Ba Noi Tro

With the pandemic, it's been a bit of a Wild West in the food industry as people look for ways to earn a living. On Instagram, there are numerous "catering" businesses operating out of a personal kitchen. Obviously that contravenes official food safety laws and guidelines. New ventures also operate in pop-up locations such as Bread Head (White Squirrel Coffee) or Afrobeat Kitchen (Caravan Tea House). Since food inspection has been on hold in Toronto over the last year, you could argue that buying food made in commercial kitchens guarantees nothing. So a distinction without a difference.

These newish businesses do get a lot of buzz though including new bakery Ba Noi (father's mother in Vietnamese). An Tran took over his father's printing press location near Bloor and Shaw. He was already in the process of renovating and installing kitchen equipment. Covid killed any official openings but since bills need to get paid, Tran has been taking pre-orders for his sourdough bread and other baked goods. He has been selling out (though that may be because the store only opens a few times a week).

I finally went to Ba Noi on Saturday to buy a few items. I wasn't surprised that bread wasn't available for drop-ins. But I did snag chocolate chip cookies ($2.50) and butter tarts ($3). The cookies were crispier than most hipster bakeries (Night Baker, Baker Bots) who tend to go for soft and gooey. I liked them especially since they were less sweet.

But I loved the butter tarts. These national desserts are an obsession in Canada yet I have never had one. So I can't compare these to any ideals. But the runny (but only lightly sweet) filling was a nice contrast to the buttery crust. I wasn't as fond of the crunchy caramelized top. This is only a personal preference as I have a horror of food that sticks to teeth. Other people may enjoy the little bursts of sugar that liven up the palate.

Once things settle back to normal, it will be interesting if Ba Noi and its brethen can maintain the momentum. But my experience tells me that the trendy crowd is fickle and once the novelty is off, they'll have to slog at it like any other restaurant. And even then it's a crap shoot in the long-run (RIP: Dundas Park Kitchen, Through Being Cool, Bloordale Pantry, Steambox Dumplings).