Croffles: At the intersection of croissants and waffles

CanCulture visited Fuwa Fuwa and tried the newest addition to their menu: croffles

By: Apurva Bhat

(Sama Nemat Allah/CanCulture)

The wind is cool, my face is numb and my friend and I can’t wait to reach Fuwa Fuwa to try their fluffy-looking croffles. With my university nearby in downtown Toronto’s Dundas Square, the franchise’s Bloor St. W. location is the closest and most accessible to me. When we enter the store, we are welcomed by the warmth and smell of fresh pancakes being cooked.

Known for their Japanese pancakes, Fuwa Fuwa began making croffles that gained immense popularity this summer at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). According to blogTO, they were nearly sold out each day. On Oct. 1, the restaurant announced that the affordable croffles - only $5.99 each (without tax) – would be a permanent addition to their menu.

These croffles come in four flavours - signature, tiramisu, cocoa banana and cookies and cream. We ordered the signature, tiramisu and cookies & cream.

As we were waiting for our food to be made, we could see other orders being freshly prepared - an employee flipping a batch of fluffy Japanese pancakes and another employee whisking batter for more pancakes. The store is clearly popular. Despite coming in an hour before closing, there was lots of traffic and online orders dinging in.

This location was fairly compact, but we didn’t have difficulty finding a seat. After seven minutes, our desserts were brought to our table. The portion was what one would expect for the price - not too huge and not too small. 

Each croffle, as explained by a front staff member, has the same base - a croissant. It is then toasted in a waffle maker and topped with whipped cream.

Depending on the flavour, the ingredients differ. My personal favourite was the cookies and cream which happens to be one of the more popular flavours according to an employee. It was topped with crushed Oreos and was extremely delicious. I especially liked the balance between sweet and savoury.

The cookies & cream croffle is one of Fuwa Fuwa’s more popular flavours.  (Apurva Bhat/CanCulture)

The one thing I didn’t enjoy was that the croffles were slightly undercooked in the middle. I’m someone that appreciates flaky and crispy croissants, but the texture of these was softer. I also couldn’t taste the waffle aspect of the croffles as much - it majorly tasted like a slightly undercooked toasted croissant.

The signature flavour offers customers a simple, uncomplicated flavour for the less adventurous eaters - topped with a handful of strawberries and blueberries, it wasn’t very extraordinary.

Contrary to what a video on Fuwa Fuwa’s Instagram suggests, the signature croffle didn’t have any syrup or powdered sugar on top. Because of this, it wasn’t extremely sweet but was actually refreshing which I appreciated.

The tiramisu flavour was a big no for me. Like the other flavours, the middle was slightly undercooked. Also, the combination of coffee syrup and cocoa powder wasn’t ideal – it left an extremely bitter aftertaste. I also didn’t like the excess overload of cacao powder, but if you love bitter desserts, this might be what you’re craving.

The tiramisu croffle topped with cacao powder and coffee syrup (Apurva Bhat/CanCulture)

The order total was $20.31 with taxes which wasn’t too bad. But as a student living in an expensive city like Toronto, I wouldn’t necessarily purchase all flavours - rather stick with one or two.

The price per croffle is what makes these treats an attractive purchase - only $5.99 a piece! I wouldn’t have the signature or tiramisu flavours again, but I would definitely return for the cookies and cream ones.

Overall, If I were to rate Fuwa Fuwa out of 10 based on the croffle’s flavour, quality, service, ambiance and price, I would give it a six. I would love to try their pancakes and perhaps even the cocoa banana croffle, which happens to be another popular choice for other customers!

Take me out to Katsuya

This Japanese spot in downtown Toronto is best known for katsu, a popular breaded deep-fried meat cutlet. 

By: Darya Soufian

The storefront of Katsuya’s downtown Toronto location at 66 Gerrard St. E. (Darya Soufian/CanCulture)

This article is part of CanCulture’s food review series, where our writers explore some of the best food finds across the nation.

If you’ve ever been to the corner of Church and Gerrard Streets in Toronto, then you know where Japanese katsu fusion restaurant Katsuya is. I passed it almost daily in my first year of university, and since I moved back to the city recently, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try the place out. 

