Hiya Scone and Coffee
Hiya Scone and Coffee is Toronto's bakery specializing in scones. Taking up space in a former barbershop, it's been converted to be a warm and inviting space for lovers of the baked good.
Made fresh every morning and open until sold out-which happens often- there's an interesting menu that ranges from savoury to sweet that's bound to please any craving no matter the time of day.
Owner Cary Lai fell in love with the scone culture in England while studying there as a child and picked up baking as a pandemic hobby.
Leaving behind a career in banking in London, Lai moved to Toronto in 2022 with hopes to open her first shop.
"I noticed there are a lot of croissant shops in this city, but felt scones deserved a chance here," Lai explained.
While the space may have been a barbershop in its past life, it's completely unrecognizable apart from the black and white tiled sunroom that faces the street.
Lai set out to create a calm atmosphere using wood details and has decorated the space with items from her own personal travels.
The shop name was chosen with the purpose of being welcoming, mimicking the common greeting.
The base recipe for the scones took Lai 6 months to develop and perfect. You'll find the sizes are slightly smaller than a typical scone, which was intentionally done so there's room to try at least two types.
In an effort to be strategic, flavour options skew towards what's popular in Asia, keeping an eye on early trends.
All scones are $5.50 and include a choice of whipped butter or mascarpone cream instead of the classic clotted cream.
The texture is softer and less crumbly than a traditional tea scone but has a good density that makes the bite satisfying.
The Butter Caramel is the most unique item here. A picturesque glaze of housemade caramel sauce is topped with a cute cube of butter. The caramel is a pleasant sweet nutty flavour and the butter adds a smooth richness to the overall scone.
The Sweet Lime is the best seller for the shop- a generous glaze made with fresh lime juice coats most of the baked good and the zest keeps it light.
Matcha Chocolate uses strong Japanese ceremonial matcha for the batter and a mix of sweet white chocolate and green tea for the outside topping to balance the bitterness.
Lai created a Cinnamon scone after noticing most coffee shops and bakeries had one on their menu when doing her market research. The shape and texture of the scone is different from the others as the dough is rolled more like bread.
On the savoury side, the Chives, Bacon & Cheese scone is a salty and satisfying snack that would work well with whipped butter on the side.
For sweet lovers, the Dark Chocolate comes topped with a rich layer of chocolate and white chocolate balls.
For the Tiramisu scone, Lai makes her own fresh coffee extract and uses Baileys to make it extra strong. This one would pair excellently with the mascarpone cream. 
A new menu item is the Cheesecake ($11) which looks like a Basques-style but is not. Using sour cream and mascarpone, it's steamed then baked, making it not as dense as a Basques.
Pouring Terminal 3 beans from Etobicoke, there's a variety of espresso based drinks available to order. A latte will run you $4.80 and up to $5.30 iced.
You can always add vanilla ice cream to any order for $2, or try a Latte Ice Cream ($6.50). It's creamy and feels more like a milkshake or coffee float than an affogato.
That being said, there is an Affogato available for $5.25, with flavoured syrups for an additional $1.
Loose leaf teas like Sakura Rose and Elderberry Hibiscus are on the menu for $3.25.
There's also a fridge of Japanese sakes - Lai's personal favourite- for those who are craving a stronger sip.
In the back, there are tables perfect for people wanting to do some work or chat with their companions.
On the lower level, Lai has decorated the walls with her personal collection of collectable items like Lego figurines and camping equipment.
Hiya Scones is located at 1389 Dundas St W. 
Fareen Karim
