Oompa Bakery is a hidden spot for coffee and handcrafted choux pastries.

The shop occupies a small unit in Donwood Plaza, off of Lawrence Avenue. Though space is limited, Oompa makes the most of it: the dining area is dotted with square tables and decorated with flowers.

A glass display case separates these tables from the open concept kitchen, where cookies, cakes and coffee are prepared daily.

Owner Sun Kim is the bakery's only full time employee. As such, he acts as Oompa's chef, cashier, manager and janitor.

Though this often means working sixteen hour shifts, Sun doesn't mind. He explains that each job has its own rewards, with the most satisfying reward being the smiles he receives from customers.

Sun began his career as a baker after spending nearly two decades in marketing. He worked in a Korean bakery for three years, before eventually enrolling in a pastry arts program at Humber College.

He spent the next few years learning about commercial baking and mass production at various fine dining establishments. In late 2023, he founded Oompa, hoping to put everything he had learned to good use.

The bakery's name is meant to evoke the Oompa-Loompas, the diminutive candy makers from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Sun mentions that he wanted his business to have a recognizable name that didn't mean anything in any real world language.

"Toronto is a very multicultural city and I didn't want to accidentally offend anyone," he tells us with a laugh.

Since opening, Sun has fine-tuned his menu in response to customer feedback. Though Korean-style sweets are his specialty, he wants to make sure that everyone feels welcome in his store.

The items that he currently has for sale represent the most popular dishes in his repertoire.

Cream Choux ($5.25) are delicate, cream-filled pastries that come in four different flavours: strawberry, mango, blueberry and chocolate.Affectionately known as "aliens" because of their stout "bodies" and brightly coloured "eyes", these labour-intensive pastries took Sun years to master.

As a result, they've become some of the bakery's hottest commodities.Dacquoise ($3.75) are bite-sized desserts made from almond and hazelnut meringue. Oompa serves eight types, including raspberry-pistachio and coffee-caramel.

If you want to sample the bakery's entire selection, the dacquoise gift box ($21) includes six flavours in one convenient package. Almond Croissants ($3.99) are among the most basic items on the menu, yet enjoy popularity with many of the neighborhood's older residents.

These croissants are topped with powdered sugar and chopped almonds, which compliment their flaky crust.

Egg Tarts ($2.49) were added to the menu after repeated requests for custard tarts.

Though ultimately descended from Portuguese pastel de nata, these tarts take more inspiration from Macau style egg tarts, which are soft and gooey underneath their crispy, caramelized tops.

Oompa's Iced Coffee ($3.80) is a simple yet effective take on cold brew coffee. The bakery's house blend is dark and rich, with hints of sweetness.

Sun made a point of drawing our attention to the nugget ice, which he makes with a special ice machine.

This ice is smaller than most conventional cubes and has a light, crunchy texture that pairs perfectly with sweet summer drinks.

Oompa Bakery is located at 71 Underhill Drive.