I always wondered if the food truly lived up to the signs displayed out front. Hanging outside on the beige brick wall is a poster that reads “2019/2020 Yelp Top 55 Restaurants.” Another poster says “Do you know what is the best katsu in Canada?” Well, that’s what I went to find out on a cold and dreary Wednesday afternoon. That may be the reason why the restaurant wasn’t exactly buzzing with customers that day, but a few food couriers came and went during the 15 minutes I was there. It’s no surprise that Katsuya actually has a total of 10 locations across Ontario and British Columbia cities.

I walked up the brick stairs after entering the building and found a discreet door at the top. It led me into a warm setting, with a small walkway lined with benches and exposed brick. There are lightbulbs hanging from the walls and ceilings, attached to thick pieces of rope — a detail I love but rarely see in restaurants. The kitchen could be seen from every corner, giving a rustic yet comfortable feel to the eatery. 

The greeter that assisted me was very kind and patient while I was admiring the space. After examining the takeout menu, I settled on the sweet chili pork katsu. I have a soft spot for anything sweet chili and was really hoping the research I did into Katsuya’s food wouldn’t let me down on this dish.

A swift 10 minutes passed, and the hostess waved me over to hand me my sweet chili pork katsu. After I basically speed-walked back to my apartment, I ripped open the bag and found two takeout food bowls, along with a longer, rectangular, bento-like plastic container. 

Inside of the bowls were miso soup and the sweet chili sauce. There was a decent-sized portion of pork in the bento box, along with a small amount of rice and side vegetables. There was also a small container holding soup broth in the big container, but I actually saved the miso soup for last and dove right into the pork katsu. Before pouring the sauce on the meat, I dragged the end of my chopsticks across the top to rate the crispiness. Unfortunately, it was not as crispy as I had hoped it would be — but it definitely had some texture to it.

A top view of the pork katsu meal, minus the bowls of miso soup and chili sauce. (Darya Soufian/CanCulture)

I drizzled the sweet chili sauce all over the katsu and dug in. Although the crunch factor wasn’t fully there for me, the pork was certainly tender and moist. I liked how the coating on the pork didn’t make me feel heavy. With deep-fried food, I also can’t stand when there are pools of oil at the bottom of my plate — and there definitely weren’t any with this one. 

I was also looking forward to the sweet chili sauce because it has the sweet and spicy factor that I’m always searching for. It ended up missing the “chilli” for me, so if I visited again, I would definitely try something else marked as spicy. But I would definitely order this katsu again for when I want a non-spicy dish. 

I cleaned the rice and pork off my plate pretty quickly, then followed it up with the side veggies and miso soup. I tried the yellow pickled radishes without the portion of ginger included and quite liked them. Had I tried them earlier, I would’ve eaten them throughout the meal, but there were only two slices. The side salad was also a nice touch, although I wish there was a more generous portion of rice.

This dish is $17.25 before taxes and the total was almost $20. As a student, this is a bit pricey for me so I would only go here again for a special occasion, but I wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to try something else when I do. I would recommend this place to a friend or family member if they were visiting for a casual dinner out. 

If I had to give Katsuya a rating out of 10 combining the service, price, quality and taste of the food, I would give it a seven point five. The quick service and fairly fulfilling food made for this to be an enjoyable experience. While I still think the pork katsu missed the mark for me and the portion sizes were a bit off, there are some other interesting items on their menu that I would try if I went again.

Tut’s: A taste of Egypt in Toronto

Their signature Egyptian sandwiches with a North American touch will have you delightfully surprised!

By: Kaden Nanji

Tut’s combos come in a handy box that mimics the style of Egyptian street food. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

This article is part of CanCulture’s food review series, where our writers explore some of the best food finds across the nation.

Take everything you think you know about sandwiches and toss it out the window, for Tut’s Egyptian Street Food will change your notion of a sandwich forever. Tut’s is open every day of the week until 12 a.m., and Fridays and Saturdays until 3 a.m., making it a great restaurant to visit for your late-night cravings. I decided to try out Tut’s for dinner after a friend recommended it to me. 

