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"I'm not an expert on Persian food but this is probably one of the the best Middle Eastern places I've tried. I had a lunch here with a vegan…" read more »
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Love this place. I love the Armenian women who are the bakers, the servers, the life advice-givers, the nuturing moms... I love the cakes and cookies, love the tarts and napoleons, love the persian sweets and persian ice cream. Oh and their sandwiches are huge and delicious. It's right around the corner from me and I never cease to be surprised by the number of older persian men who can spend hours upon hours here chatting about nothing. it's like the older, LA/Persian version of Seinfeld.
I am actually going there in a few minutes - Yelping made me crave some persian ice cream. Damn you orchid, damn you for tempting me so.
whenever i have a healthy eating day, my stomach becomes confused and starts craving for something well...unhealthy. post our sushi outing (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), we took a gander to our left and saw PINK ORCHID. i took a closer look and saw fluffy, creamy, rows of what my future ass will be looking like (if i continued to eat the way i do...)
but i succumbed friends. i did. i WENT in. i felt the draw. there were so many choices. nuts, random berries, mashti malones (sigh!!!), mousses, three types of napoleons (strawberry napoleon!), poundcakes with creams stashed in the middle extra deviant days. but i settled on the sumptuous looking bread pudding. (only 3 bucks). besides the fact, that people kept cutting in front of us (they spoke the language, we didn't.... is that how whities are treated in SGV...? probably)
they placed that piece of brick on a flimsy plate, and unleashed us to ravage the sucker.
big. mistake.
first of all. bread pudding. is USUALLY supposed to be warm, slightly fluffy, but still rich, and warming to the soul. i've HAD amazing bread pudding.
this tasted like cheesecake. i kept asking if we had gotten the right order. it LOOKS like bread pudding, but there's random berry jam in here (which isn't a bad concept... but it tasted dead). the consistency of it was very heavy heavy, and did not go down my throat without a fight. but since we're such gluttons for punishment, we ate the whole thing.
ok. who's kidding. i ate most of it. while bitching the whole time.
now if it's one thing you yelpers know, it's when to go full out. if you're craving a donut, you get the fattiest one. because you know that shit will come back to haunt you the next day, and you better make it worth your while. so it HAS to taste good. the calories have to be WORTH IT.
i spent the next three hours trying not to vomit in the car. it was that heavy.
sigh.
but with so many delectable choices, i am still tempted to try their many cakes, especially the strawberry napoleon.
minus the nausea ofcourse.
: ( so disappointed...
I love pink orchid's strawberry cake. It's just white cake layered with fresh cream and strawberries! YUM! The cream is light with just the right amount of sweetness. I try come here to buy this cake whenever I have to purchase an entire cake. The individual slices of cake are pretty cheap.
I took away two stars because there customer service is not consistent. When there is no one in line when I get there, they are friendly and immediately help me with whatever I need. However, if I get there and there are others there before me, I will wait my turn. I guess others (being older persian folks) think that because they speak the language, they don't have to wait in line. They can go ahead and squirm their way around me to get to the counter girl. And the people behind the counter will help them and just ignore me!! When I speak up and say "Um, excuse me, I believe I was next. I was waiting here before her." They give me an annoyed look and say "We'll be right with you." This has happened more than a couple times and it's just plain rude.
Also, on a sidenote, they will only take a credit card for sales over $10.
This place serves amazing persian cookies, cakes and pastries. The prices are super cheap and the vibe is friendly. The only downside is they are only open until 8:30 pm so you can't do late cookie runs. A must try though for anyone with a sweet tooth!
a friend brought be a box of napoleans, tiramissu and a cappacino pastry... had the napolean with the cream, good but not the best i have had. its too soft... its decent...
Thank you, Pink Orchid.
I blame you for my chubbiness in college. It's all your fault. Those chewy, yet crispy almond cookies, with the crackly tops and gooey bottoms were the detriment to my svelte physique. What is in them? Is there some sort of derivative of Pink Orchids that has the addictive qualities of crack? No, don't tell me. But I bet it's the same thing Persians put in Koobideh. Yes, that must be it.
And then all your other cookies, there are too many to mention. They made the perfect gift when seeing my boyfriend's family (Persian, of course) or seeing my own parents. Plus, I got to shamelessly eat more of those cookies. I don't know what to do about us, Pink Orchid. I love you, I resent you, I want more.
Word to the wise, ask which ones were just made, and go for varieties that seem new (or better, haven't been put out yet). Sometimes you can get slightly stale, but still moderately delicious cookies.
Oh god, those apricot ones...
