85°C Bakery

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE EVERYONE!

 

It's time once again to make New Year's Resolutions that won't be kept.  Just kidding!  Hopefully not. 

I'm actually going to make some this year, which include going to the gym at school 2 times a week, for at least 45 minutes.  Hmm, we'll see how that goes.

Anyways, this month I've been home, I have been frequenting 85°C Bakery quite..frequently.  I think I might have an 85°C fever!



The first time I tried taking pics, I got the "Excuse me.  No photography allowed."  WHYY???

But no worries.  I just came back other times, and I guess the workers were nicer/more lenient, or I was just more sneaky.  hehe

Bread Galore!



Ahh, I love walking in and seeing shelves and shelves of bread!  And it smells lovely too!  They are constantly bringing out trays of fresh bread, and they literally call out, "Fresh Bread!"  It gets really crowded and people tend to be quite pushy, but their bread still lures me in all the time.

Matcha Green Tea Roll with Red Bean

The cake was pretty good.  It seemed a little too wet, but that might have been because it was in the fridge for 2 days before I ate it.  You can actually taste the matcha green tea, and it was a classic combination with the red beans.

Giant Brioche

Oh man, a giant soccer ball of yumminess!  Although it looks really big, it's actually really light and fluffy, so it can easily be eaten as one serving for bread-lovers.  The flavor is very rich and sweet, yet still light, so you won't get sick of it.  The top is crumbly, while the inside is fluffy and chewy, but the taste is the same throughout.  It's so simple, yet so good.



Danish Pineapple Bun

Your classic Danish pineapple bun.  There's actually no pineapple in it at all, so the name is deceiving!  I think it's supposed to look like a pineapple on the outside with the checkered pattern, but it just kinda looks like a bun..haha.

The inside is filled with a buttermilk paste, which is basically sweet dry paste with a slight tang.  They also have ones without filling if you want.  The bread part is actually like a croissant, and the outer crust has a sweet taste similar to that of the brioche.

The thing in the back is the multigrain bread with raisins, which I love to get because I am an old woman at heart.  It doesn't look very pretty, but it's a good supporting actress for the pineapple bun...



Red Bean Bun



Another classic!  Nothing too special, but still yummy.



Marbled Taro Bread

This is my favorite bread at 85°C!  I swear, people attack these once they come out.  When a worker comes out carrying a full tray, it doesn't even make it to the shelf since everyone snatches it all away!  Crazy!  And today, I saw a woman buy more than a dozen of these...

But man, they're just so good.  I always make sure I get a few, since I finish these like psycho.

See the flakes on the outside?  Now look inside!



 Marbled Taro Bread innards, slightly smushed



It's flaky on the outside and super chewy on the inside, so it is like HEAVEN IN YOUR MOUTH.  It also has bits of taro in the paste, which gives it even more taro flavor.  There's even taro swirled into the outside of the bread!

Eaten by Cathy.

85°C Bakery and Cafe

17170 Colima Road, #A

Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 

(626) 839-7885

http://www.85cafe.us/

Dim sum at ABC Seafood Restaurant

This restaurant is my grandpa's favorite place for lunch!  I think it has to do with the nice comfortable atmosphere.  Or maybe it's because one of the waitresses said my grandpa is handsome.  And because of that we usually get dim sum dishes on the house.  Oh, there's just so many reasons to come back!

Congee rice porridge orders are made at the front of the restaurant

Steamed Pea Sprout & Shrimp Dumpling

Deep Fried Pearl Meat Dumpling  sweet rice cake with minced meat filling

I think their dim sum is pretty good although on the pricier side.  But hey!  The table cloths are a plus.

Crispy Egg Tart and look at those layers!

Steamed Vegetarian Dumplings  filled with carrots, lettuce, mushroom, and corn

Steam Vegetarian Dumpling innards

These vegetarian dumplings are the best!  I'm not a vegetarian but I prefer these dumplings over their meat dumplings.  My mom is actually a vegetarian so we always get two orders of this and devour it all.

Plain Congee Rice Porridge

Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce

Honey BBQ Pork Rice Roll

Custard Bun with Egg Yolk Paste

Custard Bun with Egg Yolk Paste innards

Also got two orders of these buns.  The runny sweet custard is just so irresistible!  I ended up eating a whole order myself.