Tut’s is an Egyptian street food spot located at 567 King St. W. which specializes in different types of sandwiches that you would find in Egypt — but with a North American twist. One great example of this is the soguk (sausage) sandwich, where Tut’s takes a traditional Middle Eastern sausage and combines it with North American flavours, such as mustard, to give it a unique taste. 

Let me note here that, more than anything, Tut’s is an absolutely unique restaurant. Its interior design is stunning: one of the walls is lined with a neon board featuring Egyptian symbols, another wall has a colourful graffiti display of hieroglyphics and King Tut’s sarcophagus, and the surroundings of the stairs leading down to the bathrooms are designed to look like the inside of a tomb. Furthermore, the restaurant has a rustic design, with exposed pipes (in an aesthetically pleasant way) and a wooden ceiling.

A vibrant display of Egyptian symbols can be seen along the walls of Tut’s. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

Now, let’s take a look at the food. Tut’s specializes in sandwiches. And in order to let you know the optimal meal here, I tried four different flavours. Tut’s offers each sandwich — which are fairly small but filling — for $5. However, I recommend going with a combo: the Tut’s Combo ($12.50) contains two sandwiches, a side and a drink, or the Tut’s Plus Combo ($19.50) which contains four sandwiches, a side and a drink. Both of these combos are innovatively served in a box, which matches the restaurant’s street food theme. 

The four sandwiches that I tried were the ferakh (chicken), soguk (sausage), kofta (beef) and kebda (beef liver). I was recommended the first three dishes by the server, and I decided to be a little adventurous and try the kebda as my fourth. For my side, I chose to try the fries with dukkah – an Egyptian spice blend. The server also recommended I try the tomeyya (garlic sauce). Overall, for the value of the food and for the experience itself, the prices are not exorbitant.

From left to right: the ferakh, the soguk, the kofta, the kebda and the fries. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

Let’s start off with the ferakh, which is a combination of grilled chicken, onion and coriander, served with garlic sauce on a bun made on-site. In fact, all of the buns in the restaurant are baked in-house. The buns are light, airy and help transcend the flavours of the fillings. Overall, the ferakh sandwich was delightful; the grilled onions and coriander helped enrich the taste of the perfectly seasoned chicken. Also, the garlic sauce went along perfectly with chicken, without overpowering the taste.

The second sandwich I tried was the soguk, which is a grilled beef sausage with caramelized onions, sumac and mustard on top. The sausage was cooked well and contained hints of different Middle Eastern spices. The strong mustard balanced the taste of the sausage, while the caramelized onions provided some sweetness. However, one thing that I did not like was the sumac in the sandwich. This is a Middle Eastern spice that has a slightly acidic and fruity taste; unfortunately, I do not think that the use of sumac in the sausage was a good choice as it created a strange contrast between the flavours. Overall, the sandwich wasn’t the best, but it was far from a bad dish.

The soguk, an Egyptian beef sausage with mustard. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

The next sandwich, kofta, was my favourite. It consisted of kofta (grilled minced beef with Middle Eastern spices), pickles, parsley and tahini (a sauce made of sesame seeds). The kofta was incredibly tender and contained an abundance of aromatic spices. Moreover, the tahini and pickles helped elevate the taste of the kofta while not overpowering the overall sandwich. This dish was incredibly simple, relying on more complex spices rather than complex ingredients — which made it my favourite.

For my final sandwich, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try the kebda sandwich, which is pan-fried beef liver with green chili peppers, tahini sauce and a lime wedge. I have never tried beef liver before, and honestly, upon looking at the dish, I was a little grossed out. But I shook that thought out of my head and dug in… and boy am I glad that I tried this sandwich!

The beef liver has an earthy flavour that creates a flavourful punch in one bite when paired with the green peppers and tahini sauce, and the acidity of the lime does wonders to the dish. However, I felt that there was still something missing from the beef, so I used my culinary thinking skills and put some garlic sauce on the sandwich. This small addition to the dish helped elevate its flavour profile entirely and made it even more delicious.

However, my favourite dish probably wasn’t even the sandwiches, but the fries with dukkah. Dukkah is an Egyptian blend of spices and nuts, and it made the fries absolutely delicious and flavourful. They were even better when dipped into the garlic sauce (tomeyya), which is probably one of the best garlic sauces that I have ever had. 

