Maison 118 is a Toronto cafe that serves hand-crafted drinks and pastries in an adorable, dollhouse-inspired space.

With its bright pink facade and dainty white sign, the cafe stands out against the drab greys and browns of Queen Street West. 

Though many visitors have likened the aesthetic to Barbie's Dreamhouse, owner Janessa Wong explains that her main source of inspiration was Polly Pocket.

These influences are obvious if you take the time to look around. In addition to the pastel-hued furniture, Maison 118 is filled with unique decorations that wouldn't look out of place in one of Polly's plastic playsets.

Janessa adds that the cafe's name was meant to extend the dollhouse theme: the word "maison" means "house" in French, while the number "118" is Janessa's lucky number.

Despite the cafe's childlike aesthetic, its offerings are anything but. As a self-described "restaurant kid" and an alumnus of Le Cordon Bleu, Janessa takes her job very seriously and always strives to deliver an enjoyable dining experience.

Janessa tells us that her background in fine dining helped her to elevate the cafe's drinks and desserts. However, she also admits that her Michelin training was a double-edged sword.

"In fine dining, dishes are only supposed to last a few minutes," Janessa explains. "You make them, you bring them to the table, and then they're gone."Casual establishments, on the other hand, take a slightly different approach. Instead of eating their desserts the moment they arrive, many diners take their food to go. As a result, these dishes have to be sturdy enough to survive a trip on the subway (as well as a few hours in the refrigerator).

To meet their customers' needs, Janessa and her team had to learn new skills and step outside their comfort zones. The result is a cafe that seamlessly blends a casual environment with high-quality flavours and presentation.

Many dishes rotate from week to week, while others are permanent fixtures of the cafe's menu. The lychee matcha spritz ($7.50), for example, is a light, fizzy drink whose refreshing flavour is perfect for summer.Passionfruit espresso tonic ($8) is another refreshing drink, which combines the sweet, tropical flavour of passionfruit with the bittersweet taste of espresso. The mango ube matcha ($8.50) is a striking latte, whose distinctive pastel ombre comes from a mixture of imported matcha, ube syrup and mango puree. 

Colourful sprinkles can be added at no extra charge.The jasmine matcha ($8.50) was originally intended for a limited run, but ended up becoming one of the cafe's staples. Its mild, floral flavour makes it easy to see why.The black sesame croissant egg tart ($7.25) takes inspiration from a variety of Asian pastries, most notably Hong Kong-style egg tarts. 

Though Janessa tells me that customers are often apprehensive of the pastry's unusual (for Toronto) ingredients, I was pleasantly surprised by how well they complemented one another, with the flaky croissant-style crust being a particular highlight.The miso caramel banana danish ($7.95) is a sweet and savoury treat, filled with ooey-gooey caramel and topped with a whimsical banana-flavoured flower.The brown butter confetti brownie ($7.95) is a nostalgic snack with a rich chocolatey flavour. Though superficially similar to the Cosmic Brownies I grew up eating on the playground, the brown butter and chocolate ganache give the dish its own distinct identity.The Thai tea apricot choux ($8.95) is a tiny pastry with a huge flavour. 

Janessa explains that she wanted to make a Thai tea-flavoured dessert, but struggled to find ingredients that would pair well with it. 

After a lengthy process of trial and error, she settled on apricot jam, reasoning that its sweet, juicy flavour would complement the tea's creamy, earthy taste.

The Nama Basque cheesecake ($14.95) is a thick wedge of cheesecake with a creamy, custard-like consistency. A dusting of powdered chocolate helps to enhance its already decadent flavour.Last but not least is the strawberry chiffon ($16.95), a fluffy layer cake enrobed in fresh cream. Of all the desserts I tried, this one was by far my favourite.Maison 118 is located at 709 Queen Street West.