Leda's Bake Shop [Sherman Oaks]

*Disclaimer*

So I know I've been on quite the hiatus, but I will be going on a blog tirade just after getting settled into my new apartment this weekend. I'm gonna attempt to get some posts up by not being so meticulous. Let me know if you like the style better.

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We popped into the vegan bakery after consulting Yelp for places to find snacks in the Valley.

The best part of the cutesy store are the samples of scones, cookies, and other baked goods for your enjoyment. Across-the-board, the scones ranked highest with flavors such as ginger, cranberry-orange, and black currant. They were crumbly and not too dry. The vegan brownies also seemed to be a hot item and I could see why, given that vegan chocolates tend to be very rich (if that's your style).

We couldn't resist the cupcakes, which were displayed as the tour de force of the store. We ordered both the Velvet and the Strawberry (vegan), though both were a bit sugary for being so tiny. The Strawberry vegan cupcake was a bit denser than the Velvet and we were disappointed that the latter wasn't a red velvet cupcake. Also, you have to let them sit for about five minutes, since the icing hardens in the refrigerated case. Five minutes is 300 seconds too long for instant gratification.

Leda's Bake Shop
13722 Ventura Blvd
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
(818) 386-9644

Ashland Bakery [Oregon]

A stroll down Main Street led us to the busy Ashland Bakery brimming with pre-theater diners on their way to the Shakespeare Festival. After a week of dining out, I was more than relieved to spot homey portions of spaghetti and meatballs and dinner salads from my vantage point on the street. We were sold and joined our fellow Romeo & Juliet playgoers at the only remaining table in the house.

My grapefruit juice was freshly squeezed, as evidenced by the pulp straining through my teeth with each gulp--just the way I like it. While the start to our meal was promising, it only intensified the foil of a disappointment that followed.

After a long wait and an only okay Vegetable Soup to start, our entrees finally arrived. My Seared Scallop Salad ($13) looked sickly and tasted worse. The ghastly pale scallops barely showed signs of being cooked let alone the tan of a sear. As if looking raw weren't crime enough, the scallops lacked any seasoning whatsoever, while the chardonnay vinaigrette on the salad was a poor pairing. I hate to waste food, but anymore than two bites would have sent me retching.

The Salmon ($18) fared a bit better and was the homey preparation I had been craving. Healthfully grilled and served with a mango-papaya salsa, broccolini, and rice pilaf, the salmon quickly became our shared entree for the night.

To compensate for my dinner failure, I ordered a Blackbottom Cupcake to-go. The moist, gooey, chocolate cupcake was dense and sent me reeling in waves of nostalgia. Remember those chocolate muffins they used to sell at recess in grade school? Those muffins used to be part of my daily repertoire and I was glad to find something grown up for my evolved palate.

Judging from my limited experience, I would bet they do a better job at breakfast and lunch.

Ashland Bakery
38 E Main St
Ashland, OR 97520
(541) 482-2117

Bakesale Betty [Berkeley]

Bakesale Betty - Better than yo' grandmama's secret family recipe

For being as brainy as they are, Berkeley students seldom venture far form the 2-mile bubble that the campus seems to be under. While this puts them in proximity of overpriced downtown eats for the theater set and passable dorm alternatives, they are far from the Foodaholic Anonymous concentrations of Elmwood, Temescal, Rockridge, the San Pablo Corridor, West Berkeley, and Fourth Street—in other words, they have overlooked everything that Berkeley has to offer an aspiring palate.

Perhaps it was that I lived too far (1.5 miles) to be bothered with campus parking (I never went to class) or the twenty minute walk, but I always made an effort to explore my neighborhood and its culinary communes.

Famished from my apartment and furniture hunt, I went in search of something to satisfy both my budget and well-honed Berkeleyan sentiments about food. I remembered an article about Bakesale Betty’s cult favorite Fried Chicken Sandwich ($7.25) and decided to celebrate my return with the non-diet-friendly indulgence.

