Gateau Ghost is serving up gourmet pastries and brunch items on College St., and it all started with resurrecting the humble, shell-shaped, sponge cake.

Founder, Jayden Park, spent his entire adolescent and adult life studying and working in the culinary arts. Originally from Korea, Park worked at Joe Beef in Montreal and Buca and Alo in Toronto.

Amidst a pandemic layoff and feeling exhausted from years in the industry, Park decided to take some time to think about what he truly enjoyed.

And that was pastry.

Park started small, in his home kitchen, testing and retesting until he perfected the madeleine. For the young chef, this meant something that was anything but traditional.

"A madeleine can often be dry and bland - it's supposed to be something you dunk. So I took what I didn't like about the classic ones and thought about how I can change it to make it something special," Park shared with blogTO.

Using pans ordered from Korea, Park's madeleine's are a little bigger and taller to allow for a more pillowy, soft, and moist cake interior. But what makes them particularly special is Park's creativity with flavour.

"I never understood…why does a madeleine only have to be one flavour?"

Park currently has ten flavours of madeleines at the moment, with various flavours on rotation daily, such as the Matcha Pistachio Madeleine with mascarpone chantilly cream or the Black Sesame Madeleine with white chocolate ganache and a crispy wafer-thin black sesame feuilletine.

My favourite is the savoury Miso Chive Madeleine ($4.50) with a miso honey glaze, chopped chives, freshly grated parmesan and cracked black pepper.

With his madeleine creation ready to go, Park hosted numerous pop-ups at local spots. Given the overwhelmingly positive feedback, he started doing online sales to keep the madeleine momentum going.

It wasn't until meeting his now business partner, Randall Papineau, that Park realized the potential to expand, and the two set off to find a more permanent location.

When they finally found the perfect space at the intersection of College and Dovercourt, it was much larger than anticipated - at least for a stand-alone bakery. Given Park’s impressive culinary experience, the two decided to think beyond pastry and include a sit-down dining menu.

Park and Papineau worked with Conik Studios Interiors to design a space that could accommodate both.

Walking through the door, you have a view of the bakery and the glass display case holding all the freshly baked goods.

The pastry menu changes daily but features delicacies such as the Red Bean and Soybean Powder Croissants ($8).

There are also several refreshing specialty drinks, including the Mango Ginger Turmeric Iced Tea ($7) and Iced Berry Matcha Latte ($9).

Once you have your beverage and treat of choice, there's plenty of seating around the front window where you can read, chat with friends, marvel at the display of natural wines, and enjoy.

It has an overall feeling of being light and airy with its natural wood, organic shapes, and use of greenery.

Just past the bakery is the restaurant. The tile flooring, open kitchen, bar stools, and small tables have a distinct European bistro-style flare.

Throughout the interiors, you’ll also spot a friendly and adorable ghost that's become synonymous with the brand.

"I was in the kitchen working, and I randomly started drawing the side of a madeleine, and I put a face on it," Park laughed when asked about the inspiration behind the logo.

Park later asked his partner, who happens to be a creative director, if he thought the drawing had potential. Not only did it have just that, but it also helped cement the name - Park's madeleine looked like a ghost!

Park first thought to name the spot "gateau, gateau, gateau" with the word gateau referring to cake. But with his madeleine now turned ghost, Gateau Ghost was born.

Park is also responsible for the menu's fun and whimsical illustrations.

When creating a cohesive dining concept, Park wanted dishes that had a natural connection to pastry and were fun for customers to enjoy.

The result is a menu that melds pastry and casual affair while also paying tribute to Park's upbringing in Korea and culinary experience in French cuisine.

Take, for instance, the Cereal Shrimp Toast ($14).

"The shrimp toast very much represents the personality of the brand," shares Park. "The way we make it looks like a croquette, but once you open it, it's like - oh there's shrimp in there. So I'm very happy with the toast."

The toast is covered in chives and crusted with crunchy cornflakes, hiding the creamy shrimp aioli inside.

Also on the menu is the Ricotta French Toast ($18), which features brûléed brioche, house-made strawberry and peach jam, and sweet whipped ricotta.

For something more savoury, you need to try KFC Sando ($21), which comes highly recommended by Park himself. The star of the sandwich is the tender, juicy chicken thigh with irresistible crispy skin and a salty, sweet soy honey garlic seasoning.

Like any good sandwich, this one has lots of finely shredded cabbage, perfectly sliced pickles, and a generous amount of the house mayo. It comes with a pile of shoestring fries tossed with parmesan and herbs.

One of my other favourite dishes was the Mushroom on Crispy Rice ($16). Served in a miniature cast iron skillet - the rice comes with a bed of maitake, oyster and enoki mushrooms, pickled watercress, soy marinated egg yolk, toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

The egg is gooey and delightful with the crisp and crunch of the rice, and there's so much umami throughout the dish. It’s something I would eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The Radicchio Salad ($14) is also a great light option or side plate with pickled raw golden beets, an orange and beet juice vinaigrette, and toasted pistachios. It's colourful and vibrant with a good balance of bitter and sweet.

To accompany your meal, there's a wide selection of coffee, tea, natural wines, and cocktails.

You can never go wrong with a classic Espresso Martini ($17), or for something with a little twist, try the GG's Caesar ($16), which has a kimchi base and a hint of sriracha for a kick.

And of course, I can't forget about dessert. The brunch menu has a Sticky Madeleine Toffee Pudding ($12) with house-made toffee and white chocolate chantilly cream.

The grand opening of Gateau Ghost on May 15th, 2024, saw customers pouring in to try Park's coveted madeleines and his new brunch menu. Many also came to snap a picture with the proud founder himself.

The Bakery and Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, and brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday.

If you’re hoping to join the madeleine frenzy, come early, as they sell out around noon.