Authentic Japanese Snack & Dessert Cafes In Toronto (2024)

If you’re interested in Japanese culture, or you’ve seen a lot of delicious foods in anime but aren’t planning a trip anytime soon, don’t worry! Thanks to Toronto’s multiculturalism, you can still try quite a few authentic foods right at home!

Of course, many small businesses and restaurants have been struggling due to the pandemic, but I just got word that Toronto will be opening up fully, so I’ve decided to publish this article a few weeks early to help spread word of the few Japanese-focused restaurants and cafes in the city <3

Below, I share their site and details, along with what kinds of Japanese snacks and desserts you can try at them. This is only snacks and desserts, so I won’t be talking about sushi, ramen, and other Japanese meals.

いきましょう (Let’s get to it!)

Uncle Tetsu

Website | Instagram
39 Orfus Road, Unit C, North York | 598 Bay St, Toronto
Yorkdale Mall | Vaughan Mills | Pacific Mall | Union Station

Uncle Tetsu is famously known for their authentic Japanese cheesecake. If you haven’t tried one before, it’s not as dense or moist as American cheesecake, it’s actually quite fluffy (and sometimes jiggly), but still creamy, with that traditional cheese flavor.

When this shop first popped up, they made highlines for having the only Maid Cafe in the last decade, but they decided to close that down. However, Uncle Tetsu lives on due to their many cheesecake fans! The maids were still active as the idol group Act102, but have retired during the pandemic.

Kevin’s Taiyaki

Instagram
675 Bloor St W, Toronto (Inside PAT Central Market)

If you’re a Japan fan, you’ve probably heard of Taiyaki before. It’s the official name of the fish shaped desserts that are often filled with either custard or red bean paste. You can try either or both at this hidden gem.

A short walk away from Christie station, you’ll see the big PAT grocery store. Just walk inside, and you’ll see the booth to your left. Treats are made daily throughout the day, so you can grab some hot and fresh off the grill, or buy a box to eat later. Definitely try them hot if you can, you won’t regret it!

Saryo – Tokyo Cafe & Dessert

Website | Instagram
5051 Yonge St, North York

If you’re a fan of matcha or tea flavoured frozen desserts, you need to check out Saryo! Saryo Cafe is actually a Japanese establishment with over 20 years in the industry, and Toronto was chosen as their first overseas establishment!

You can get matcha or joujicha ice cream, sundaes, waffles, and parfaits. They also got a matcha anmitsu bowl which is filled with beans, mochi, jelly and fruits. They also have a nice selection of lattes and coffees.

Their main menu isn’t too big, but that just means you can ensure everything is quality and made with care. Now and then, they’ll have specials like rose, matcha and joujicha brownies!

Fuwa Fuwa Pancakes

Website | Instagram
408 Bloor St, Toronto | 2471 Yonge St, Midtown
1177 Central Pkwy W #7, Mississauga | Scarborough Town Centre
Rutherford Marketplace | Square One Shopping Centre

You’ve probably heard of Japanese souffle pancakes at this point, and Fuwa Fuwa was quick on the trend when they opened up in 2018. These pancakes are fluffy, so fluffy they’re jiggly. They may take a while to make, but they are certainly worth the wait.

At Fuwa Fuwa, they got the classic with maple syrup and butter, then they got the signature with various fruits, the tiramisu pancake, creme brule pancake, matcha and red bean pancake, cookies and cremes and various others. They also got pudding, teas, and lattes to accompany your meal.

Cheese Garden

Website | Instagram
5291 Yonge St, North York | Pacific Mall
Eaton Centre | Unit G120 – 3250 Midland Ae, Scarborough

If you’re looking for a place where you can try various different deserts, why not check out cheese garden? They have not only the traditional Japanese Cheesecake like Uncle Tetsu, but souffle and pudding, and pistachio cheesecakes, matcha tiramisu, cheese tarts, and rare classics like sakura cheesecake and white peach oolong tiramisu.

As for drinks, they got some classics like matcha lattes and peach oolong tea, but also some unique ones like their iced pineapple yogurt, iced strawberry cheesecake, and green apple jasmine tea.

Isabella’s Mochi Donuts

Website | Instagram
2066 Queen St E, Toronto
4 St Patrick St, Toronto | 607 Bloor St W, Toronto

Don’t come after me about authenticity with this one, just be happy I’m telling you about this. If you love mochi, you’ll probably love a mochi donut! On their instagram, they state you can 6 mochi donuts for $20. Flavours change every week!

Some flavors that I saw while browsing through include Vietnamese coffe, lychee, mango float, gingerbread, ube, coconut pie, leche flan, hot cocoa, grilled cheese, apple cider, carrot cake, london fog, bostoncreme, and basque cheesecake. It’s definitely a place you’ll have to visit every week or two for your mochi fix!

