Restaurant: Maple Castella – Review for pumpkin bread
Cuisine: Bakery/Breads/Pastries/Desserts
Last visited: September 4, 09
#1068 – 8700 McKim Way
Price Range: $10 or less
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!
Additional comments:
- Taiwanese bakery in Richmond
- Specializes in Taiwanese buns/baked goods (sweet & savoury)
- All breads/buns made on site daily
- Amazing breads and buns – cookies not as great though
- More on the sweeter/eggy side – everything is like eating an amazing brioche
- Always busy, familiar to locals and Chinese
- Taiwanese bakery not Cantonese – so buns are different than Chinese bakeries like Maxim’s
- Closed Thursday
- Smells absolutely delicious inside and outside the bakery
**Recommendation: PUMPKIN BREAD
I dedicate this blog just for the pumpkin bread. Yes – it tastes just as good as it looks – and it looks pretty darn good! I have tried several of their other breads and buns as well and those are delicious – but this one is my favourite – so it gets its own space. The pumpkin bread has come up in the last year, and it’s not always in stock, so make sure you call ahead and check first. I’ll blog about their other breads on another day, when I have pictures to include.
Added note: The pumpkin loaf is about 2 slices bigger than the picture shown above – I already ate a couple slices…couldn’t resist.
On the table:
- **Pumpkin Bread 6/6
- I have no idea what the ingredient list is – all I know is that it’s freaking delicious. I’ve had pumpkin bread at European/American bakeries before – and this pumpkin bread is nothing like those. At those bakeries I often find it’s a bread recipe with pumpkin puree thrown into the bread mixture – with some cinnamon and cloves…which is good, but also expected. The way Maple Castella makes pumpkin bread is so different! It’s definitely the Asian/Chinese/Taiwanese way of making bread – heavier on the eggs and sugar, but super soft in the texture. It’s less of a bread and more like pastry. Everything is sweeter and fluffier here. This is bread you can eat on its own, or even as a dessert.
- Maple Castella makes this pumpkin bread so soft and there’s swirls of pumpkin throughout the bread. It’s so soft you need to cut thick slices. It’s not even really pumpkin they use, they use Japanese Kaboocha squash. It’s not a canned puree, it’s a bright orange colour – not that canned brown pumpkin puree colour. This “pumpkin” puree is made in house and you can tell. They mash it rather than puree it, so there’s texture too.
- The base of the bread is definitely an egg bread and tastes like the softest brioche you’ve ever had. Then they put pumpkin seeds over the top of the bread. I serioulsy crave this thing, and am so excited when they have it in stock. You can only buy it in a loaf (about 8 slices), and you’ll finish it in 1-2 days because it’s so good. Just look at the picture!
- It’s so fresh and usually sells out the day of…it’s a hot item!
- Tasty Twist Idea
- Use it to make french toast. Top it with a drizzle of maple syrup and toasted pecans. Truly decadent.
[geotag]
Ok, I tried this bread today and it was the bomb! Great recommendation! The bakery was a bit hard to find, but totally worth it! Thank you!
I'm SOO happy you tried it!!! That's fantastic!! Wow you're the first reader to let me know that you tried one of recommendations! =)
Wasn't it amazing?! As soon as you open that bag you can smell it!! I love that stufff – I have half a loaf at home right now too. They have the loaf/bread version and the bun version as well.
I can't believe I'm the first! Woo hoo! Good to see your ranking going up…I've been reading since you were #23.
Wow! You just made my day. Thank you for the support. I'm completely dedicated to my readers and finding you the best, so comments like these make it worthwhile.
This is Christmas gift! A special offer for this pumpkin bread! hope you get to try it!
For special offer/promo code:
http://tinyurl.com/ykxog67
Thank you Mifune. I will go there today and try it.
– Jonnek
Great!!!! Hope you enjoy!…I hope they don't close on Christmas…:|
Hi Mijune,
I found you through KimHo's blog. I love your passion for baked goods, which some of the male bloggers lack, heh, heh.
Anyways, I was lucky enough to pick up half a loaf of the pumpkin bread and my family and I love it. It's healthy (sort of) and so delicious. I bought mine's fresh out of the oven and it needed to air a bit before I bagged it. I also bought a few other items which are perfect with tea.
I look forward to trying the french bakery you recommended on my next foray.
Hi Holly! Welcome to my blog! Yes I do LOVE my baked goods! I'll take them anyway I can get them and often with ice cream on the side :DD
I'm so pleased you got to try the pumpkin bread! Seriously hearing that your family enjoyed it too makes me smile from ear to ear…and I can't stop smiling!!
Thank you for your comment!
PS: Try toasting the pumpkin bread and spreading a layer of ice cream on it…HEAVEN!!!!
Hi Mijune,
I decided to stop by Maple Castella to try the pumpkin bread and the pork floss bread after reading your blog! Their breads are so soft and moist. Love the pumpkin bread lightly toasted (a slice is toasting right now) and anything with pork floss has to be good!! Definitely worth the trip.
Kila! AWESOME!!!! This is one of my most favourite breads in Vancouver!! It’s amazing..the best pumpkin bread I’ve tried to date…I open the bag or walk past that bakery and the aroma…OMG!!! DROOL! So happy it was worth your trip! Thanks for stopping by my blog!