Cheeseboard Bialy: I’m tying to reduce my carb intake (which has drastically reduced snacking). But one morning, I woke up to find I didn’t have running water in my apartment and, giving up on low-carb life for a bit, I went to Cheeseboard for breakfast. I always find the savory breads at this Berkeley institution are better than their sweet baked goods. This bialy was especially satisfying after not having any bread for a while. Tasting strongly of garlic and sprinkled with poppy seeds, the round bread has a ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
bread berkeley onion bakery baked cheeseboard bialy 4.0 recommended
Cheeseboard Chocolate Things: Representative of the ingredient-focus mindset of California cuisine more generally, this lightly sweetened roll is rich and buttery in flavor but also fluffy and light in texture. Good quality chocolate chunks throughout. Very classic and delicious - I can easily imagine it any patisserie in Paris. A great value at just $3. Purchased from the iconic Cheeseboard bakery on Berkeley. 4.0/5.0
recommended bread bakery berkeley brioche cheeseboard chocolate things 4.0
Dominique Ansel Bakery Peach Creme Fraiche Mousse Cake: This teardrop-shaped dessert consists of a lemon cake with peach compote, all covered in a thin shard of pink-striped chocolate. It had a sharp, acidic flavor, and technically, the cake was soft and moist. But I couldn't help but wonder what exactly this dessert was trying to accomplish. While I hadn't had anything like it before, I wouldn't say it was particularly satisfying; it exists in its own world that's not quite delicious, yet not really challenging enough to stay in my memory. 3.0/5.0
desserts nyc bakery cake pastry lemon dominiqueanselbakery peach creme fraiche mousse 3.0
Golden Steamer Pumpkin Bun: Golden Steamer epitomizes what I love about NYC. It’s a hole-in-the-wall, cash-only bao shop right off of Canal St on Mott in Chinatown, with sweet and savory offerings all around $1 each. The sizable buns can easily be a meal on its own, offering an incredible value. This lightly sweetened pumpkin bun has a eggy flavor and starchy, creamy layers of pumpkin paste towards the center. The bread is more dense than their white buns used in their savory baos (reviews forthcoming) but the bread st... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended cheap nyc bakery chinese steamed bao goldensteamer pumpkin bun 4.0
Ken's Artisan Bakery's cannelle: Crusty, caramelized exterior with soft, custard interior. Perfect level of sweetness, good vanilla flavor (with a hint of lemon?). Seems small but is actually very filling. 4.0/5.0
recommended pastry cannelle bakery portland kensartisanbakerys 4.0
Kimuraya Red Bean Bun: This small but popular bakery is right near the Ginza metro station, offering a variety of Japanese / french breads and pastries. Their speciality appears to be inexpensive miniature buns that cost 150¥, under $1.50; sized like dinner rolls and coated in amaranth, its shell is slightly browned and overall tastes largely neutral in flavor with red bean filling (they also offer different types of fillings). Overall, it's more like sustenance than something to be enjoyed, given its inexpensiv... (read more) 3.0/5.0
japanese ginza bakery kimuraya red bean bun 3.0