85°C Bakery Café (San Jose, CA)
10:30:00 AM
Let them eat cake! Marie
Antoinette infamous said (or not said, the verdict is still out). And let me
say, a lot of people were eating cake that weekend. I went to the Grand Opening
weekend of 85°C Bakery Café and they were not kidding about the lines. My
friends and I passed by the shop Sunday afternoon, on our way to Music
Tunnel KTV for a few hours of karaoking.
At that time, the place was already
hopping, with the lines zigzagging and wrapping around several times, extending towards the other shops. The plaza
was newly opened with few other stores in business, but the parking lot was packed.
Why?
85°C Bakery Café!
Let them eat cake! Marie Antoinette infamous said (or not said, the verdict is still out). And let me say, a lot of people were eating cake that weekend. I went to the Grand Opening weekend of 85°C Bakery Café and they were not kidding about the lines. My friends and I passed by the shop Sunday afternoon, on our way to Music Tunnel KTV for a few hours of karaoking.
Honestly, I have never seen so many
people (95% Asian) go crazy for bread. We headed over to the bakery after
dinner at approximately 8:30 PM and even at that time there was a moderately
long line outside. Between standing outside and then moving inside (in
increments about 5), it took me half an hour to get inside.
Interior & Ambiance
They had a huge corner store
and the interior was brightly lit with these interesting orb lights. I wish I
took a photo of it because it reminds me of the huge orb lights in Chem 194
(now known as Rock Hall) at UC Davis, but prettier and nowhere near as dirty.
 |
| Clockwise: Coffee Bread (w/ Mochi & Red bean), Green Tea Roll, Almond sponge cake, Sweet Brioche, Two egg tarts |
On the right was the
cases filled with bread, in your usual U-formation, with an island in the
middle with more bread. They were consistently releasing fresh bread every few
minutes. I have to say the set up was a little chaotic though. It looked like
there was plenty of bread, but in reality just plenty of bread in the same
variety here and there. Some trays did not have names stating the name so that
wasn’t particularly helpful. I’ll chalk it up to the chaos and the fact it was
the opening weekend so all the workers are still getting used to everything.
 |
| Desserts. May I have.. one of each? |
 |
| The drinks menu, a bit blurry.. whoops. |
On the left was an island
that separated the registers. This is where the workers bag up your bread for
you before you pay. Also located there are… the CAKES and DESSERTS. I will
definitely make a return visit just to sample those. And further left is the
drinks station aka the café section.
I can’t speak much about the
ambiance during the grand opening besides it being loud and filled with people.
I’m sure once the crowd dies down, it’ll be a pleasant place to read a book and
study. Or just to catch up with friends.
Thoughts
Overhyped? Perhaps. After
trying everything I bought with my friends and family, I have to say, it wasn’t
extraordinary. It was yummy, but not enough to justify a long wait. It was also
pricier than the other Chinese bakeries you find around the Bay (Kee Wah and Sheng
Kee), but around the ballpark of the Korean bakeries (Paris Baguette and TOUS
le JOURS).
 |
| Sea Salt Foam Jasmine Tea |
However, I would come back
for the drinks and the desserts. I really liked their sea salt foam tea-- even if it cost me a night of sleep. I guess I never learn, but TEA! I guess in the battle of tea and sleep, tea will always win.
Anybody a huge fan of 85°C Bakery Café? Did I miss something? Is there something I absolutely must try?
1 comments
Thank you, Amy! The pictures look yummy! I need to check this place out. Here is my post about my favorite cafes in the Bay Area: http://www.sweetieandgeek.com/best-bakery-cafes-in-the-bay-area/
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