In terms of recommendations, I would have to give my nod to the Tut’s Combo, as it contains just enough to satisfy your hunger without being excessive. But if you are starving, the Tut’s Plus Combo is the way to go. For the sandwiches, first of all, I would recommend the kofta (beef) as it was absolutely delicious. Secondly, I would recommend either the ferakh (chicken) or the kebda (beef liver.) If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, go with the kebda, but if you want to play it safe, the ferakh awaits. There are vegetarian options as well, which I, unfortunately, did not get to try. However, based on customer reviews, the taameyya, a fried falafel sandwich, seems like a pretty tasty option.

I like to end off all my articles with my restaurant rating scale, which contains six different categories: taste, presentation, service, ambience, price and creativity. Each of these categories will be ranked from 1 to 10 on the scale. For more details on the restaurant rating scale, check out the end of my last article, a review of Hong Shing.

  1. Taste: 8.6/10

  2. Presentation: 9/10

  3. Service: 7.5/10

  4. Ambience: 9.1/10

  5. Price: 8.1/10

  6. Creativity: 9/10

Hong Shing: A late-night staple in Toronto

Since 1997, Hong Shing has been a leading go-to spot for Torontonians looking for a Chinese meal, well into the night. 

By: Kaden Nanji

Hong Shing lies at the corner of Dundas Street West and Centre Avenue in Toronto. (Courtesy of Minh Truong)

This article is part of CanCulture’s food review series, where our writers explore some of the best food finds across the nation.

Do you ever get super hungry late at night when virtually every restaurant is already closed? Well, I was stuck in this particular predicament a few weeks ago. I skipped lunch and dinner due to a busy schedule and was completely famished. I wanted to eat somewhere nice, not just a fast food place, but nothing was open at the time. 

“Go to Hong Shing,” my roommate told me as I briefed him on my situation. My roommate swears by this place; he talks about Hong Shing nearly every day. Usually I ignore his ramblings about this restaurant, but at that time, I could eat just about anything. I gathered up a few of my friends and decided to try out this restaurant — and this is the part where Hong Shing became my new late-night staple.

Opened in 1997, Hong Shing is a Chinese restaurant located at 195 Dundas St. W., which specializes in Chinese “family style” and comfort dishes. When I first entered Hong Shing, I noticed that the interior has an appealing dark-themed design with a particularly scattered spatial concept, creating a small and intimate dining experience. Another diner who sat at the table next to mine described the decor as being “rustic with an urban punch.” Along the walls are patterned wooden art designs and a chalkboard with some common phrases in Cantonese, which alludes to the restaurant’s origins.

Hong Shing’s crispy beef. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

As soon as we sat down, we were met with great service, particularly by hosts Anna and Ranger, who made it their priority for us to have an enjoyable dining experience. Anna helped us pick the best items off the menu and provided us with her earnest opinion, something that I thought is quite rare in restaurants. I decided to order the crispy beef after it was recommended to me by Anna. My friends ordered the spicy chili chicken, garlic beef, fried chili squid and sweet and sour pork. 

Ranger remarked that in order to have been open for nearly 25 years, through ups and downs, “the restaurant must be doing something right.” And he was absolutely correct, as the food was absolutely delicious. My crispy beef was delectable; the great flavour and sweetness of the sauce with the pieces of beef, along with a side of rice, was extremely pleasant. The aromatic fragrance that escaped the dish made me salivate as soon as the food was brought out, and after I tried the first bite, I could not stop eating. My friends were met with equal satisfaction from their dishes.

If you’re planning to visit after reading this, I would have to recommend my dish, the crispy beef, as well as the garlic beef, which was also absolutely delicious. Crispy garlic flakes alongside the tender, juicy meat in the garlic beef made this dish one of the highlights of the evening. Both of these dishes were mouthwatering and I cannot wait to have some more the next time I visit.

Hong Shing’s garlic beef. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

The only issue that I have, which is quite understandable from the restaurant’s perspective, was the overall price. As a university student, I find it difficult to afford expensive meals; the total cost of my crispy beef came to around $20. Although this is a little on the pricey side, I felt that the quantity and quality of the crispy beef helped balance the costliness of the restaurant.

