Sweets From the Streets with Layla: La Monarca Bakery

I usually crave desserts on Sundays, so this Sunday, I decided to take my good friends, Sebastian and Santi, to try some Mexican desserts. After looking at all the different countries and cultures I want to try next, I thought it would be perfect timing to review a Mexican bakery in honor of Dia de Los Muertos. Growing up, I was very surrounded by Mexican culture, despite being Persian myself. My mother’s very close friend, Veronica, welcomed my siblings and I to many of her family events, where I discovered my love for Mexican cuisine and flavors, especially the desserts. Juniors Sebastian and Santi are both of Mexican heritage and were willing to come with me to review the local Mexican bakery, La Monarca.

First things first, before I dive into our review, I’ll give a brief overview of what we got. Upon first walking through the bakery, I told Santi and Sebastian to get a tray and grab anything that caught their attention, or that they knew they loved. The boys grabbed: one concha, one churro roll, one oreja, one guava-filled pastry, one dulce de leche-filled pastry, a slice of tres leche cake (Sebastian’s favorite), and one slice of flan. I’d also like to give a giant thank you to Sebastian and Santi for not only joining me but also for paying for almost everything you will see in this review.

(Photograph: Layla Kolahi)

1. Conchas

Walking into the bakery, the first thing that caught my eye was how many conchas they had. Of course, I knew what conchas were; however, I never really had the opportunity to truly try and review the classic dessert. “A real good concha shouldn’t be too dry,” said Santi, “And it should have a nice thick layer of this sugar on top.” Said Sebastian. Now that they had told me the parameters, it was time to try the pastry, and to say the least, I was very pleased. Although it was not the most elaborate dessert I had ever tried, it was the perfect little pastry to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate or tea. The sweet sugar that gives the bread the shell design just melts in your mouth and gives the dessert a nice sweetness that isn't too overpowering. Overall, I would say that although I do prefer more elaborate desserts, there is nothing wrong with a nice, simple dessert when you just want a little sweet bite. 

My final rating: 7/10

(Photograph: Layla Kolahi)

2. Orejas

“These are very popular, they are called Orejas,” Santi explained. “These ones usually are pretty crunchy.” Although Orejas are not traditionally from Mexico, these crispy, heart-shaped biscuits are extremely popular in Mexican culture. While I had tried these before, I had only ever tasted the orejas that you can buy in packs from the pastry section of your local grocery store, but I was curious to see if they were any different from the orejas from a Mexican bakery. As I bit into the pastry, I was met with a crispy, sweet, almost sticky puff pastry that had a somewhat comforting flavor that reminded me of something you would enjoy with your grandma during tea time. However, while I did enjoy the dessert (I mean, you couldn't really dislike it), Santi and Sebastian did not. Although they were excited, the boys explained that they had had much better. “They should have much more cinnamon and sugar,” said Sebastian. “Yeah, and they also should be much crunchier; these are not crunchy at all,” said Santi. The boys both agreed that the Costco Orejas are even better than these. After hearing this and searching up images of traditional Mexican orejas, I understood why it didn’t taste too different from the French ones that I have had in the past. I think I would have enjoyed these much more with the cinnamon and sugar, but I did enjoy these as a nice, simple sweet treat; however, I was a bit disappointed, as this is, in fact, a Mexican bakery that should specialize in Mexican flavor.

My final rating: 4.5/10

(Photograph: Layla Kolahi)

3. Flan

Now, I am absolutely thrilled to discuss this beautiful dessert with you. This flan, as someone who usually strongly dislikes flan, was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted in this column yet. Ladies, gentlemen, humans, this flan was amazing. After the dry, slightly disappointing orejas, my mouth was yearning for a bit of sweet moisture. For those who do not know, Flan is essentially a baked custard with a soft, creamy texture, topped with a layer of clear or golden caramel sauce. “A real good flan should have a thick layer of this caramel sauce on top,” explained Sebastian and Santi. “You also wanna see it jiggle, but still hold its shape.” Although the flan we were looking at didn’t exactly meet all of the boys’ standards, the three of us truly loved the delicacy. “This is one of the best flans I’ve had,” said Santi, someone who also doesn’t really like flan. Sebastian, who is a flan enjoyer, agreed. “This is literally the best thing we’ve had so far,” said Sebastian. The flan absolutely melted in my mouth, as I was met with a delicious and comforting rich caramel flavor. The caramel flavor paired beautifully with the creaminess of the custard. The two flavors weren't too overpowering or overwhelmingly sweet, as the custard was slightly less jarring than the rich caramel flavor, making it almost like a soother. Overall, this flan truly amazed me, and turned me from a flan hater to a flan lover. LOVE IT.