New Year Rice Cake

 

Sesame Roll which was on the house from my grandpa's crush

Eaten by Jocelyn.

ABC Seafood Restaurant

782 Barber Ln

Milpitis, CA 95035

(408)435-8888
www.abcseafoodrestaurant.com

My #1 Pad Thai at Thai Corner

Thai Iced Tea

I used to really like Thai iced tea, but after drinking several cups from the school cafeteria, I no longer had the same craving.  But, it has been a while since I last had Thai iced tea, so I still really enjoyed it! 

Pork Pad Thai

You have the option of chicken, pork, beef, or tofu with all the dishes.  I usually always default to pork when I am given these options.  

Their Pad Thai is definitely one of the better ones I have had.  I think this is mainly because their flavor is what I like -- not too sour, and not too sweet.  The noodles also have a good chewiness to them.  The dish does get quite heavy and oily, but I feel that goes with most Thai food. 

Whenever I want some Thai food, I always come here.  The waiters and waitresses are really friendly, and all their dishes I have ordered so far are quite delicious!

Eaten by Cathy. 

Thai Corner

14230 Chino Hills Pkwy

Ste H
Chino Hills, CA 91709

(909) 627-6189

Jazz Cat Fusion Shabu Shabu + Tea Station Boba

JAZZ CAT!  A strangely cute name...

Jazz Cat Sign

Right when you walk in through the doors, you see this massive wall decorated around their name, Jazz Cat.  Impressive! 



After you walk in through the curtains to the dining area, you see even MORE BLING!  WOW.  It was a bit intimidating with all the shiny jewels everywhere you looked, and the big bulky chandeliers hanging wherever there was space.  It didn't help that the only colors in the room were red and black.  But I mean, you get used to it after a few minutes, so it was all good. 

They also have modern paintings of people playing saxophones and trumpets, which went along with their "Jazz Cat" theme.  It was quite fun looking at the decor while we waited for our food.



Soup Bases



Jazz Cat offers a very wide selection of soup bases.  There were a grand total of 36 (yes, I counted) soup bases to choose from!  Pictured above are the

Taiwanese Spicy - Upper Left

Jazz Cat House Special - Upper Right

Japanese Spicy Miso - Lower Left

Thai Spicy - Lower Right



And man, they don't kid around with their spicy soups.  THEY ARE SPICY.

Before



I ordered the Pork + Japanese Spicy Miso soup base + Japanese Sesame sauce. 

I read on a yelp review that the Japanese Spicy Miso wasn't spicy, but it was spicy all right!  I was dying halfway, but it was so good, so I had to keep eating it.  The soup was very rich and flavorful, and I even drank a few bowls at the end.

The veggies came with the usual cabbage, tofu, and vermicelli.  It also had fishcake, broccoli, kabocha, baby corn, and a whole egg for you to crack!  The meat came with a decent amount too.  You can choose from chicken, pork, beef, veggies, and even lamb!  They have an option called the "T-Rex" where you can get more meat and less veggies for the same price, but I just stuck with the normal portions.

They also have a variety of sauces to choose from.  My Japanese Sesame sauce was very fragrant.  It wasn't too heavy on the sesame, which was perfect!  I was glad I ordered the sesame sauce, since it helped keep me sane while eating my spicy hot pot.  

Aftermath of Hurricane Cathy



Mmm...it was a hearty meal that certainly warmed me up!  The hot pot was always boiling hot, since they don't turn the heat off on you midway while you are eating, unlike some other places.  I will definitely come back again!  I really want to try all their soup bases and sauces hehehe



Green Tea with Boba

Of course, I needed something cold and sweet after such a big, spicy hot pot!  We made a stop by Tea Station, and I got a green tea with boba.  Delicious!!!  They have perfectly chewy boba and fragrant tea.  They gave me almost a half cup of boba, which I didn't mind.  It was so good that I finished it before I even got home!

Eaten by Cathy. 

Jazz Cat Fusion Shabu
18588 Gale Ave
City of Industry, CA 91748
(626) 581-8588

Getting Lunch and Boba Drinks at Tea Station

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I hope everyone has lots and lots of love and happiness to share with friends and family!  And of course, lots and lots of food as well!  (Hmm...sounds familiar?)  But yes, that is my sincere wish!  Sadly, my family does not really celebrate Christmas, so it is just like a normal day for us...
Well, every day is always a food adventure.  We decided to head out to eat for lunch.  Since almost all American places were closed, we opted for another Asian meal at Tea Station!

