This Korean-Parisian bistro serves brunch classics you've never seen before

A cute little ghost sign beckons guests off of College Street and into the café. A large tree grows right in the front, surrounded by little stools and flanked on one side by shelves lined with local wares. At first blush, it seems just like a regular coffee shop. Baristas buzz around behind the display case, where the pastries and madeleines that made chef Jayden Park Toronto-famous shine under the spotlights. 

Chef Park started his bakery as an online pandemic pop-up, gaining plenty of notoriety for his creative flavours before moving into a permanent home on the borders of Little Italy and Brockton Village.

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Behind the café counter, there's a threshold where hardwood floors stop and white-and-grey patterned tiles begin, transforming the open, white-brick-walled space from a coffee shop into a restaurant. Chef Park and his team work behind the pass in the open kitchen, slinging brunch classics as you've never seen them before.

The vegetarian friendly (yipee) eggs Benedict is served on top of two crispy potato pancakes with spicy kimchi tomato jam and cooling spinach sandwiched in the middle. Then, it's all covered in gochujang hollandaise for an extra kick. It's a fired up eggs Benny that makes all the other iterations I've had in the past resemble plain toast. 

GG's Breakfast Sando comes loaded with soft scrambled eggs on top of a chicken patty and oozing with cheddar cheese and gochujang aioli. Admittedly, the plates aren't the largest, so after scarfing those down and scraping our plates clean, we can't resist an order of the crunchy, cornflake-crusted shrimp toast covered with shrimp aioli and chives. Everything is prepared with the expertise of Park's French training and the punchy Korean flavours of his heritage. 

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For dessert, the Sticky Madeleine Toffee Pudding takes his iconic French sponge cake and soaks it in a sweet, syrupy toffee mixture with a dollop of chantilly cream on top.

Aside from the usual brewed coffee and espresso-based drinks, there are plenty of specialty creations behind the counter, like my coconut matcha slush, which feels pleasantly like another treat without being too sweet. 

Brunch for two: Around $70 before tax and tip.