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59 reviews for Kien Giang Bakery
Review Highlights
"I wanted a wedding cake to fit about 30-40."
(in 15 reviews)
"...best cake in LA - for simple delicious whipped cream cake."
(in 7 reviews)
"I had the Vietnamese sandwich -- Vietnamese ham (who knows."
(in 5 reviews)
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59 reviews in English
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Review from Chic C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Kien Giang has one of the best Tres Leches cakes I've ever had and it's from a this Vietnamese bakery in Echo Park! I'm a repeat customer. I love Tres Leches for special occasions or simply on days when I just need to feel better. I'm not condoning emotional eating but just go for a slice.
I haven't tried anything else on their menu, so the 5 stars is only for this cake. -
Review from Gene C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/3/2012 2 photos
After failing to locate the Oaxacan Quesadilla Cart (Lady you can't hide forever! Chicharron blue corn quesadilla withdrawal is no laughing matter), I stumbled upon the Kien Giang Bakery which seemed to appear out of nowhere. Correction: It IS in the middle of nowhere. Don't drive too fast or you'll pass it.
I can't comment on the baked goods because it seemed like they were closing up and shelves were rather empty. Unlike other Banh Mi shops, the sandwich selection is limited to maybe 4-5 different varieties. Not a promising start but my stomach overruled my brain and I ordered the Vietnamese Sandwich.
Pros:
1) Fresh toasty french bread
2) Generous meat to bread ratio (1 inch thick...for those that believe size does matter)
3) Where else are gonna find a banh mi in Echo Park?
Cons:
1) $4 for a banh mi is $1.50 more than I'm used to paying. I consider it a convenience fee for not having to travel to the SGV for my banh mi fix.
2) No pate?!? -
Review from Hannah E.
10/29/2011
It may not be fair to rate Kien Giang on their banh mi alone, since they are primarily a cake place, but I didn't want cake, I wanted banh mi (and durian cloud pastries).
What's to say? They're $4. The ham tastes like it's from Ralph's. There are almost no vegetables and almost no pickling to the vegetables that are there. The mayo may be 'seasoned' but I'm not sure what with, since there was one microscopic dollop of it.
The bread was good though, as would be expected since they make the sandwiches fresh.
The extra star is for the durian cloud pastries they make, which are excellent. I warned my grandparents about durian and its.... feetiness, before they tried it, and their prevailing attitude was, 'whatever, I'm in my late 90's and I'll eat what I want'. Their expressions were inscrutable once the durian was in their mouths, and Grandpa said, "I don't see what the big deal is one way or the another about it."
That was pretty surprising, because these things were POTENT. I had durian breath for the rest of the day.
Anyway, I can't say how good Kien Giang's cakes are, but if the pastries are at all predictive of more mainstream wedding/birthday cakes, I bet they're probably pretty good. -
Review from Taylor M.
Los Angeles, CA
2/6/2012
Great food offered by this place for a decent compensation. Creative products, fresh, good looking and above all tasty. You can't ask for much more than that. Really worth it.
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Review from Teresita C.
Los Angeles, CA
2/1/2012
Great skills on those cakes. Really amazing. Nice detail oriented and well prepared sweets. I like their dedication, since cakes not only that they look amazing they taste the same way too. You'll get full pretty quick, but you eyes will stay hungry. :)
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Review from Marisol G.
Los Angeles, CA
12/12/2011
Moist and not overly sweet cakes with fresh strawberries. Reasonable prices.
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Review from Keila N.
5/1/2011 5 photos
I went here today to pick up a cake for my nephew's birthday. I've been going to Phoenix Bakery for years, but decided to try this one after all the reviews. Kien Giang closes at 3 on Sundays so it doesn't have a lot of selections. We weren't able to pick up a cake large enough, but we tried a slice of the coconut cake. It was delicious!
I would definitely come here. The price is very reasonable, which makes this a 5 star choice.Listed in: Dining in Downtown, LA
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Review from Clarke W.
