Golden Bubbles
Golden Bubbles is where to go in Toronto for fully customizable Hong Kong waffles, an expansion of the venture already successful in Ottawa’s Byward Market.
Waffles come in different flavours like strawberry and taro, and can be topped with ice cream in varieties like matcha and mango as well as mini marshmallows, berries, and candy.
Bubble waffles are cooked in traditional irons and components are scooped into them right in front of your eyes, so you’re involved with every step of their creation.
Taro or matcha mochi waffles are a limited time special, teeny mochi planted directly into each and every bubble during the waffle-making process.
This means when you tear into it with your hands or teeth the sweet and gooey mochi stretches, the softness and flavour going well with the crispy taro waffle.
The matcha red bean waffle ($7 on its own) is always available, the flavour of matcha tea powder blended into the waffle popping with the bittersweet flavour of red bean in each bubble.
They also do savoury options of a pepper salt seaweed waffle, pork floss seaweed waffle (both $6) and a lava cheddar cheese waffle ($7).
A strawberry white chocolate chip waffle ($6.50)’is created by baking strawberries until dehydrated, buzzing them into a powder and incorporating that into the waffle. The result is a sweet waffle with a lot of natural strawberry flavour.
Signature waffles ($8.99) include the Berrylicious, an original plain waffle stuffed full of vanilla ice cream, a nice medley of fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries and finishing touches of whipped cream and icing sugar.
To build your own waffle, choose a flavour for your base waffle ($5) like milk tea or black and white sesame, add ice cream from options like Dutch chocolate or coconut ($2 for one scoop, $4 for two scoops).
Free toppings include sprinkles, chocolate sauce and whipped cream, and range up to $3 for nearly two dozen other options including banana, Smarties, honey boba and Nutella.
You can also find the Cheesecake Factory cake that’s so popular it’s practically caused pandemonium at around $6.45 - $8.45 a slice, $22.95 - $25.95 for six-inch mini cakes.
They have flavours like Bananas Foster, dulce de leche and Reese’s, and even some flavours not carried at the Factory.
Coffee Nut ($4.49) is one of a handful of eccentric specialty coffee drinks, this one a bitter but hydrating iced Americano made with coconut water that adds a touch of sweetness.
Design of the compact space was taken on by Sweven, a honeycomb motif evocative of waffle bubbles set off by a minimalist colour scheme of bright yellow, black and white.
Hector Vasquez