A Very Delicious Cake

When Milan Feng came to Thunder Bay about eight years ago, she says she had trouble finding traditional, fresh desserts in the style made in her native China. Feng has now turned that observation into a thriving business at the Thunder Bay Country Market. Feng, who opened A Very Delicious Cake at the market in September, says that one of her friends in China taught her how to make desserts like mochi, adding that after moving to Canada, she missed some of the cuisine she had a hard time finding here. “I tried to start making, myself, some desserts from China and […] that was a very, very [big] accomplishment for me,” she says, adding that her friends and family enjoyed what she was creating. That led to her thinking about starting a business, which she calls one of her hobbies. “I really enjoy it,” she says. At the market, Feng sells a variety of fresh desserts like mooncakes, which are made with choux pastry and either a red bean or purple taro filling, as well as mochi, which is based around sticky rice flour and originated in Japan, but has variants in many Asian countries. Feng and her husband first visited the Thunder Bay Country Market about four years ago, she says, adding that she was impressed with what she saw. “The first time we went to the market […] I thought ‘wow, Thunder Bay has so many people selling fresh vegetables and all the crafts,’” she says, adding that she has subsequently explored the place well. That put the thought in her mind that, should she open a business, the market would be a good fit. “I found [that] ‘oh, this should be a good place […] for me.” A Very Delicious Cake is located at the Thunder Bay Country Market just inside the main doors. You can follow Feng and her business on Instagram @avery_deliciouscake.