Los Angeles, CA
3/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hidden jewel in the middle of a residential block in the Echo Park area. Other than their awesome cakes they also serve Banh Mi & Moon cakes with vegetarian and vegan options. The last Banh Mi I ordered, the bread was fresh out of the oven warm. Try the lunch meal deals with a drink and dessert.
Tips:
- No seating or tables, to-go only.
- Call in your order for pick up, to save on wait time.
- They close early, lunch only. -
Review from Cheryl T.
Los Angeles, CA
9/15/2010
Any place that looks like a total dump automatically piques my interest and Kien Giang is no exception. Last year I wanted to find my own bakery for mooncakes instead of going to any of the bakeries in the San Gabriel Valley and I found KG on Google Maps and Yelp or something. I also got mooncakes this year (I'm like those crazy Chinese ladies with huge bags of mooncakes!) The cakes are good and decently-priced; I also like the fact that they're made on-site instead of in some questionable factory in China.
Today I went back and tried the vegetarian banh mi (and got more mooncakes, of course) since all the other Yelpers gave such good reviews for the banh mi. I opted for the veganaise, which is so tasty it has GOT TO BE worse for you. The sandwich took some time to make because they make it fresh - that's right, hot crunch flaky bread and just-chopped vegetarian "ham" - but it was well worth the wait! I absolutely love banh mi and was kind of sad to give them up when I went veg, but now I have a delicous vegetarian option!
The banh mi is a little pricey (almost $4) compared to $2 or $3 ones you can get in the SGV, but I guess the whole point was that I wanted something different, right? The combo ($6 for a sandwich, canned beverage and slice of cake) is a bit much; the sandwich is pretty big. Finally, I wish they also had Vietnamese coffee or other drinks - that would bump this place up to five stars!Listed in: Fave LA
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Review from Claire K.
Long Beach, CA
8/27/2011
good prices. friendly service. good food.
i went here for my wedding cake. during the tasting, the cake was light, moist, and not too sweet. just how i like it. at the actual wedding, it was a little dry. so i was a little disappointed. i ordered chocolate cake with sliced strawberries and whipped cream icing. after talking to a few of my guests after the wedding, i found out that there was a mixture of strawberries and bananas. now, im a fan of that combo, but i am not a fan of ppl taking creative liberties at my expense. i paid for strawberries, not bananas. so four stars instead of five.
that being said, everything else was fine. i also ordered some platters of egg rolls, sesame balls, and meat pies for the cocktail hour. they were gracious enough to plate these appetizers on various pretty platters i provided instead of the standard rectangular aluminum ones. they also gave me enough vietnamese sandwiches to feed my vendors so i wouldnt have to include the vendors in the guest count...saving me about $400. all that food was delicious. -
Review from Jenny R.
Pacoima, CA
7/4/2011 1 photo
i used to live in echo park for 21 years of my life, every year, as long as i can remember, i had/have to have a cake from here for my birthday.
i don't care for any of their other cakes besides the vanilla sponge, with strawberries surrounded by almonds. sooo yummy! the super soft and fluffy cake, the light icing, the tart but sweet strawberries with the crunch of the almonds.
i love it so much, that a couple of times a year i go there and pretend it's my birthday, buy myself a small cake, and share it with my co workers and bring the rest home.
my actual birthday is coming soon, and i cannot wait! yay! -
Review from claudia m.
Los Angeles, CA
4/25/2011 1 photo
this place is no joke...
i generally had 2 favorite places for cakes in LA: 1. Phoneix Bakery in Chinatown, and 2. Portos in Glendale. i am constantly looking for a good, reasonably priced bakery since i buy my staff's birthday cakes at work. one day, i decided to stop by the little bakery i drive by everyday on my way to work, and WOW am i glad i did that! this place is soooo good.
to me, it's quite on par with the aforementioned bakeries of choice... but what it has that those places don't is convenience. it is in echo park, which makes it the closest and best place for baked good for me. they aren't always the best with customer service (i've encountered some moderatly unfriendly employees), but it isn't so bad that it would be a dealbreaker for me.
the only thing i haven't been a big fan of is their mocha cake which one of my coworkers requested. we were all disappointed because it was entirely tooooooo coffee-y. still, avoid that one and you're a-ok. nom nom nom! -
Review from Eugene K.
