By: Meera Eragoda, Copy Editor and Sara Wong, Arts & Culture Editor
- Le Marché St. George butter croissant — $2.90
If I had a dollar for everytime I was at Le Marché St. George and heard the question, “Are you out of the croissants?” . . . well, I wouldn’t be rich but I’d probably have about $100 — yes, I’ve been to Marché a lot. Sometimes I’ve been the one asking the question and at other times, I’ve been lucky enough to be happily munching on a croissant while overhearing someone else.
Marché has a couple of different croissants but the question is always in relation to their butter croissants. They’ve perfected the ratio of flaky and crispy on the outside to soft and buttery on the inside. Unlike other places where sometimes the croissant is a little more burnt, or sometimes too soft, they manage to always stay consistent. And seriously, the butter really makes it. They also offer a vegan croissant, which doesn’t taste as good to me because I’m a butter fiend, but even I can acknowledge that the texture is accurate to a croissant.
While there are a variety of delicious, creative, unique croissant offerings all over Vancouver, Marché is getting the basics right and ultimately, that’s the foundation of any good croissant. The only critique I have is that they don’t make more. If you’re there after 10 a.m., you’re really rolling the dice on your chances of snagging one. — ME
2. Chez Christophe double baked almond croissant – $5.45
I know this croissant is expensive, but hear me out. The double baked almond croissant is special because it’s extra crunchy on the outside, thanks to a flaky dough and toasted shaved almonds, and the inside is stuffed with a rich, nutty, slightly sweet almond cream. As a finishing touch, the pastry is dusted with powdered sugar. It’s larger and definitely more filling than a regular croissant, which makes it worth splurging on.
I once had a double baked almond croissant that was fresh out of the oven, and it was even more phenomenal that way, so if you go to Chez Christophe and order this, I highly recommend asking your server if they can warm it up for you. Chez Christophe used to only make this on special occasions, but they’ve come to their senses and now serve it on the regular menu.
For the record, all of their other croissants are really good too. I love the double baked almond because of its textural variety, but their classic butter croissant is textbook perfect. You can also try something new and innovative with their croissant cubes, which rotate flavours daily. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with your selection here. — SW
3. Nemesis Dope Bakehouse tiramisu croissant – $7.00
If you’re feeling boujee, then a Nemesis croissant is the way to go. The team here consistently nails both presentation and flavour. I’ve had a handful of their croissant offerings, but this tiramisu one takes the cake (so to speak). The croissant was stuffed with an espresso cream and topped with mascarpone chiboust, a dusting of cocoa powder, and a thin piece of chocolate. It was a masterpiece.
What made this croissant really taste like tiramisu was the espresso cream. It was light and airy, and you could detect the coffee without it becoming overpowering. Speaking of not taking over my palate, I was pleasantly surprised that the cocoa powder acted more as an accent flavour. A little goes a long way with this topping, and the Nemesis bakers thankfully understood that.
I liked the mascarpone chiboust, though I don’t have anything more memorable about it to add. The piece of chocolate was also a nice finishing touch, but not what I focused on most. Ultimately, it was the pastry that was the biggest star — it was buttery, flaky, and had the right amount of salt. I emphasize the latter because there were some bites where I just got pastry and none of the other components, and those bites were full of flavour too. — SW
