto your lips, while the gooey filling with the most perfect balance of sugar and flavour hugs your tongue. With this brilliant skill, Carol has gotten questions about whether she wishes to bake different pastries. However, she believes in the strength of her fusion concept and wishes to stay focused on filled brioche buns.
One brioche is $5 and a box of 4 is $20. You might think that is expensive, but you are paying the price of each brioche that was made with the utmost love and abundance of fresh goodness! TAKE ALL MY MONEY! (Slams credit card on the table).
You absolutely must try these out unless you are vegan or have certain allergies. They are an EXPERIENCE. Carol and Don go about holding their stall at various markets throughout the year and it’s hard to catch these guys in one place for long, so you better hurry! Carol does bake personal orders if they are an order of at least five boxes. Follow them at @ubebrioche on Instagram for more details.
It is safe to say that this brioche bun alone has done a fantastic job of throwing my daily sugar intake off balance (in a “I-do-not-regret” and “I-will-do-it-again” way). Not to mention that 90 percent of my splurges last summer are wholeheartedly dedicated to these brioche buns. Beingly widely loved amongst her loyal customers, she has a strong desire to open a storefront one day. However, this superwoman works a full-time job and through this passion, her husband Don is her biggest cheerleader and “muscle” as she says. You will always find him at the stall, helping Carol, set up, sell and pack-up. Carol and Don are as sweet as their pastries. They are loving and humble people that would make you want to visit them every time!
Ube Brioche
Instagram: @ubebrioche
Current Markets:
Downtown Farmers’ Market (Saturdays 10am-3pm)
Callingwood Farmers’ Market (Sundays)