Glendale, CA
5/25/2011
The wedding cake we ordered from here tasted amazing. The cake was moist, light and fluffy while not being overly spongy, just sweet enough to enjoy a whole large slice to yourself, and full of delicious ripe strawberries. We were delighted with the value that we got for our wedding cake considering Portos was charging several hundred more for a similar cake that did not taste as good. Only thing I would say is to not have them decorate with flowers and to have your florist do it instead. Other than that... beautiful and delicious. I highly recommend!
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Review from Dr Lov E.
Los Angeles, CA
6/25/2010
I regularly buy their durian cakes at viet store in Chinatown, so I figured I'd give the actual bakery a try...loved it. Bright, clean, convenient. $6 combo gets you a killer veggie banh mi, a drink and a dessert ...red velvet cake :)
Baked goods are a little less expensive here - direct from the source.
Gonna be a regular stop for me. -
Review from Bethanee W.
Los Angeles, CA
1/21/2011
Let me say rating cake places is totally about preference. I like a thick dense moist cake with light cream and fresh fruit. Now this place, although excellently priced is not that kind of cake.
It is however, a delicious cake for what it is. All the previous reviews are true to their word. It is a light fluffy cake that's not too sweet. The fruit is really fresh and they have some of the best whipped cream.
The staff are nice and helpful, the parking lot is awkward and small. Their banh mi is good, made fresh to order. The bread is like a bolillo used to make a torta, so if your used to hard french roll, then it may not be for you. -
Review from Julia W.
CA
3/3/2010
KG Bakery did my wedding cake back in August '09, during the crazy hot spell that was a bummer for all things whipped creamy. Well, they did an AMAZING job. Especially dealing with the weather - they were able to delivery the cake later than the scheduled time at no cost. The cake was DELICIOUS! The best cake in LA - for simple delicious whipped cream cake. It was beautiful - simple and gorgeous with flowers - not tacky flowers, as some bakeries tend to do with the flowers - but gorgeous and simple. Oh, and the cost??? Cheapest in LA. Seriously. Cake for 150 people was, with delivery across the city, almost in Malibu, $400. Unbeatable for a wedding cake.
They are the best. The cake was perfect! -
Review from Pancho V.
Los Angeles, CA
10/30/2009 8 photos
So I was asked to pick up a cake for a Thank You going away party for someone and right away I'm thinking' "PORTO'S", BEST cakes and other goodies hands down!!!!, Uhhh what She doesn't want Porto's? are you serious? GOOD RIDDANCE, glad She's laving!........
So I was told to get a cake from Chinatown, OK I know where I'm going! "IF" it's NOT Porto's then it's Kien Giang aka "KG"
So I cruised down to Echo Park and picked up a Quarter sheet cake $25.00 (great price) and got it Half Strawberry, Half Banana (my fav) nom, nom.....and it was a BIG HIT yeah Pancho know what's up! and you thought I only knew Tacos.... http://www.yelp.com/bi... http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Some other goodies http://www.yelp.com/bi... http://www.yelp.com/bi...
OH, something NEW since last I was here http://www.yelp.com/bi... so I ordered me a Vietnamese Sandwich aka Banh Mi $3.95 price is high but still wanted to try it, it's a bakery so obviously they make their own bread a plus...it was fresh and was a real nice French Roll and the meat portion was a little more than most place's that serve Banh Mi's and it was pretty good though they don't put Jalapeno's :( http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I also grabbed some MOCHI, OK I have NO idea what Mochi is but all I can describe it is round ball of ? about the size of a golf ball, it's squishy and Yummy http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The Party's On!!!!!! -
Review from claudia g.
Los Angeles, CA
12/15/2009
I was out with my sis in echo park and she had a hankering for some sweets so we went to Kien Giang based on yelp views. Here's what we walked into:
4:45 pm. place has very few sweets left. This is a good sign. No dust collectors. Not a crumb, not a cookie, not a rice coconut concoction type of Vietnamese sweet. Nada. Everything appears to be fresh and in happy bellies.