I had been to Betty’s for a pastry and coffee one morning and while it was busy, it was nowhere near as bustling as the lunchtime crowd gathered on the sidewalk tables. As I was about to walk in the store, a baker came out and stopped at each table to deliver fresh baked cookies. Rats! I missed the free sampling!

Although I already had an item in mind, I couldn’t help but lust after the endless trays of peaches waiting to baked into today’s pies and the strawberry shortcakes gleaming from behind the glass cases. The guy at the cash register may have been flirting with me, but I was too smitten to hear a thing he said.

But alas, I was practicing moderation and went on my way after receiving my brown paper bag with said sandwich waiting inside. I made the mistake of ordering it to-go so I could eat while driving and ended up having to pull over because the darned thing was just too big and messy for my tiny little lap.

Bakesale Betty's Fried Chicken Sandwich

The sandwich is accompanied by the mildly spicy version of coleslaw that omits the mayonnaise in favor of a mustard vinaigrette. The heat in the flavoring is contrasted by the cooler temperature and texture of the cabbage. If that's crunchy or spicy enough for you, there's also the twice-fried, buttermilk-battered chicken to take into account.

The white-meat cut of chicken breast--or breasts, I should say (mine came with two)--doesn't skimp on moisture or flavor. The secret lies in the frying batter, which is generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne to give the chicken a kick worthy of an Emeril BAM. I was worried when I saw the trays of chicken waiting around to be served, but my de-boned, de-skinned, and de-feathered friends stayed crunchy till the last bite.

If that weren't enough to entice you, I've got four syllables: ja-la-pe-nos. Sliced fresh and served in the vinaigrette. The Acme torpedo rolls are a perfect choice to compliment the fillings.

While the recipe was recently published in the Chronicle, why would you risk burning yourself with frying oil when you could get the stuff made fresh from the source. Betty's fried chicken rings in at staggering 995 calories, so if your figure-concious like me, save half for tomorrow, making sure to bake all of the elements separately in the toaster oven before enjoying.

Bakesale Betty's
5098 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 985-1213

Janus Bakery [Fountain Valley]

Janus Bakery - A lesson in how to give yourself a heart attack from being underwhelmed.

You could imagine my surprise at discovering that an Asian bakery lay only steps away from my SO's house on the corner of Brookhurst and Ellis in Fountain Valley. I drive by that Ralph's plaza daily and I went to high school right around the corner. How it managed to escape my radar, I'll never know. The fact that it did should have clued me into what was coming.

Janus Bakery is an offshoot to the popular Irvine J&J and while I haven’t been to its counterpart in a long while, Janus was bad enough to keep me away.

I was quite enthralled at the prospect of not having to drive all the way to Tustin for good sandwiches and built my lunch around a Dried Pork and Green Onion Egg. The bread was dry, but the sweet pork sung added both flavor and crunch to an otherwise boring egg patty. While there weren't any winners, this sandwich could have taken the consolation prize.

The breads and buns were large to the point of unsightliness and oozed grease even from the looks of them--you could see the gleam of fat glistening as the buns pressed up against their plastic shells. I know these things aren’t healthy, but I don’t need a visual reminder of the fat curdling in my body as I’m about to eat them.

My bad for buying a Cheese Bun that looked like a cheese-covered Loch Ness monster. I was looking forward to inhaling the ooey-gooey, fat-laden, 8” comfort food, but my side of heart attack didn’t even come with an eye-opening epiphany. The cheese was hard. It wasn’t even salty. And I wasn’t comforted in the least.

The Hot Dog Bun similarly lacked gusto and I could have done better wrapping a slice of Wonder Bread around Vienna Sausage straight from the can. These types of bakeries are usually able to deliver on the bun, even if the fillings are nasty as hell. But Janus’ dry and bland dough fell flat from start to finish.

Like any trained gourmand, I went straight for the coffee swirls in the Coffee Pound Cake slice. Bad move—imagine leaving your store-bought Starbucks Frappucino in the car on a sweltering day…and then having the bad idea to drink it. I didn’t think they’d stoop so low as to sell me spoiled food, so I kept going at the thing with an open mind. In case you’re wondering, no. It’s not an acquired taste.

