A few days ago, after an enjoyable lunch on False Creek, “Godfather” and I were cruising around downtown, checking out Olympic stuff and looking for tasty things to eat. At one point, we ended up in Yaletown and were drawn to Ganache Patisserie. [1262 Homer Street, Vancouver, (604) 899-1098] Ganache is one of my favorite pastry shops in Vancouver and will always have a special place in my heart.
On this particular day, we went by the shop, checked out some of their new cakes, picked up a pair of desserts to go and chatted with owner/pastry chef Peter Fong for a while. I’ve known Peter for a couple of years now and take the opportunity to visit whenever I’m in Yaletown and craving cake. I first met Peter a few years back, when he crafted individual wedding cakes for each of our wedding guests and supplied tasty dessert treats for our midnight wedding buffet. I think he’s a really talented guy, he’s got a real passion for dessert, I’m glad his business is doing well and wish him all the best for the future.
“Godfather” and “The Girl” only discovered Ganache this past year, so because of “Godfather’s” cake addiction and compulsive behaviour, they’ve been sampling all of Ganache’s offerings over the past short while. Since I tend to celebrate with them on frequent occasion, I’m lucky enough to indulge in tasty cake alongside those two.
Two of Ganache Patisserie's finest offerings
That day, we picked up a slice of Chocolat-Banane (dark chocolate mousse, caramelized bananas, praline crunch, hazelnut dacquoise) and a piece of Cassis Chocolat (dark chocolate mousse, cassis mousse, Grand Marnier raspberries, chocolate sablé) for a little afternoon snack. They were both delicious and a decadent treat after miles of walking. The Chocolat-Banane is a great combination of flavors with the caramelized banana shining brightly through. I’ve been on a bit of a cassis kick recently and have been contemplating using it as a flavoring for the dessert course in an upcoming wine dinner with Road 13 Vineyards. “Godfather” suggested we taste Ganache’s cassis offering for inspiration, so how could I say no. What can I say, it was amazing and left me craving more. That’s always the sign of an ideal portion size and a successful dish, when you finish the last bite and you’re still craving one more taste. I personally am very much in awe of talented pastry chefs. I’ve got a very humble pastry background; at Tapenade, we make all of our desserts in-house, but there’s a huge difference between the desserts I make and the highly skilled and technically proficient creations a trained pastry chef creates. Because I lack experience, technique and overall pastry knowledge, my desserts are much simpler though very flavor/texture driven. I tend to really enjoy savory components in my desserts and use a lot of herbs, salt, cheese and spices to achieve the flavor profile I am seeking. One day, I am going to dedicate more of my time to the pastry arts and really learn how to make desserts I love to eat.
Issues and concerns; I don’t really have any. I think the pastry selection at Ganache Patisserie is first class and would recommend it to everyone. Ganache Patisserie would feel at home in Manhattan, London, Hong Kong, San Francisco or any food-centric city. My only comment would be that I love textural contrasts and would enjoy a more crispy component in some of Peter’s desserts and I would also like to see more savory components as well. This is purely a matter of personal taste and would never offer my constructive criticism to Peter. Wait a second, I just blogged about it, does that mean I just did?
On my chef’s night out scale, Ganache Patisserie receives 4.5/5 SOB (slices of bacon).
Chef's Night Out 