This is what we found-2 small cupcakes refrigerated. 4 slices of strawberry cake, a couple fruit tarts that looked tempting, and some Mexican tres leches cake. We opted for 2 baguettes and a croissant.
Baguette was light with the perfect amount of chewiness and density. Croissant was good (light not too buttery) I bet it's better in the morning. I will definitely return and be sure it is in the early part of the day. Update will follow! -
Review from Jen V.
El Monte, CA
10/4/2006
Let me start out by saying that my rating is based solely on their cupcakes. I had read a few other reviews about this bakery that mentioned how quickly the cupcakes sell out. I went late one Saturday afternoon and there were only four left - two strawberry, one marble, and one mint & chip. I bought them all (for only $1.50/ea!) and was not disappointed at all. The cake was moist and the cream cheese frosting was fantastic.
There were also various cakes and cookies available too that I didn't try but looked great.Listed in: NELA Love, Sweet Toothery!
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Review from Jenna C.
Honolulu, HI
3/4/2010
Cake: Their strawberry cake & chocolate were really good. It was light and fluffy yet the frosting was creamy without being too sweet.
Service: I felt a little unwelcomed during my wedding cake tasting. They didn't seem very interested in whether I ordered from them or not. They gave me the slices and told me to sit outside to taste alone. She didn't want to join me in discussing what the prices would be and what design would be possible. -1 star for that. -
Review from Judy T.
Los Angeles, CA
10/1/2007
Great, fluffy delicious cake. It's not too sugary, like the cheap stuff you get from Vons ( which is sooOoo good, by the way) but it's nice and light, so you won't pukey after having a few slices. Their specialty is fruit- there's always fruit in between the layers...
I usually get a strawberry and pineapple cake. The mango cake is delicious, with sliced almonds around the sides and some glazed fruits on top. It's really cheap, too, and they make it fresh because it's popular with the asian community around Echo Park.
Try some!! -
Review from Philip L.
El Monte, CA
11/7/2010
been ordering cakes here for a long long time now
this place has really grown from a small bakery to a pretty well expanded business
they offer a variety of products and even deliver to other bakeries and grocery stores
my sister in law had her baby shower yesterday so we got her a nicely decorated two tier cake
beautiful chocolate cake with great design creativity
strawberry and banana filling complemented really well with the moist and fluffiness of the cake and the airy frosting
it was a masterpiece!
now why three stars?
well, when you order something of this magnitude, you expect to have a box to carry it in
well, they did have a box, but unfortunately it wasnt large enough to cover the cake
sheesh, maybe this is something they should advertise when youre ordering youre cake
maybe im just a newbie when it comes to ordering stuff like this and its not supposed to come with a cover
or maybe they should explore places that can make customizable boxes to hold custome cakes
the drive back home was about 25 minutes so it was pretty inconvenient
luckily i brought someone with me otherwise i wouldve been assed out since someone had to hold it during the drive
this place wouldve received four stars, but due to the inconvenient circumstances, im giving them three
will now be exploring other bakeries around my neighborhood for special occasions -
Review from Ann B.
Westlake Village, CA
5/2/2011 1 photo
My husband and I got our wedding cake here and let me tell you, I don't think any other bakery can make cakes like they do! The cake is soft and fluffy, the frosting is light and whipped, and the pricing is extremely reasonable. It is definitely a hidden gem and now that we've found this place, we plan on getting all of our special occasion cakes here. Ollie is so helpful and so nice, he'll customize your cake to your liking. Another plus is that they decorate the cake beautifully...we couldn't have asked for more. THANK YOU KG BAKERY!!
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Review from Dony P.
Los Angeles, CA
4/29/2009
MMMMM!!!
I feel awful for their location. This place would be easy to miss. Maybe it is because I came here in the middle of a weekday, but it was really empty. Which is a shame, because this place was good, and shows a lot of promise!