Tea and More Tea



They have lovely decor inside.  Tea Station originated as a tea store, but they sell food as well (many of the dishes tea-flavored). 

There's actually 2 branches of stores, all under the name Ten Ren:  Tea Station and Tea Time.  I personally like the food at Tea Time better, but their drinks taste the same to me (delicious!)



Tea- Braised Pork Chop Meal with black and green tea in the back

Ehh.  I was expecting it to be the fried kind, but I realized I ordered the "braised" pork chop.  Oh, the language barrier...

Well, the pork chop certainly tasted like pork chop.  I'm not a big fan of pork chop like this, so I didn't particularly enjoy it. 

The tea made up for the sad main dish.  Tea Station has the best tea!  I used to always get the black tea, but recently, I have been obsessed with green tea.  There's a distinct flower taste in the tea, which I love!  You can also order it less sweetened if you want, but I just get it normal with no ice.  They also have the best boba..perfectly sweet and chewy!  Too bad I didn't have some this time around...

Side Dishes

They have delicious rice noodles!  I could eat a whole dish of it, but sadly, they don't offer it.  The side dishes change everytime, but they are generally pretty good.  

Rice, with Minced Pork

Yay!  I don't have to eat plain white rice! 

Tea-Flavored Meatballs Meal

This was actually eaten on a previous trip, but I thought I would just include it in this post.  The meatballs were supposed to be "tea-flavored", but it just tasted like normal Chinese meatballs to me.  The main dish overall tasted like something my mom would make, so I probably wouldn't order it again.  

Green & Black Tea



Boba Green Milk Tea



So good!  Usually, I just come here for the drinks, but my family likes to eat here too because it is simple. 



Oh no! 



As we left the parking lot of Tea Station, the gas indicator needle was drifting dangerously close to the E.  Since Costco is closed on Christmas, my mom was frekaing out.  But my dad was fearless, and we still stopped by two Korean supermarkets on the way home.  No worries though.  We made it home safely!

Eaten by Cathy. 

Tea Station

18558 Gale Ave
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 839-2588
http://www.teastation.us/

The Best Sandwiches + French Macarons

Merry Christmas!  I wish for you all plenty of happiness and many presents (that you actually like).  And also lots and lots of food!  Just piles of delicious food that never stop coming your way!

My family and I decided to keep it simple for our Christmas Eve dinner. We went out to buy Bánh mì from the Best Sandwiches and they truly do have the best sandwiches!  The French bread that they use is always warm and crispy.  And have this sauce they spread the bread with makes everything scrumptious!

They have a selection of Bánh mì, pho, and freshly-made drinks

#6 Egg Sandwich

  

People (like Cathy) always give me weird looks for not getting the bánh mì with meat but I only order egg because it's the BEST!  I ate a whole foot of egg goodness by myself...

Box of Cocola Bakery French Macarons

Yesterday, while I was shopping for my Holiday menu at Costco, I stumbled upon a box of Cocola Bakery French Macarons.  I've been craving French macarons for months now!  I've even dreamed about French Macarons (specifically a yellow macaron) and made them my wallpaper on my laptop so I can stare at them everyday. The closest bakery to me that makes French Macarons fresh is about a forty minute drive away and I have yet had the time to make the trip there!  But when I do, I can ensure you there will be a macaron shopping spree.

Desperate cravings call for desperate measures.

So I bought the box.

 

Agh, I know! You don't have to tell me.  French Macarons in box, from the refrigerator section, bought from Costco,  can't be that wonderful...but I EVEN SAW MACARONS IN MY DREAM.  And at that moment they were right there in front of me!  Literally a dream come true...well, for the most part.  The box didn't contain a yellow macaron...

In any case, my family and I ate the whole box for dessert and it was...well...what you get for macarons from the fridge.  Most were a too hard and I felt there wasn't enough filling.  It wasn't terrible but I don't think I'd ever buy it again.  There was four flavors: coffee, pistachio, raspberry, and chocolate. 

A bite out of the Pistachio French Macaron

Eaten by Jocelyn.

Best Sandwiches
1631 E Capitol Expy
Ste 106
San Jose, CA 95121 

(408) 223-2022