Chiqui Bakery brings Mexico City's pan dulce to Vanier

Jessica Pérez moved from Mexico to Canada hoping to find work as an auditor. When that didn't happen, she turned to baking—a hobby that had always made her friends and family happy.

"As an immigrant, it's not very easy to find a job," says Pérez, 33. She started selling cakes to Mexican restaurants in Ottawa as a side hustle. Three years later, that side hustle became Chiqui Bakery, which opened in March 2023 in Vanier, not far from where she lives.

"Even though I used to love my corporate job, I feel baking is my passion," Pérez says. "It is not only my job. It's my life."

Chiqui is Ottawa's only Mexican bakery. It sells mostly cakes to order and a variety of pan dulce—the sweet Mexican breads that define the shop's identity. The top seller is Pérez's cornbread: not too sweet, with a supremely moist crumb that stands apart from what you'd find elsewhere.

But lesser-known breads deserve attention. Conchas are soft, brioche-like rolls with craggy, sugary crusts that look like seashells. Chilindras, a traditional pan dulce from Mexico City, are soft inside but crusted with a crunchy, sugary topping. Elote, a corn-shaped bread from northern Mexico, carries flavours of cinnamon and vanilla. Pan de feria ("fairground bread") tastes like the skin of boiled milk with vanilla cream on top.

In the fridge sit single servings of dulce de leche and chocoflan cakes—the former made a visitor swoon. Chiqui also serves hibiscus and horchata, the sweet, milky, cinnamon-forward rice-based drink that's a staple at Ottawa's taquerias.

Pérez notes that her cornbread has similarities to Hong Kong's pineapple buns (bolo bao), and another of her breads has an Italian cousin. "We share all the good stuff," she says.

Chiqui Bakery is at 29 Marier Ave. Open Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Monday. Baked goods are $3.50 to $5. The storefront has steps to the front door. Call 819-734-7512 or visit chiquibakery.com.