The Vietnamese sandwiches were exactly what I was looking for. I think the bread could have been a little better. It was crispy on the outside, which is good, but in the end a little dry. So dry that when I inhaled, the bread crumbs flew into my throat and sent me choking. I got over it of course. But I don't want to give the wrong impression. Everything about the sandwich was great, and the bread was almost there. Perhaps I keep going back to the bread from The Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica. Crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. But is this like comparing apples and oranges? Is it OK to pine for the same bread experience between an Italian deli and a Vietnamese sandwich shop? Perhaps I don't know enough about the baguettes used for Vietnamese sandwiches. Perhaps this bread riddle will someday be clearer to me.
ANYWAYS. The reasons this dry bread may not turn me off as much as it should, is because I think the bread may had sat there for a little bit. My theory is that it is not their fault entirely. I am saying this because it doesn't seem like this place sees very much activity. The cases, and cake refrigerators aren't even half full, as if to say they are only stocking up for the amount of people that usually show up, which may be very little.
But please correct me if I am wrong on this! I am just fabricating my own theory to give them the benefit of the doubt!
But tell your friends about this place! I bet the sandwiches will be amazing if they are served on freshly baked baguettes. I have hope! But as it stands, I understand if they can make only so many loafs and try to make them last the day.
The other reason this place excites me is because of the cakes we had. Now they got a sweet sweet deal going on here. For $6.00 you can get a sandwich, a drink, and A SLICE OF CAKE. Fantastic deal in my book! I ordered the 3 milk cake, while my girlfriend ordered the chocolate cake. Both were very tasty, and made me realize something. They were fantastic without being too rich or gooey. It's almost like these balanced cakes are where they needed to be flavor wise! I thought about all the cakes at the Alcove, Susina, or Auntie Em's and they all seemed so excessive all of a sudden. Don't get me wrong, I still adore those places, but to be eating these cakes that seemed JUST RIGHT, was really refreshing.
And just so you know, they also do cake orders, with themes like Sponge Bob cakes, Soccer cakes, whatever the heck you want. They have a toy case filled with various trinkets and knickknacks for all your theme cakey needs. Also plenty of Asian junk foods and treats available.
So please people check this place out! The cakes are great, the sandwiches are awesome (and could almost be amazing), and the price is right. -
Review from Andrea L.
North Hollywood, CA
8/18/2007 2 photos
I went to a friend's bridal shower today and had some really delicious cake that came from KG Bakery. It was a chocolate cake w/ custard, fresh bananas,strawberries, and topped off with whipped cream. Can you say "Yum!" The presentation was also very beautiful.
I'm giving this place 4 stars solely from the sample I had at the bridal shower. It was really good! I live around the corner from this place so I can't wait to go there and try their cupcakes and other wonderful treats I'm told they have. -
Review from Clarissa M.
Canoga Park, CA
12/1/2009
I started a Yelp account so I can write about this bakery.
I stormed out of this so-called 5-star bakery a very disappointed godmother to a nephew who deserves a 5-star baptism cake. My hopes were so high up with the yelp reviews until i had a RUDE awakening--- literally.
I had an awesome baptism cake design that I wanted for my godson to have and I showed one of the ladies there so they can replicate it for me... she rejected it immediately saying that it'll be too expensive for me if they make it just like it. How does she even know if I can afford it or not. I was willing to pay anything for it! But she just assumed I couldn't and refused service to me. I don't care if they have the best cake in Los Angeles, but having to make me feel like I'm not worth their service just made their bakery so sour altogether.
They lost business with me, a first time customer, and they're about to lose business with my friends and family. I hope this is a lesson for them ---service counts sooo much. -
Review from Anh-Dao T.
Alhambra, CA
11/23/2009
The most random place for a Vietnamese bakery EVER. I'm so glad I found this place on Yelp because I was all set to go to Porto's. But since it was during prime traffic hours, I thought I'd search for something closer. And I'm so happy I found Kien Giang.