Sasaki Fine Pastry

Website | Instagram
J-Town – 3160 Steeles Ave W, Markham

Okay okay, if mochi donuts are too upscale for you, or you just want some classic mochi, you have to check out this little shop! They specialize in daifuku mochi that is vegan and made daily. Flavours on the menu include black sesame, creame, houjicha, matcha, mango, strawberry, sake (seasonal), and yomogi (weekend special).

They also have a selection of dorayaki, another Japanese desert which contains two castella sponge cakes with filling between. You can get their classic red bean paste dorayaki, or make it extra special with cream, strawberries or matcha.

Hattendo

Website | Instagram
13 Baldwin Ave, Toronto | Yorkdale Mall | Markville Mall
Holt Renfrew Centre | Square One Shopping Centre | Hillcrest Mall

If you’re looking for some authentic Japanese cream buns, this is the place to go. The restaurant was founded in Hiroshima in 1933, so you can be sure they have perfected their craft.

Their main menu has custard, matcha, chocolate, azuki bean, and whipping cream buns. They also got melon buns, custards, and sandwiches (including the famous Japanese fruit sandos). With your dessert, you also have a variety of hot and iced drinks to choose from.

T-swirl Crepe

Website | Instagram
510 Yonge Street, Toronto

If you ever visit Japan, you’ll quickly realize these people LOVE their crepes. There is a creperie in every mall, every busy street, etc. But why wouldn’t they? It’s a great portable snack filled with nothing but goodness. T-swirl is a shop in Toronto that is focused on Japanese crepes, as opposed to traditional French ones.

On their menu, you can find some tasty creations such as banana choclate, matcha chocolate truffles, lychee romantic, blueberry NY cheesecake, fruits cocktail, crepe brulee, mango raspberry, fuji caramel apple, matcha azuki bean, and much much more! They also got a wide range of savory crepes if you’re looking for a hearty lunch.

Omusubi Bar Suzume

Website | Instagram
707 Dundas Street West, Toronto

Looking for something more savoury instead of sweet? Head down to Suzume for Japanese Rice Balls (Onigiri) & Comfort Food.

For under $4 each, you can grab yourself an authentic rice ball with Japanese flavors. On their menu, you’ll see Garlic Shitake Mushroom, Japanese sweet potato, tuna & green onion, eggplant sesame miso, salted plum with shiso, salmon wasabi, chicken teriyaki and spicy pork miso.

This restaurant also has donburi (rice bowls), salads and sides, soup and bento boxes. All natural ingredients with a chef from the island itself.

Melokakigori

Instagram | Pop Up Shop

There are quite a few shaved ice shops in Toronto, but the majority serve American styled or Korean shaved ice (Bingsu). The only Japanese shaved ice (Kakigori) place in the city seems to be this pop-up shop. Definitely keep an eye out for their return on their Instagram.

Cafe Wanoka

Website | Instagram
2101 Brimley Road #111, Scarborough

This shop was brought to my attention in a Facebook group. It didn’t pop up during research, but that’s because it opened not long ago, in November 2021. However, from pictures alone, I know this would be a wonderful place to take some friends for some afternoon tea.

What does Cafe Wanoka have? Just a little bit of everything! For lunch, you can grab some Japanese styled sandwiches, like their Egg Salad Sandwich, Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich or Wasabi Mayo Roast Beef Sandwich. They even have the oh-so-famous omurice (omelet over rice, filled with veggies and meat, and seasoned to perfection). If you’re not that hungry, they got a handful of traditional onigiris as well.

For dessert, you can decide between Cream Puffs with high quality Japanese tea flavors, Tofu Cheese Cake, Chiffon Cake Sandwiches, variety of Puddings, Grean Tea Brownies, Chocolate Parfaits, Almond Croissants, the list goes on!

And don’t even get me started on their extensive homemade drink list which includes a variety of teas, lattes, sodas, coffees, and fruit flavoured milks!

Tsujiri

Website | Instagram
147 Dundas St, Toronto

On almost every search I did, Tsujiri came up. It’s hard to tell what they have with their website, but it’s more clear on their Instagram.

They specialize in Japanese tea and lattes, having classic and unique spins on traditional tea flavours (O-matcha, Houjicha, Sencha, Genmaicha), but don’t neglect the rest of their menu! On their dessert menu, you can find a handful of goodies like dango and cheesecake. When they fully open up again, it looks like you can look forward to parfaits, fruit eclairs, and even some savoury dishes!

BLOOM Cafe

Website | Instagram
596 Yonge St, Toronto | 255 Beverley St, Toronto

Last, but definitely not least, we have Bloom Cafe! This shop opened up in 2019, but don’t let their age fool you! The pastry chef behind Tsujiri above has started his own bakery, but he takes it up to another level! Here, you can find some of the prettiest tea infused pastries including cream puffs, daifuku, eclairs, and even tea infused soft serve! They also serve cakes and treat boxes for you to take home!

Conclusion

I hope this article introduces you to some places you will add to your list of places to check out.

Did I miss any Japanese cafes? Which of these would you highly recommend?
Be sure to leave your thoughts and referrals in the comments! Let’s help these places together!