At this point, you may be wondering what prompted me to write such a scathing review with biting wit? It’s so atypical of my style…

Worst, and I repeat, WORST of all, is the sour-faced woman working at the counter looking like she hasn’t be f*cked in ages. Even I couldn’t stand waking up to that face—and I had to endure it for all of five minutes.

And the pros? Everything is dirt cheap with most items ringing in under $1. They do have a good variety of sandwiches and there are also cakes available for purchase. If you’re the type who’s willing to settle for mediocrity, Janus Bakery is just the right place for you.

Janus Bakery
18279 Brookhurst St Ste 3
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 965-3088

Porto's Bakery [Glendale]

Although we were right next door at Damon's for June's Yelp Elite event, we arrived five minutes after Porto's 7 o'clock closing. I wasn't about to let that happen a second time around and popped by on my way back from the Kwik-E-Mart down the street.

The demure storefront hides the megalithic 2-story party supply and cake shop that lie behind Porto's doors. Designed to handle downtown Glendale's lunch traffic, the bakery is divided into two sides with the left counter serving lunch orders for sandwiches and popular bakery items and the right being the full-service bakery. Just queue up if you're in line at the lunch counter, but remember to take a number if you're waiting on the bakery.

We started with a trio of strudels (guava cheese, apple and guava) whose pastry shells were slightly cookie-like and crumbled more than they flaked. The apples were generously dusted with cinnamon spice, though we couldn't taste the cheese in our guava-cheese strudel. The guava tasted firstly of sugar, but left a refreshing tart aftertaste in our mouths. We also tried one of the new Raspberry Kisses, which reminded me of the Verona cookies filled with raspberry jam. They're a little on the dry side, which begs for tea of milk and I will definitely go back to try the dulce de leche version, which I bet tastes like alfajores.

The Pan con Lechon, a roasted pork sandwich with garlic mojo and onions, was incredibly moist and flavorful, though there was too much meat and too little of everything else. When I did manage to get a bite of onion, the contrast was sublime. If they had used red onions marinated in lime, it would have been heavenly.

And lastly, the legendary Potato Balls, which lived up to the hype and so much more. The fluffy mashed potatoes are lightly fried and filled with a flavorful taco meat. I was already raving even before I discovered the seasoned ground beef, hiding like a buried treasure in the depths of the ball. At $.80 a pop, they are the ultimate comfort food.

Whether its breads, cakes, pastries, empanadas, sandwiches, or tarts, there are certainly enough options at Porto's to keep you coming back for more.

Porto's Party Store & Cake Gallery
315 N Brand Blvd
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 956-5996

Kawaii Bakery

Kawaii Bakery has been serving cakes, sweet buns, breads, and other pastries in the old Alin's Party Supply Plaza for over two years now. I suspect that most people heading on Warner in that direction are on a single mission to get on the freeway and often overlook the obscure location.

Though the breads and buns looked good, the three of us were looking to cash in on the promotion, which advertised three slices of cake for $6.49. The single refridgerated case housed mostly fruit-based mousse cakes, though there were a few classic chocolate and sponge cakes thrown in for good measure. I was told the most popular cakes are the Sweet Tasty, a heart-shaped raspberry mousse, and the Opera, a chocolate mousse cake. For our choices, we opted for the Pineapple, strawberry-yogurt mousse, and "Japanese-style cake," which was a cheesecake made with cream cheese.

The presentation of the cakes was simple with light fruit garnishes serving as the only embellishment, although the cake wrappers were cumbersome and difficult to remove. There seemed to be more air beaten into the egg whites than normal, which led to an almost weightless mousse cake that melted in our mouths. The strawberry and yogurt combination was tart, while the chocolate and vanilla sponge cakes acted as a counterbalance.

The Pineapple Cake was a sponge cake topped with pineapple jam. It was nice and light. The Japanese cheesecake was the only disappointment since the cheese was neither sweet nor sour and the crust incredibly dry. A good dousing of raspberry sauce would have done it good.

Though the cakes were simple, they tasted good, came in large portions, and were relatively cheap. No complaints, but no rave reviews either.