They have banh mi, the usual Vietnamese desserts (banh deo, gia lon, etc) and of course cakes. They have several ready to go, which all had some combination of strawberry and another fresh fruit. If you want a different flavor, be it fresh fruit or preserves, you just need to call at least a day in advance. I'm definitely ordering a strawberry banana cake next time!! Everyone liked our strawberry-peach w/ vanilla custard. And the best part? The price! =) $15 for a 8 inch round. Gotta love Vietnamese pricing! -
Review from Sandra K.
Los Angeles, CA
3/7/2010
This place reminds me of Food Network's Sandra Lee.
They've got that whole part store bought and part fresh ingredients thing going. I bought a few cakes to share and was really unimpressed. -
Review from Betsy L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/9/2009
Holy yum, Batman.
Do you want a wedding cake that will not cost you a bajillion dollars AND will not fill your head with cavities? Get it here!
I had a short engagement and thus not too much notice to get a wedding cake ordered. This place worked with me on 2 weeks notice and gave me a more delicious and beautiful cake than I could have imagined. The person I worked with was kind and patient and gave me great options.
I chose the whipped cream covered sponge cake with fresh strawberry filling. The icing was light as air, like the sponge cake. Everything tasted fresh and was not overwhelming or sugar-shocky. The cake was only about $3/person instead of the often quoted $8/person I was getting from chi chi wedding cake-specific bakeries.
Also, they were willing to cover my cake with gorgeous fresh flowers (and not el cheapo ones--I got green and yellow orchids and orange gerbera daisies) for no additional cost. Amazing! -
Review from Sandra C.
La Crescenta, CA
10/1/2010
THANK YOU KG BAKERY for being a life-saver and accommodating my last minute 8:30 a.m. cake order for 9: a.m. pick up. It was my boss' birthday and I needed to find a not-too-sweet birthday cake at an affordable price. KG Bakery did the job...Everyone was happy with their fresh strawberry cake :) So light, fluffy, not too sweet, and cute too. It was 9 inch, which is more than enough to feed 10+ people easily... The price is $20...can you believe that? $20!!! If I did half and half (i.e. banana & strawberry), it would have been cheaper...THANK YOU!!! I will be back soon :)
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Review from Cameron O.
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA
2/3/2011
The banh mi that I ordered had a crazy amount of mayo, and I think they used Maggi instead of fish sauce but that's okay. Yeah, there was a lot of meat on it, too. Like, twice as much as usual. It was still good though, and I have to say they win by default since there isn't anywhere else in Echo Park/Silver Lake (that I've found) where you can even order these.
Service was fast, and I like that they have Vietnamese baked goodies in a neighborhood that doesn't really service that kind of food. If I wanted the real deal, I guess I'd go to Westminster, but for LA ... this is a good substitute when you're in a pinch.
I can't comment on the baked goods because I only bought almond cookies, which ... were really tasty. But I haven't had a cake or anything. -
Review from Lily A.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2011
I had a craving for some banh mi and came across KG. I thought for the price it was a perfect lunch... For $6 I got a canned soda, Banh mi w/ham and a slice of cake. The banh mi didn't whole heartedly satisfy my craving (as I was actually craving the banh mi from a particular yellow truck that drives around (wink.. wink)) However, I found it delicious and tasty.
I also tried the 3 milk cake and the strawberry cake... The slices of cake were moist, not to sweet and basically perfect. A perfect ending to a nice lunch.
Parking was convenient if you are able to get a space. It can get a bit crowded. They had a nice selection of other goods that I didn't get to try as I'm not to sure what they were.
I do know this... after today this place will definitely be on my places to go buy a cake if needed. The cake was one of those cakes that would be a crowd pleaser no matter what the event. -
Review from Vikky D.
Long Beach, CA
10/13/2010
KG Bakery did our wedding cake and it was perfect! Not only was their price super reasonable ($250 for a 2-tier cake that fed 150 people), they allowed me to design and customized my cake. I wanted it decorated with fresh flowers (orchids, even) and wanted flower petals sprinkled on the table. No problem and they didn't even charge me extra for that! We got a lot of compliments on how beautiful the cake was and on how great it tasted. KG was definitely one of our favorite wedding vendors.