Finally, I would like to end off with my restaurant rating scale. Ever since I was younger, whenever my family would go out to eat, we would rate different aspects of the restaurant and dining experience from 1 to 10. These different categories are taste, presentation, service, ambience, price and creativity. They are quite self-explanatory, except creativity, which represents the steps that a restaurant takes to distinguish itself from another restaurant that may have a similar dish — does the restaurant stand out? All of these categories would be measured while considering the overall price of the dish.

  1. Taste: 8.7/10

  2. Presentation: 7.3/10

  3. Service: 9.2/10

  4. Ambience: 8.8/10

  5. Price: 7/10

  6. Creativity: 8/10

Review: The authentic, three dimensional representation in 'Never Have I Ever'

The Netflix comedy-drama series, starring a young Canadian, takes a non-traditional approach to South Asian and teenage culture.

By: Aru Kaul

The title card for the Netflix show Never Have I Ever.

Just like the drinking game, the comedy-drama series Never Have I Ever is about making decisions. Some bad ones, some good ones, but all memorable ones. The show is the perfect blend of comedy and realism. It tells the story of 15-year-old Indian American Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) taking her life back after a traumatic first year of high school.

Ramakrishnan, who is originally from Mississauga, Ont., filmed her audition for Never Have I Ever on a whim in a public library. She barely had any acting experience but was determined to send in her audition. Needless to say, she got it! In this way, she has a lot in common with her character Devi — they both stop at nothing to get what they want.

However, Devi is not the perfect protagonist. Her short temper gets her in some pretty sticky situations. I mean, who stalks their mom while she’s on a date ? This isn’t even the most messed up thing Devi does. She’s not perfect but that’s what makes her character so believable — she’s a messed up teenager.

Teenagehood is more than just drugs and partying and sex. It is often shown that way in mainstream media; especially in terms of how teenage girls are portrayed. Some of the most prevalent teenage girl stereotypes are always caring about your looks and what boys think of you and putting others down because you’re more “popular” than them. However, these approaches fail to recognize that teenagehood can be the hardest years of an individual’s life. 

Never Have I Ever takes an entirely different approach to portraying teenagehood. Devi has issues, unresolved trauma and a tendency to run from her problems rather than face them. She sees a “normal teenage life” as her escape, and thus never initially acknowledges why she feels the need to escape in the first place.

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So much of Devi’s life has already been decided for her. She is an honours student in high school who is heavily involved in extracurriculars and aspires to go to Princeton — and her mom doesn’t let her forget that last part! 

While Devi, her mom and cousin are at a religious ceremony, known as a puja in Hinduism, Devi’s mom very clearly tells her, “Pray you get into Princeton. Don’t waste your prayers on stupid things like world peace!”

The pushy Indian mother trope makes Never Have I Ever relatable for many South Asian children. According to a study from the University of Texas, parental pressure is very common in the South Asian community, especially when it comes to academics. This can cause South Asian children to become aggressive, seek approval from their peers and hide things from their parents — all of which Devi does.

In season two, Devi meets another Indian girl. Although Devi is initially jealous of her, she realizes that she has a lot more in common with that girl than she thought. Teachers mispronouncing their names, overprotective parents and people thinking they look the same, all part of the South Asian American experience, are bonding moments for them.

Like Devi, Ramakrishnan has dealt with people mispronouncing her name. Shortly after the release of the second season of Never Have I Ever, she posted a voice note recording of the correct way to say her name on Twitter. In this voice note, Ramakrishnan says the phonetic pronunciation of her name.

She mentions that she’s had many people mispronounce her name to the point where she began to allow it to happen. However, in her voice note, she says that it’s her name — so she gets to call the shots.

Never Have I Ever presents the South Asian identity in a way that it is not usually seen in media, by making it a main focus of the show and making sure the audience understands South Asian culture. A 2021 study found that from the top 1300 films over the last dozen years, only 44 featured Asians in the lead roles. Never Have I Ever challenges this narrative by making South Asians and their culture the face of the show.