I've found my favourite new coffee shop.
Tandem Coffee is on a fairly nondescript stretch on King East just east of Parliament. I probably walked by a dozen times before noticing it and deciding to stop in, and I'm glad I did.
For starters, the coffee is good. Really good. Admittedly, I used to just stop by Tim Hortons (too weak) or Starbucks (too burnt), but Tandem gets it right. The coffee has a rich flavour with a pleasant and non-bitter aftertaste. I can drink this coffee black.
Second, the pastries are also shockingly good. I wasn't expecting much but I blame it on the sesame matcha ring which was the gateway pastry. It was a little bit dry but I thoroughly enjoyed the matcha and lingering sesame flavour. What really won me over was the coconut macaroon with its oodles of coconut flakes. Another one of my favourites is the Ginger Cookie. The cookie has a lot of chunks of caramelized ginger.
I have since tried the macadamia nut cookie and peanut chocolate chip cookie. The former is pretty standard but a little bit of salt adds a nice touch. The latter was crispier than expected but had nice peanut chunks in it.
Service is fantastic and the owners are really friendly. Decor and atmosphere are very "un-corporate"-feeling.
Overall, I'm really happy that I stumbled across this place. I'll definitely be coming back.
TL;DR: Really nice rich coffee that isn't bitter. Really tasty baked goods (especially the ginger cookie and coconut macaroon). A++ friendly service.