Gotcha (高茶), Soft European Bread
Soft European buns is derived from European buns such as sourdough or French baguette. It uses levain as natural yeast for the rise, but altered to be softer to fit Asian palate. Although its name has the word “European” in it, this type of bread is actually not European. It was invented by Japanese, adopted by Taiwanese, and recently glorified by Chinese. Gotcha has picked niche market and a good target audience base. I think the bread has good texture, but not as moist as the bread I am used to. Their continual sold-out merchandise seem to suggest that there’s definitely a market for soft European bread.
Gotcha (高茶), previously known as Infini-Tea (四季茶巷) was located Downtown Vancouver and recently moved to Richmond in September 2020. Ironically for a tea store, their soft European bread are more well known. During the COVID-29 period, they use WeChat as their marketing and delivery channel to sell bread. Since this is mainly delivery so customers have to buy at larger quantity, Gotcha has kindly provided reheating instructions.
Strength: Natural yeast European style bread that are soft
Weakness: Expensive bread and Asian spin of European bread may not be for everyone
Other Bakery
- eF & Be Bakehouse (4.5 Stars)
- Michele Cake Shop (4 Stars)
- Pure Bread (3.5 Stars)
- Daily Delicious (4.5 Stars)
Old Fashioned Peach Oolong Cake $16
The old fashioned peach oolong cake has a very subtle oolong tea taste. The bottom is a little mushy from the peach. It looks like the cake is a little deformed, but the texture is quite fluffy in the middle.
Imitated Crab with Angus Beef Aburi Bun $14
The crab with angus beef aburi bun is fusion between Western and Eastern cuisine. I like the quality of the beef and the imitated crab meat was tightly packed. The sauce drizzled on top of this bun went everywhere, and it was a little messy to eat. The bun has good texture. It bounced back half way after my bite.
Taro Chestnut Bun $10
The taro chestnut bun has a distinct design to look like an elongated chestnut. I like the dense taro paste that is wrapped in a thin layer of dough. This is a very good bun for people who loves taro.
Pork Floss Cake with Mochi $14
Got Cha Pork Floss Cake with Mochi
Pork floss cake has been gaining traction among Chinese foodies. The original pork floss cake has mochi filling, and I have seen purple rice and other chewy fillings as substitute. Gotcha’s pork floss cake is smaller than most I have tried, but the mochi filling has very good texture. It is worth a try if you like pork floss cakes.
Spicy Crawfish $16
It is odd how a tea station has shifted their focus to serving soft European Buns, and it is even more strange that they are serving full portions of spicy crawfish. We have heard good things about these spicy crawfish, so decided to give it a try. They are very spicy and numbing, but the taste gets better as you finish the plate.
Brown Sugar Dates Walnut Bread $17
The brown sugar dates with walnut bread has good packaging, but the bread doesn’t feel special. There are bits of toppings scattered throughout the bread, but the texture of the bread feels more dense than other buns we bought.
Pork Floss Pumpkin Salty Egg Yolk Bun $12
The pork floss pumpkin salty egg yolk bun is an ugly looking bun from the outside but it is packed with goodies. This is a sweet and savory bun, and the taste blended quite well. My only complaint about this bun is that it is a little dry.
Strawberry with Whipped Cream Bun $9
The strawberry with whipped cream bun is a dessert. The strawberries were fresh, and the whipped cream were very airy. I don’t really like the texture of the buns because they deflates to my bite and doesn’t bounce back.
Oreo with Chocolate Cream Bun $9
The Oreo with Chocolate cream bun is very similar to the strawberry with whipped cream bun. I liked the chocolate whipped cream, but the Oreo cookies were soggy that I could cut through them with a knife. The bun’s texture is similar to the strawberry bun that does not bounce back.
604 Food Critic Assessment
Soft European buns is derived from European buns such as sourdough or French baguette. It uses levain as natural yeast for the rise, but altered to be softer to fit Asian palate. Although its name has the word “European” in it, this type of bread is actually not European. It was invented by Japanese, adopted by Taiwanese, and recently glorified by Chinese. Gotcha has picked niche market and a good target audience base. I think the bread has good texture, but not as moist as the bread I am used to. Their continual sold-out merchandise seem to suggest that there’s definitely a market for soft European bread.
