A new bakery in Port Moody is bringing some unique flavours to tantalize taste buds.
And with the close proximity of Elmo Baking Co. to the Shoreline Trail right across Murray Street, it’ll be easy to walk off those indulgences.
Elmo Pinpin, the bakery’s namesake, is originally from the Philippines. After years baking and working as a pastry chef for other establishments like Thomas Haas Chocolates and Patisserie, the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver, the Blue Water Café and Vancouver Community College, he’s decided to make his own mark in flour.
That means creating confections like layer cakes and twice-baked croissants filled with Ube Halaya, a creamy filling made with special purple yams native to the Philippines as well as macarons with flavours inspired by street ice cream vendors in his homeland. Even pastry mainstays like Viennoiserie have a twist, like a buttery croissant topped with garlic granules, onion flecks, along with poppy and sesame seeds or a dark chocolate pain au chocolat with raspberry enhancements.
The menu evolves with the calendar, Pinpin said, incorporating seasonal fruits and flavours as they become available like a current favourite, the twice-baked pumpkin pie croissant.
“I like to bake and serve things that resonate with me and are a part of who I am,” he told the Tri-City News, adding influences from his travels abroad and childhood memories are also incorporated into his baking. They include the Bingsu cream puff inspired by a Korean shaved ice desert filled with sweetened red bean, or the peanut butter and jam croissant.
Since striking out on his own, PinPin and his wife, Patty, had been operating out of a friend’s restaurant in Richmond. They supply several cafés around Metro Vancouver and also set up weekly pop-up shops.
But, PinPin said, after moving to Port Moody in 2016, they started dreaming about for a place to set up their own permanent kitchen closer to home.
It proved a challenging goal to attain, he added, until they heard about the ground floor commercial spaces that are part of the first phase at the new Electronic Avenue development across from Inlet Field that will also soon be home to a new pizzeria as well as a wine bar.
With construction complete and the first residents moving in, Elmo launched a soft opening last Thursday (Nov. 10).
Pinpin said he’s excited to be able to make a contribution to Port Moody’s growing foodie culture.
“We really do love the businesses and community in this area,” he said. “Hopefully our products appeal to the community as well.”
• Elmo Baking Co. Is located at 3133 Murray St. and offers only takeout service. You can also order online for pickup at its website.
