Fol Epi - Victoria

The only place in town I know of that can do a proper canelé de bordeaux! One of my all time favourite pastries. :

Skip the crappy brunch spots and come here instead. This is Victoria's (somewhat) hidden jewel. Everything they sell is top notch.

Staff is really nice but forgetful on my first stop in there (left my suasage​ roll in the oven). Price is a little high for what you get. Nice atmosphere. I would try again to see how it goes!

What do you know of panetonne? It's the dry, tasteless bread that comes in the octagon box. Right? WRONG. That my friend is an imposter. And imposters have been fooling us our entire lifes, convincing us that panetonne is the perfect day old bread for our french toast or bread pudding. Real panetonne is nothing of the sort.<br/ <br/ I had the pleasure of savouring a slice from Fol Epi. This sweetbread is a game changer. It's moist, light, flecked with vanilla and studded with raisins and citrus. I tried it as is and toasted with butter. Both delicious!<br/ <br/ It's truly worth the whopping $35 price tag. I know. I know! That's expensive for *one* loaf. But with multiple sizes, you don't have to make such a big investment :p I just had to try it after watching thier process on the tv show, Food Factory. And wow, am I ever impressed with the amount of work that goes into making these. And double wow, thier panetonne tastes A M A Z I N G. I have fallen in love with it so much, that after the first slice, I decided it's officially part of our holiday tradition. Maybe if you try it, it'll be a new holiday tradition for you too.<br/ <br/ <br/ This hip bakery is neighbors with Fantastico coffee. It's a popular place for MeetUps especially cycling ones because it's right along the Galloping Goose Trail. The building, Dockside Green, is known for it's sustainability and has beautiful water features and outdoor seating. Fantastico has recently expanded thier space, adding more offerings and seating to the area in general. You can enjoy a view of the waterline that leads to Point Hope Ship Yards.<br/ <br/ Fol Epi has baked delights that are not common in every bakery, like caneles. A custard like dessert that is so caramelized on the outside, some might mistake them to be burnt. But you know better! It's supposed to be that way! I'll also mention thier rhubarb strudel. Only available seasonally, this was so delightfully flavour packed, I promptly returned for a second so my partner could experience the deliciousness. Except that I ate it. Oops.<br/ <br/ They carry an assortment of well made, individual desserts with thier unique take, as well as a selection of fresh baked breads. Next time you're looking for a great place to hang out and enjoy a sweet treat and hot drink check this place out.

One of Fol Epi's locations is Harbour Rd which is really funky and fun. When it's nice it's a great place to get a bite to eat and a coffee from next door is perfect. They had a BBQ making a number of hot lunches, I had a Portabello mushroom burger on one of their in house baked buns with what tasted like a zucchini homemade relish was excellent and really messy, yum. The day was bright and sunny and they seem to have expanded their seating so it was no issue finding a place to sit. Parking is difficult most days so take your bike on the Galloping Goose Trail and take a break in the sunshine.