Toronto Life
January 2009
Bread Winner
The best brioche pudding ever
By Julia Aitken
A special alchemy occurs when bread and custard meet. And in the hands of Nota Bene chef David Lee, a dessert that was once the domain of the thrifty becomes positively ambrosial. There’s not a speck of cinnamon in his bread-and-butter pudding, just lovely, dense brioche (baked at Nota Bene’s sister restaurant, Splendido) and a gorgeous, golden vanilla-spiked custard. Lee flips the proportions of the traditional recipe, heaping on the rich, creamy custard and using the buttered brioche, which retains a toasty crunch, almost as a garnish. In summer, it’s paired with poached Niagara peaches, but I prefer its cold-weather manifestation: crowned with a scoop of house-made ice cream. $10.