We were winding down our weekend Staycation at St. Regis, fully maximizing our experience by sprawling out across their executive suite, and enjoying a meal at each of their food and drink options within the property.
And after we checked out, but before we travelled to the parking lot to drive away, we decided to dip into Beaucoup Bakery for a few pastries to go.
For those unfamiliar, this is the second location of this trendy Vancouver boutique bakery. They have made themselves at home as St. Regis’ coffee and breakfast option, open to the public.
They are beloved for their unique savoury collaborations, and offerings of fun, trendy, and delicious pastries and cakes. My go to is their ham and cheese scroll. Think a croissant, but twirl it like a cinnamon bun with salty ham and melted crispy cheese interwoven. A familiar combination with flaky buttery pastry as its backbone. This makes for an easy savoury midday snack or breakfast item.
For something sweet we look to their Hazelnut Dulcey Cake, available as a full large cake, or as this individual serving. Hazelnut dacquoise, hazelnut chocolate praline crunch, salted caramel ganache, candied hazelnut, dulcey caramel mousse, and rum ganache. Ideal for those who like their roasted hazelnut with chocolate. Think Ferraro chocolate (the ones in the gold foil), but refined. The ganache is sticky, the sponge soft, and the single hazelnut crunchy for a medley of supporting textures.
And seeing as we were in at the right time, I jumped at being able to try all their spring seasonal specials. With the sunnier weather we have seen Vancouver’s cherry blossom trees bloom to life. And to celebrate, Beaucoup has a Sakura Hanami Set. This is an iced hojicha latte with sea salt foam and a mini dorayaki with cherry blossom ganache.
For the latte I got black sesame as the flavour, alongside a gritty texture. There was also some slightly bitterness to the roasted tea. The sweetness comes from the foam, as it filters everything through before it hits your mouth. I would have liked the brew more florally and/or to have it include some light cherry fruit to match the dorayaki, as a homage to cherry blossom.
“Dorayaki is Japanese dessert that is essentially two pancakes made from castella (a type of Japanese sponge cake) sandwiching a thin smear of sweet azuki bean paste. Served chilled, I would have liked this warmed up so that the dough was softer and the filling more like a spread. Instead, I was not a fan, finding the dough dry and tough for a cake, and the filling congealed into a texture like icing sugar, but a lot more muted.
Instead, I will divert your attention to their Sakura menu, available now until April 14th, 2014.
The Ichigo Matcha Opera epitomes spring with its vibrant green and pink colour pallet. Matcha ganache, strawberry cream, and matcha-infused joconde cake. “ Joconde” is a a type of sponge that is classified as being nutty and rich, making it the idea base to be layered upon, such as in opera cakes. The individual slice had a delicate balance between bitter green tea and sweet floral notes from the strawberry cream. A slow savoured bite really speaks to warmer weather and spring flowers.
The savoury option is their Cheese Ramen Croissant. Not specifically spring or floral focused, but just an all around delicious treat. One of their regular croissants sliced in half and filled with boiled and seasoned ramen noodles, bechamel, and butter shoyu corn. This was a fun novelty and something distinctly Beaucoup.
You don’t really taste the ramen or get a lot of its texture, as its softened noodle chew is hidden amongst the equally soft, airy centre of our croissant-wich. What you do make out is the salt of the flavour packet, the sweet corn, and the spice from the seaweed. This one was right up my alley, and something I would get every year, should they bring it back.
In short, Beaucoup is a fantastic bakery and a worthy addition to the St. Regis property. Come for their regular baked goods and specialty drinks, and keep look out for their limited release items. Highly recommend.
Beaucoup Bakery
602 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1Y6
beaucoupbakery.com