Clockwise: Tuna + ham&egg sandwiches, assorted cakes, chocolate cake toast, banana bread, vanilla sponge cake, wintermelon pastries

As we wandered around the store, we kept discovering one treat after another, until I walked away with a laundry list of items to check out the next time I'm there. On my list: ham and egg sandwiches, banana bread, and chocolate cake toast.

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Food update July 31, 2007

This time, I came for the buns and sandwiches for a light lunch. Overall my choices weren't bad, though I've had better.

I picked up the only two sandwiches they had available. The ham and cheese on white bread was a little manufactured tasting with the brick of unnatural-looking cheese being what put me off most. The bread was expectedly fluffy, though a tad sweet. Not bad on the whole, though Cream Pan's are better and feel a bit more homemade.

The potato and tuna salad stuffed buns deceptively looked like baguettes, but were more like Hawaiian bread rolls. Potato salad is too starchy for an already carb-loaded bun and the tuna salad tasted more like mayo than it did tuna.

The pastries below come with the same buttery bun casing, though they're packaged in different shapes and sizes. The buns are sweet and doughy on the inside.

The Pork Sung and Green Onion Bun was overloaded with sweet pork sung and didn't have enough of the green onions for a fragrant contrast. The corn in the Corn and Ham Bun didn't have much sweetness of its own and as far as I could taste, the ham was almost absent altogether.

The only real winner was the Banana Bread, which would have rivaled any great grandmother's family recipe. It's everything you expect homemade banana bread to taste like.

Kawaii Bakery
17020 Magnolia St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 596-6178

Try: Strawberry-Yogurt Mousse, Banana Bread
Skip: Japanese-style Cake, Pork Sung and Green Onion Bun, Ham and Corn Bun

Cream Pan [Tustin]

My recent obsession with Cream Pan (1) has broken at a feverish pitch.

A few weeks ago, my SO and I drove 15 minutes out to Tustin only to discover that the bakery would be closed for the next 1.5 weeks for the Fourth of July holiday. I had been anticipating the July 11th reopening and got up the minute I stirred awake at 8am. I called and to my dismay, it was closed until July 11, and reopening on the 12. I woke up the next morning to the same routine, but was thwarted by 9:30am freeway traffic. I hate Southern California.

I gave up the endeavor for a week and finally made it back today for my reunion with the sandwich lunch boxes and strawberry croissants. But no visit to Cream Pan is complete without the taste of something new:

Apple Croissant: The croissant dough has the same light sweetness as the strawberry ones do, but aren't meant to be as crispy. There's more air baked into this croissant, which keeps the pastry layers inside fluffy and soft. The apples are a nice touch, especially if you're looking for something less sweet to start your day off with.

Chocolate Croissant: The unsweetened dough in this croissant really brings out the smokiness of the dark chocolate. The chocolate is dense, rich, and almost like biting in a solid chocolate bar enveloped in flaky layers of puff pastry. Recommended with a cup of coffee. In France, this pastry would be called a pain au chocolat, which is a variation on the croissant.

Cream Pan: This namesake pastry is ironically not Cream Pan's signature item (see previous post on strawberry croissants). It is a sweet bread bun filled with custard cream on the inside. The bread is comprised of a million little web-like fibers that are layered inside for a feathery lightness.

Azuki Cream Pan: Although the name suggests a similarity, the Azuki Cream Pan is not the same baked bread filled with red bean instead of custard. The Azuki is more similar to a dense croissant than a baked bread. Its layers of puff pastry are interspersed with red bean filling and a lot, almost too much, whipped cream. While the pastry was light, I couldn't get over the explosion of cream that accosted my mouth upon first bite.

Cream Pan also has a brisk commercial account with Ebisu Market in Fountain Valley and the Marukai Pacific Market in Gardena. I've seen strawberry croissants, sandwiches, and breads at the former, though the Pacific Market may only carry the bread.


Cream Pan
602 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 665-8239

Ebisu Supermarket
18930 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 962-2108

Marukai Pacific Market
1620 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 464-8888