My final rating: 9.5/10

(Photograph: Layla Kolahi)

4. Guava Filled Pastry

This next pastry, although not a particularly traditional one, did contain the traditional Mexican flavor of guava, so I was excited nonetheless. “It's kind of like the concha again, but instead it's filled with guava jelly,” explained Sebastian. I was honestly very excited because, after all the creamier desserts, I was craving something a little fruity to cleanse the palate. Sebastian, Santi, and I were all a little unimpressed with the pastry, but we did still enjoy it. The bread was a simple, sweet bread, similar to the flavor of the concha. The jelly inside is really where the dessert thrived. The guava jelly had a strong, tangy guava flavor that had a very thick and almost more of a pasty texture. “I would say it tastes a little too sweet,” said Santi. “I’m honestly just not much of a guava fan,” added Sebastian. “I would give this like a seven,” Santi said, giving his final rating. “I would give it like a six,” said Sebastian.I thought the guava was quite refreshing, but I would agree with Santi that it was very sweet, and if you are not a guava fan, this pastry is definitely not for you. Overall, pretty good!

My final rating: 6.5/10

(Photograph: Layla Kolahi)

5. Churro Roll (just for fun)

“I don't even know what this is, this is like non-traditional,” explained Santi. “This one is just for fun,” added Sebastian. The boys wanted to try this one just because it looked unlike any Mexican pastry they had tried before, obviously other than a churro, but they explained to me that it didn’t hold any traditional significance. What looked like a drier cinnamon roll, the dessert was a rolled-up pastry that was covered with cinnamon and sugar. Although I did enjoy this, it truly didn’t wow me. The pastry was rather dry, and I honestly would have much rather enjoyed a cinnamon roll. However, I did not hate it and probably would eat it again if I found it in my kitchen. I think it would have been much better had there been a cinnamon filling throughout the rolls, because it was lacking in a lot of cinnamon flavor that I was looking for. “If you gave me this without telling me it was supposed to be a churro, I would not have guessed this was a churro,” said Santi. “Yeah, no, it tastes like a concha,” added Sebastian. None of us were getting much of a churro flavor from this, and even as a churro disliker, I would have still liked to see more of a churro flavor pull through.

My final rating: 5.5/10

(Photograph: Layla Kolahi)

6. Rollitos de Dulce de Leche

This next pastry was honestly a very pleasant surprise. Just judging by the looks, none of us really knew what to expect, other than the fact that it was filled with dulce de leche and coated with cinnamon sugar. Now this is exactly one of the things I would like to be served as a dessert appetizer (small dessert before a larger one) right after dinner when I’m craving a comforting sweet treat. This dessert contains a rolled puff pastry, coated in cinnamon and sugar, and filled with a rich dulce de leche filling. Now, if you know me, you know I adore dulce de leche and will probably love anything that contains it. The pastry didn’t get too dry as it was paired with the filling, and the textures all worked perfectly together. The subtle crunch of the sugar and pastry with the smooth and creamy dulce de leche worked wonderfully together. “That’s my second favorite,” said Santi. We all unanimously agreed that this one was great and that it deserved an eight. Even though it's been established by now that I will always prefer a more elaborate dessert, I truly have nothing particularly bad to say about this pastry, and would definitely enjoy it again.

My final rating: 8.5/10

(Photograph: Layla Kolahi)

7. Tres Leches Cake (Sebastian's Favorite)

Now, it was time for the final dessert, the one we had been saving room for for the entire time. We decided to save the best for last as the concluding treat of the evening. “It is God’s greatest dessert,” said Sebastian. Sebastian was deeply passionate about this cake, and I couldn’t believe I had never tried it with more appreciation before. “Tres Leches Cake, in the dessert’s name, it’s basically saying three milks,” Santi explained. “Basically, the process is they lay the cake down, and they just soak it in milk three times. You let it dry out, and then you soak it again, let it dry out and soak it again, and again,” added Sebastian. The boys explained that the cake should essentially be very wet, and as soon as I bite into the cake, it should melt in my mouth. And it did just that. This cake was truly incredible. The soft, lightly whipped frosting paired beautifully with the soft, silky, milk-soaked cake that just truly melts in your mouth into one delicious flavor of vanilla milk. The textures were beautiful, and it is not like your standard cake at all. Even if you aren’t really a cake lover, because I know you guys are out there, you will enjoy a slice of tres leches cake. It does not have that denseness that any other cake has, and you could really eat 3 slices without feeling as sick or overpowered by sugar as a regular cake may make you feel. I must have this again. 

My final rating: 9.5/10