Category Archives: Chinese Bakery

Bake Code – Excellent Bread and Milk Tea

09 Thursday Apr 2015

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So as I hurriedly left Chengdu Taste after the numbingly spicy lunch, I was on a quest to quickly find myself a cup of icy cold milk tea.

I arrived at the San Gabriel Square on Valley Blvd since I know there must be some Boba Milk Tea shop inside the plaza. As I got out of my car and started walking toward one, I noticed that there was a brand new bakery shop at the corner. The name says Bake Code.

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The place looked modern and inviting, and since I love trying new breads and pastries, I ventured inside. I was told that they had just opened a week ago. The interior is spacious, clean, with very comfortable warm lighting.

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I was elated that they offer drinks as well, especially that of milk tea. I definitely needed something to cool me down from the spicy food, so I opted for the Cold Milk Tea with Glass Jelly (no sugar). They made a mistake and made me one with sugar, and it tasted fantastic! But I know that I should not be drinking all that much sugar, so I told them about the error, and I was promptly given another one without sugar. I must say that the milk tea was one of the best that I have tried in a long time. The milk tea was extremely smooth with ample tea flavor, and there was a good amount of glass jelly inside to slightly sweetened up the tea.

There were small samples next to the breads that one could try, which was a good idea. All the ones I did try were really tasty without being too sweet or too salty. The texture of the bread was soft, yet slightly chewy, and most importantly to me, the crust was not hard – nearly perfection for  me.

The one bread that I did buy had orange rind and walnuts inside. The flavor was exceptional and the bread was still soft and chewy after a day in my refrigerator.

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I will definitely be going there to get more bread and perhaps try their sweet pastries next time I am in that area of town. I must also add that the prices were quite reasonable ranging from $2 to under $4 for the breads, and my drink was around $3.5.

Bake Code: 140 W. Valley Blvd. San Gabriel, CA 91776  Phone: 626-288-5118

 

85° Bakery in Gardena

02 Monday Dec 2013

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The opening of 85° in Gardena is almost like a dream come true for those of us who live in the South Bay area who enjoy going to this bakery chain that originated from Taiwan. I don’t even understand exactly why people like me flock in droves to this bakery place as if it was free. With the tong in one hand, and a large tray on the other, I scrutinized each slot and picked up these soft breads and piled them onto the tray.

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With hundreds of people lining outside for hours waiting for all of their grand openings, it makes me wonder what is the reason behind this type of euphoria over a bakery. Whatever the reason is, I was definitely part of that. I had been excited for weeks prior to the actual opening. I was able to go there in the evening of the opening day. We got a free red mug with the $20 purchase, and a free Sea Salt Drink coupon with a drink purchase as well as some key chains.

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As much as some of the selections here are quite excellent such the black Squid Ink Bread, the Rose Bread, and the Berrytale, there are other Chinese bakeries that offer distinguished choices of bakery items that are just as good, and some that are even better such as the Po Tart at Jim’s Bakery.

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Perhaps it is the fact there are comfortable seating areas where one can actually sit down and enjoy the “fresh bread” that had just come out from the oven. Perhaps it is the enticing drink selections which include the famous Sea Salt Coffee and Teas that one cannot get at other Chinese bakeries. Or perhaps it is the idea that one is getting something more authentic being that it originated from Asia. Or maybe just simply that hype produces more hype.

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In any case, I was back again on Thanksgiving Day after lunch. A friend and I sat down for a cappuccino and a Sea Salt Coffee. I got some breads to go: a Brioche, a Mango Bread, a Chocolate Croissant, Walnut Tart, and a Pumpkin Tart. I thought my cappuccino was especially outstanding and large for a medium size, much better than the ones at other coffee houses in town. The Brioche was the best out of the bunch – huge, fluffy, and buttery.

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Since the store did not have my favorite, the Rose Bread, the previous two times, I am already thinking about going back soon to get my hands on the fragrant bread.

85°c Bakery Cafe – 1398 Artesia Blvd. Gardena, CA 90248 

Jim’s Po Tarts – Perfection

07 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Bakery, Chinese Bakery, Chinese dessert, Chinese food, Food

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“When will the Po Tart be ready?”

