Sweetheart Bakery has been around for two years and it has barely made a blip on the food scene. Why is that? If I said the terms “Chinese bakery”, first thing that comes to mind is Garden or Hong Kong Bakery in Chinatown. T&T and Lucky Supermarket will come to mind before Sweetheart Bakery ever comes up. It’s because it’s on the north side of Edmonton, that’s why! Seems like downtown, 124 St, Whyte Ave, and even so far as south Edmonton (think XIX, and plenty of Korean eats on Parsons Road) have always gotten reviewers flocking to restaurants and businesses, but what about up north?
This all came about when a foodie friend asked me what there was to eat on the north side since she had just moved there. There was a good moment of silence as a result. All I could think of was Co Do Hue, and even then I realized I had never written about my favorite north side eat. (It will come, it will come.) She then mentioned of a Chinese bakery but couldn’t recall the name. I had heard of Sweetheart Bakery before from a coworker but had never actually been. Urbanspoon and Yelp sure didn’t help either as it was unexplored territory. LET’S OM NOM. to the scene! This will be the start of a mini series of eats in north Edmonton, the boundaries flexible for now, but let’s say north of the Yellowhead Trail and not including St. Albert. Hopefully it becomes more substantial than one post. Anyways…
Exterior
Sweetheart Bakery is located on 81 St and 160 Ave, in Plaza 160 with small businesses flanking the Chinese shop. Lots of free parking spaces on the east side of the building, and if full, you can park on the sides of the residential area.
Trays
Coconut Bun
Comparable to the size of Garden Bakery in Edmonton’s Chinatown, the shop was only half full of goodies when I came to visit on Wednesday morning. They opened at 9AM and when I arrived it was already 10AM, so I’m not sure if they were still baking or if it’s like this all the time. Would have to come on a Saturday to see if it gets any better. What was available though were your standard pastries and cakes, with trays and tongs available for sanitary handling.
Desserts
Cakes
They seemed to specialize in cakes and rolls, although the display was half empty as well. Large sheets of cakes and wedding tiers were on display above all the cupboards though, which makes me believe they cater more towards that.
Savory Pastries
I ended up buying a coconut cream bun to eat at work. Tasted like your standard coconut cream bun that you could easily buy at T&T. My coworkers loved it though but I don’t think they’ve ever had one before. Fresh though! I also bought two savory pastries for lunch at home.
Curry Beef Pastry
A curry beef pastry was up first. I reheated it in the toaster over for a bit since I usually enjoy them warm and crispy. There was a good amount of filling: curried beef, potatoes, and vegetables and the pastry itself was nice and flaky.
Chicken Pie
My favorite of all my purchases was the chicken pie. The dough was different from the curry beef pastry, this one being more like a pie crust. Absolutely delicious! It even had a subtle glaze over top which made it sweeter in flavor. Definitely need to go back and get some more of these! Wonder if I can freeze them and reheat… perfect for on the go snacking and for at work! (I get no solid lunch breaks!)
Most definitely will be returning to buy more goodies! T&T Supermarket is right near my house, but I would much rather get my pastries from a local bakery. I hope they have more selection next time I visit though, as their online menu indicates they have lots to choose from. A great option for those who live on the north side and don’t want to fight traffic and parking to get to Chinatown.
Sweetheart Bakerywww.sweetheartbakery.ca
8111 160 Ave
(780) 457-2238
let's om nom 