inthekitchen
fl avour
fusion
Behind closed doors, Pinky’s Bakeshop
is whipping up a new, modern concept:
high-end pâtisserie spiked with South
Asian tastes.
by Sarah Ritchie
Phingky Fuentes never dreamed of owning her own business. She
simply knew she loved to bake and wanted to make it her career.
First introduced to Western-style baking when her family
immigrated to Riverton, Manitoba, from Thailand in 1991, Phingky
and her mother learned how to bake cookies and cakes from their
sponsor, an avid baker. She recalls being an 8-year-old girl watching
her mother in the kitchen, fi lling the home daily with the scent
of cinnamon buns, and feeding the budding baker’s passion for
dessert.
Today, Phingky’s lifelong love affair with pastry manifests in the
array of glorious goodies on offer at Pinky’s Bakeshop, the sweet
little spot nestled at the corner of Osborne and Stradbrook. Rows of
macarons, cakes and cookies attract lovers of sweets with alluring
colours and exquisite frosting. This assortment is what draws Ciao!
to the shop, but our tasting visit offers a glimpse at something
different ready to emerge.
In an industry where image and originality are so important,
change is often necessary. As a burgeoning number of new opens
join the city’s main-stays each year, the competitive landscape
for Winnipeg’s restaurants and bakeshops is ever-increasing, and
while a blessing to customers, it poses challenges and pressures to
restaurateurs and shop owners looking for ways to stand apart.
12
ciao! / apr/may / two thousand nineteen