“In about five minutes”, the lady behind the counter replied. I was relieved that it was only five minutes, I was fearing that it would be much longer, and I would not be able to wait. I took the time to really look around at all the selections this time, since I was always in a hurry all the previous times I was there.

Po Tart is a Portuguese Egg Tart which consists of custard in a créme brûlée-like consistency caramelized in a puff pastry shell. The custard portion is much more softer, fluffier, and smoother than a regular Egg Tart.

“It is ready, how many would you like?

“Just one, I just have a craving for it, and I want to eat it right now”, I said to her in Chinese. I gathered that she thought I was going to buy quite a few since I had waited so patiently.

Boy, was I glad that I waited – the Po Tart could not have been any more more fresh. The gal had to go into the kitchen to get one for me. It literally came right out from the oven. It was super, intensely hot, I almost burned my tongue with the first bite. I had to keep blowing at it continuously in order to get it to be less than burning temperature so that I could put it in my mouth. Only one word can describe it – perfection. Being that the Po Tart was still so scaldingly hot, the texture of the custard was extraordinarily creamy, delicate and jiggly. With the prick of the plastic fork, the tart was starting to fall apart. The puff pastry crust was incredibly light and airy, and complemented the custard flawlessly.

The other favorite here is the Coffee Milk Powder Bun. The moist, yet faintingly crusty, ever so slight crunchy topping has the strongest and best coffee flavor out of all the various coffee buns that I have tasted so far. The milk powder filling has a hint of savory and sweet taste, and a fine granular, gritty texture that I personally find very addictive together with the softness of the bread.

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The purple Taro Pastry is worth mentioning. The not-so-sweet, dense taro filling is wrapped inside layers of ultra-thin marbled pastry dough. It is a heavier type of pastry that I definitely cannot finish the entire in one sitting.

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Jim’s has a special, for $2, one can choose from either the coffee, or hot chocolate and a choice of Egg Tart, Po Tart, or Pineapple Bun. Too bad I don’t live closer.

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Jim’s Bakery:  400 S. Atlantic Blvd. Monterey Park, CA 91754  Phone: 626-573-5757

Simply Splendid, a Fitting Name

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

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I had mentioned previously that I would often go to different pastry shops for certain favorite breads and pastries that are unique to that particular shop. That is exactly what I do at Simply Splendid, a small, modest bakery surrounded by restaurants and shops inside an uninspiring strip mall in Alhambra.

One of my long time favorite is a Hong Kong style bread with the name of Cocktail Bun. Here, this elongated, unassuming looking bun is fully filled with a dense, luscious, buttery coconut mixture that is beyond good. Usually, I have somewhat decent self control when it comes to eating sweet pastries. I often can stop after one or two bites, and saving the rest for later. However, with this bun, which comes three to a package, I have not been able to consume less than two entire buns at one sitting.

Some days the chef would make these little mochi cubes that come in a plastic container with a side of grounded peanuts/sugar mixture. They are some of the softest and best mochi I have ever tried – with the texture being slightly chewy, and a taste that is ever so delicately sweet from the rice.  My son’s eyes would lit up every time I bring them home. The obstacle, however, is that they are not always available.

On a recent visit, I discovered a baked radish pastry that I find to be the best of its class. The flakiness of the crust, along with a moist filling of shredded radish and finely grounded pork, offers a precise combination of savoriness and sweetness, without the often overly salty taste that is associated with this type of  radish pastry.

There are two versions of the plain croissants here that I find I cannot get enough of. One is made with wheat flour and the other one with white. The texture, unlike the traditional french croissant, is not flaky. In fact, they are a bit chewy; but it is that chewiness, combined with the rich buttery taste that I find irresistible.

The mantou, a traditional steamed bun, is offered here in white and wheat versions as well, and comes in a package of four. The wheat version, if available, is the perfect bread for me. The taste might seem bland to most people, but it is precisely that blandness that I find appealing. The steaming process somehow seems a bit healthier to me than baking.

Simply Splendid:  1273 E. Valley Blvd. Alhambra, CA 91801  Phone: 626-308-3277