Today we were checking out Vancouver’s first location of popular Toronto cake shop Daan Go Cake Lab. This photogenic cafe has a celebrity connection. The season 5 winner of Master Chef Canada opened the original location in Toronto and has since opened three more in the same city, one in Ottawa, and another in Montreal. And with Vancouver, the number of Daan Go locations in Canada has hit 7. And this location is owned and operated by David Jorge, the chef consultant for S+L in Surrey and another Master Chef winner.
Fame and celebrity aside, this is a very stunning dessert shop worth travelling to. Ideal if you are looking for a more memorable confection, a cute snack to make you smile, or some popular Asian flavours for your sweet tooth.
The space is cheerful with splashes of yellow, including a mural of ingredients and cooking utensils in outline. You order at the counter and then grab a seat at one of their white marble tables sandwiched by a soft pink booth and green upholstered chairs. The seating area is fairly spacious with the potential to literally open up during the warmer days, thanks to a garage door exterior wall.
We started off with a couple of drinks from their regular cafe menu. The Hong Kong milk tea was not sweet enough for my tastes. And the Yin Yeung was a mix of HK style coffee and HK style tea together. The last teen was more coffee than tea, but not the western-style coffee that I am accustomed to.
As for sweets, you shop from their showcase of pre-made cakes, pastries, and croissants. The following is what I found noteworthy and what we were able to try.
The cakes are available as a whole or by the slice. Same flavour and textures, but the whole is a lot more decorative. Most memorable was the Celebration Pig, a whole roasted baby pig shaped cake with raspberry Sakura Chantilly, cherry rose confit, and white chocolate mousse. I did not get a chance to try it, but did appreciate the creativity, as I never seen a cake more alluring, for my tastes.
Just as eye catching was the Gold Thorn, whole cake. Shaped round and made to look spiky with cones, the cake was designed to mimic the king of fruits it tasted like. Durian puree, durian mousse, and cheese cream.
This tasted just like the sweet fruit and had the same creamy, yet slightly fibrous texture of real durian. It was given some additional interest through a crunchy crumb embedded within the cream layers. I had one bite and the flavour lingered long after and well past the other desserts to come. So authentic, this ate more like fruit than cake. On reflection this has to be my new favourite durian dessert, and one I will have to come back for, to grab a slice for my mother.
The 3:15 as a whole was a round cake topped with macarons and fresh strawberries. As a slice we enjoyed this cake of Hong Kong milk tea mousse, coffee cremeux, evaporated milk cremeux, and pineapple bun crumb.
Coming from the durian cake, this one was muted, but the flavour of the milk tea was definitely there. I would recommend this one first or the durian alone. Thick and lush this is one you lick your fork clean of. I just wished that I was able to make out the pineapple bun crumb more. Not only for textural interest, but the sweet fruit would have been a nice contrast and brightening agent for a fairly heavy cake.
Like the cakes with sponge and cream, but with a lot more cartoonish flair is their collection of pastries. Served as is in one size, you can’t help but order with your eyes. A miniature bowl of ramen, a passion fruit cheesecake shaped like a brick of cheese that included a mouse, and carrot cake shaped like a rabbit.
We could not pass up on trying the ever so cute Lucky Duck with lemon curd, pistachio cream, almond sponge, and white chocolate mousse. Where else can you eat out of a bathtub with a chocolate rubber duck? We were holding our breath hoping that these were not just novelty or gimmicky treats, but a dessert just as tasty in quality and presentation as the whole cakes above.
This one was a mild lemon citrus with sweet cream and a thin layer of sponge. I would have liked a greater tart lemon kick and some salt to heighten it. Plus more roasted pistachio would have been nice as a base to the acid above.
The Firma was so picture perfect. A whole cake that you can eat, clay pot and all. Malted milk chocolate and dark chocolate mousse, a salted caramel layer, and a chocolate almond sponge. It is best to dig up to get all the layers and finish with a bite of the solid chocolate pot. This was the sweetest dessert that we had, chocolatey with a malty finish.
The spiral croissants were yet another photogenic option. Spun in a round, then stuffed and topped according to your chosen flavour. It crackles and crunches when you bite or tear in. I found the interior dough more like a yeasty bread that the flaky pastry it was on its exterior. I didn’t mind it and actually preferred the dough as such, but it just didn’t land if you are calling it a croissant.
The density of the pastry was great for opposing all the cream brimming within the London Fog Croissant. Truthfully I liked the dough as is and would have opted to have it without the filling, given how bold and sweet in tea flavour it was.
And you cannot walk away without taking a few of their character macrons with you. Each its own animal and flavour. Like the pistachio dinosaur, passionfruit fox, black sesame octopus, white peach lucky cat, salted caramel tiger, Ovaltine bird, and matcha dumpling; just to make a few.
As a whole the macarons were crispy on the onset and chewy at their centres. The butter cream was tender and did softened the macaron. Naturally each was sweet, and overall they delivered on their flavour promise. And like all their other packaging, this too comes in a great takeaway box which also doubles as giftable wrapping.
The store’s grand opening will be on Saturday April 15, 2023. Where the first 25 customers will be treated to a $25 gift card, and everyone visiting can enjoy discounts and giveaways.
Daan Go Cake Lab
Garden City Rd, Richmond, BC V6X 3M7
van.daango.com
