When I moved from Toronto to Providence, the thing that I missed the most about home was the endless array of dessert shops The Six has to offer. As the holiday inches closer and the passing of every day means a day closer to going home, my craving for all things sweet has only gotten worse. And so, as we jam away to festive music and count down the days until exams are over, let me introduce you to five of the places I'm most looking forward to stuffing my face at as soon as break hits. 

1. Mon K Patisserie

A small hidden shop twenty minutes away from Downtown Toronto, Mon K Patisserie offers a wide variety of baked goods, from regular croissants, to cream puffs, to Mont Blancs. Now, here's the twist — Mon K adds a Japanese flare to their French pastries. On top of the regular flavors that you'd find in other places, Mon K offers more unique pastries like its yuzu macarons, matcha tiramisu, matcha mont blancs, and Japanese strawberry shortcakes, amongst many others.

2. Fleur du Jour

From the moment you walk into the café, you'll feel like you've landed in a whole other country. This café produces solely French pastries, both the traditional and the innovative. On top of its heavenly buttery croissants, the owner ingeniously combines American and French sweets, which culminates in the magic of the Donut Tatin (a combination of tarte tatins and donuts)— the perfect balance between sweet and sour, aroma and taste, complexity and simplicity.

The warmness of the cafe's owners, Clara McBride and Riane George Ikiouane, as well as their palpable passion for their creations, ensures that this place breaches the gap between Chef and guests. Every visit feels more like a trip to a friend's home rather than to a public café. Located in the center of Toronto, there is no better place than Fleur du Jour to have a cozy daytime getaway from the city's hustle and bustle.

3. TSUJIRI

It's impossible not to wait in line when visiting this iconic Japanese tea house. With only a few tables in its Downtown location, it's difficult to fit all of TSUJIRI's fans into the small location at once. However, I can vouch for the fact that the line is well worth it. After the wait, you'll be able to experience incredibly rich, delicious matcha drinks without having to fly all the way to Japan. And just after you take a sip of that warm matcha latte, take a bite into the Kinako Daifuku — the taste of the mild sweetness of the vanilla cream enhanced by the Kinako will make your taste buds sing. 

4. Millie Creperie

Located in the center of Chinatown, amidst the many fruit and vegetable stands, this is not an easy place to find. Only four flavors of Millie's renowned crêpe cakes are offered at this location: Vanilla, Matcha, Tiramisu, and Earl Grey. Each one is made to perfection.

My go-to cake is always the vanilla mille-crepe cake, pictured below. Without any other flavors to distract your taste buds, this unforgettable piece fully brings out the vanilla bean's original aroma. And with the delicate pearls placed on top, the vanilla mille-crepe is just as beautiful as it tastes. As you bite into the cake, the paper-thin layers instantly break away, leaving you with a creamy yet layered texture caressing your tongue — a simple yet complex experience.

5. Chabrol

Unlike every other place on this list, Chabrol is not a bakery. In fact, it doesn't even specialize in desserts. Tucked away on Yorkville lane, Chabrol is a relatively young, and again very small (sensing a pattern yet?), restaurant, focusing mostly on Southern French cuisine.

While its food is awe-inspiring, my focus is on the restaurant's tarte aux pommes (shown below), which will - mark my words - bring tears to your eyes. Every tart is made to order, requiring a wait time of about 20 minutes. With golden apple slices on top of a beautifully-crafted puff pastry that Chef Penfold rolls out by hand every morning, this tart presents the perfect balance between the freshness of the apples and the light sweetness of the pastry.

As it is presented to the table, the warm sabayon, an extremely fluffy, almost cloud-like cream, is poured from above, embellishing the already marvelous dessert with a creamy final touch.

Counting down each day until the holidays, I simply cannot wait any longer. For now, however, as finals season continues to haunt us for a little while longer, our #iconic Blue Room muffins will have to do. But if you happen to be in town during this holiday season, be sure to pay a visit to one of these places. You know where to find me!

For more on the Toronto food scene, check out these articles:

- How I Ate My Way Through Toronto in 5 Days 

- The Best Brunches in Toronto to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

- Your Food Guide To The Best Restaurants in Toronto

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