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Review from Nini N.
Los Angeles, CA
12/22/2010 1 photo
Good and cheap cakes!!!
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Review from maryn p.
Los Angeles, CA
6/5/2010
Love their sandwiches and red velvet cake!
Combo is a sandwich with a drink and piece of cake for $6.
Going to get a combo now, so I thought I'd finally write a quick review about how much I like this place. -
Review from J B.
Los Angeles, CA
8/1/2010
This review is for the sandwiches. They're great - slightly Americanized takes on banh mi. The Californian is my favorite. Family owned, the bread is always really fresh and they make the sandwich while you wait.
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Review from K F.
Los Angeles, CA
7/31/2009
It can be intimidating walking into any kind of foreign establishment. The kind where the owners, operators, and clientele are largely of the nationality of the food. Will I pronounce things correctly? Will I ask questions that betray my lack of knowledge of the food you serve? Will my jean shorts draw weird looks (or are jean shorts cool in your country?)?
Any anxiety I had was immediately assuaged upon entering. The place has been around since 1980 -- owned and operated by the same family. The patriarch was incredibly sweet and helped with suggestions -- I got the sandwich combo, which (as noted elsewhere) is a shockingly low $6 and includes a pretty serious sandwich, any drink (including gatorade, soda, redbull, juice...) and a cupcake or slice of cake.
I had the Vietnamese sandwich -- Vietnamese ham (who knows?), ham, cilantro, cucumber, homemade pickles, seasoned mayonnaise...
It took a few minutes to make but there was so much to see in the deceptively large bakery that I was more than happy to wait. (Plus, the owner gave me a card and told me I can call in next time and won't have to stand around the bakery as they whip up my meal.)
It was delicious! The bread was a crusty, fresh, baguette and the flavors inside melded into a sweet, spicy harmony.
For dessert -- even though I'm a huge cupcake fan (they sell out of most flavors earlier in the day) -- I had to try the strawberry cake. It looked like something from a movie, and tasted better than it looked! Now, I'm not much of a cake guy, but this was moist, fluffy, and flavorful. The frosting was so light it was almost like a whipped cream, and between layers and on top sat strawberries so ripe and delicious I almost had to ask where they find their fruit.
I also picked up a meat pie -- (small, but for 80 cents, you can't beat it! It was like a pocket pot pie -- flaky on the outside and filled with seasoned pork and onions)
and a sesame ball -- (a serious steal for 40 cents, filled with a sweet yellow bean mash)
There's some seating outside by the free parking lot, no big deal, but it's always nice to be able to enjoy your food on-site.
All in all, it was a great experience. I'll be back often. Also, yes, jean shorts drew weird looks and no, jean shorts don't seem to be cool in Vietnam.
-K -
Review from Nate W.
Los Angeles, CA
9/12/2010
I've been going to this place since it jwas autotaa tiny shack. My mom used to buy cakes here for every occasion. I noticed last year the cake tasted different. The cake wasn't as soft or nearly as sweet as it used to be. It appears the shop owners left it to their kids. The place definitely looks better but the cake quality lowered.
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Review from belinda n.
Los Angeles, CA
6/9/2008
super easy & free parking & this place is EASY TO SPOT..
its clean and fresh inside, its a little warm & thats a good sign..
friendly & informative staff
not intimidating!
i got taro cloud cake which is GODDAMN FUCKEN DELICIOUS
(lovely white soft cake w/lovely purple soft taro)
and it was $1.50 i believe for 4 little squares.
my friend loved the baked version (i didnt). its salty & sweet & has nuts & sesame i think..
i also got a puffy bread thing that would go perfect w/morning coffee..
the cakes & cupcakes & tarts & pretty much everything else here looks awesome. -
Review from alex M.
Los Angeles, CA
10/30/2008
All I have had here, were their Bánh mì. And they're good! I only wish they had more variety. It's good to have a good source for Vietnamese sandwiches nearby. I really think there is no better sandwich than a good Bánh mì.
