Lost in Tokyo
Lost in Tokyo is a picturesque parfait shop hidden inside an otherwise unassuming clothing store. Opened last month, this dessert spot became a viral success after only a week of operation.
With its charmingly mismatched furniture and artfully cluttered aesthetic, it's not hard to see why.
Every inch of this small space is Instagrammable, from the beautiful bisque dolls to the shelves full of potted plants.
Owner Zoe Yu claims that most of the decor was inspired by her personal taste. As a fan of Japanese food and culture, she wanted to include as many references to Japanese media as she could. 
Statues of famous anime characters, such as Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, can be found atop tables, while posters for popular Japanese films decorate the walls.
Seating is limited to a few small tables and an L-shaped bar, which wraps around the small kitchen area. Here, you can watch as Zoe and her staff prepare various dishes, including the cafe's signature desserts.
Though many of the parfaits look intimidating at first glance, the bar is decorated with helpful diagrams that show how each dish is made, layer by layer.
Love You Berry Much ($13.90) is a towering parfait that's perfect for sharing with the people you love.
The parfait is topped with a jiggly piece of caramel pudding, which is in turn topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Below that lies a layer of rosewater jelly. Beneath that, sticky strawberry jam.
Calbee cereal, diplomat cream, castella cake and dark chocolate almond clusters round out the parfait's ingredients. Each one brings a different texture to the dessert, but all of them work together to give it a unique flavour.
Tropical Love ($15.90) is served in a round glass, almost like a snow globe. Like its name suggests, this parfait is filled to the brim with tangy tropical fruits, which give the dessert a distinctive summery taste.
The top layer consists of caramel almond brittle, a scoop of pineapple sorbet and a roasted pineapple ring, atop a flaky mille-feuille pastry.
Below that sits a ball of Singapore Sling sorbet, garnished with fresh grapefruit, brown sugar boba, butter crisps, pineapple and shaved ice.
Melon Soda ($6.50) is a popular Japanese drink, similar to an ice cream float. This bright green beverage is made with cream soda, melon syrup, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The final touch is a single maraschino cherry, which stands out against the green and white background.
Though the Matcha Coconut ($6) looks a lot plainer than many of the other items on offer, its smooth, milky taste more than makes up for its understated appearance.
It also includes pieces of chewy coconut jelly, which makes it extra fun to drink.
Caramel Pudding ($7) is an iconic egg-based dessert, topped with whipped cream and cherries.
While it can be eaten as part of a larger parfait, like Love You Berry Much, I believe that this dish is best experienced on its own.
Though Zoe tells us she is flattered by her shop's success, she admits that the attention is a little overwhelming at times.
"I personally don't want the fame or the reputation, because I'm already doing something that I like," she explains.
Nevertheless, Zoe promises to continue creating quality desserts, hoping to share her love of Japanese culture with the city.
Lost in Tokyo is located at 511 Queen Street West.
Fareen Karim