I love this place. It's in my neighborhood, makes great, high quality cakes, cookies, and mousses, and has AMAZING prices. Their quality, style, and taste remind me alot of Movsevs or Paradiso Cafe in Glendale. Their cakes are gorgeous and taste amazing! I bought one last-minute for my friend's birthday and it was a piece of art.
This place definitely blows the other local bakeries I've been frequenting out of the water. By the way, there's parking next door. It says valet, but the guy will let you park for free so long as you're back in 15 minutes. If you care, they're kosher :)
Try their strawberry and chocolate mousses - you'll thank me later :)
Their cakes all look pretty good. Price is reasonable as well. About $1.50 a piece. We got mocha and tiramisu cakes. They looked good, but both of them didn't taste that good. The cake was the dry kind with big chunks of crumbs. I prefer my cake moist and smooth. I had a few bites of the cake and didn't want it anymore. BF wasn't a fan, either.
Well, this bakery looks good. But we probably won't return again.
I looked up Pink Orchid today and decided to take advantage of a beautiful Sunday afternoon to go explore a new bakery.
I was pretty surprised at the selection of baked goods and cakes there. The prices were ridiculously dirty cheap; $1.40-$1.60 for slices of cakes like Tiramisu and Chocolate Mousse which would run for $2.75-$4.00 at other places.
Even though it was 4pm in the afternoon, they were still serving breakfast. It's like a Denny's and the place has a very nice mom-and-pop cafe ambience to it. The Classic Combo breakfast I had consisted of hash browns, 3 eggs, 3 sausages, 4 big pieces of bread, and unlimited sweet tea. It was a pretty good deal for $6.99.
The only down side is that it's in the middle of Westwood Blvd with all the cars roaring past it. I love bakeries and this is one of the best ones I have ever been to. I do plan on coming back just to have tea and sweets on weekends. However, if you plan to study here, this is definitely not the place to do so.
Wow, what a great selection of pastries and cakes. The prices are incredibly affordable and the quality is excellent. For less than $2 a slice, you can get a slice of opera cake, caramel cake, chocolate mousse cake, etc., making it very easy to create your own cake tasting. The wait was a bit long (around 8 minutes) considering there were only two people in front of me, but the service was friendly. The baklava (I'm not sure what it was called officially because it was numbered as #6 but it tasted like excellent baklava) was chocked full of nuts, honey, and delicate phyllo. On my next visit I plan to try the birds nest type dessert (which looks like it has similar ingredients as the baklava). I will definitely go back and sample more. What a great find!
Note: Parking can be a bit challenging. There are a few metered parking spaces in front of the store and a pay lot next door.
I made an educated guess on Pink Orchid for breakfast thanks to my reliable buddy Yelp and couldn't have been more pleased.
The selection of baked goods is out of this world!! Not only do they have a great selection of wonderful pastries, but the prices are almost ridiculously reasonable. To round out the experience, the coffee is excellent.
The table was also treated to a complimentary round of pastries by the woman working behind the counter. A breakfast with coffee and enough pastries to kill a moose came in under $10. I am still excited about this place!!
I almost forgot, the Russian donuts served warm are almost too much!
Came here to try the cakes and was soooo disappointed. Yelp led me astray... Tried the chocolate cake, orange walnut cake, cherry cake, and pistachio cake. Super cheap, but sickeningly sweet. Cakes were all pretty bad. Would rather eat cake from a grocery store. Will not be returning. Ever.
This is a place where the pastry is SO lovely, it is a bit of a let-down when you realize it tastes kinda average.
I wanted a nearby place to study in the evening, and Pink Orchid's colorful glow drew me in. The music is a bit loud and people are in-and-out, but the staff is super friendly. I was given a HUGE loaf of bread as they were closing (happens at 8:30pm). [a later experience led me to learn the coffee is on the weak side]. The pastry is super cheap and they also have sandwiches. I don't really recommend it as a study spot, but it basically is open as late as Starbucks across the street, and the next-door cafe (Peets? Coffee and Tea Leaf?) closes at 7.
I came here after eating dinner at Sushi Masu, just a few doors down.
Displayed in the glass shelves are a wonderland of exquisite looking treats, pastries, cakes, and brulees.
I took a sampling of three small cakes (chocolate mousse, chocolate raspberry, and mango), and a miniature vanilla creme brulee topped with a candied strawberry.
The cakes were ok,,, The mango was pretty dry. The creme brulee was pretty good, but not the best that I've had. I think the desserts looked better than they tasted! It was not awful, by any means, but I've just had better...
Wonderful stuff here and the prices are very, very reasonable. It's not an American style bakery, so the cakes are much lighter and drier than I prefer, but the other treats are wonderful.
This bakery is the BOMMMMB! They have a huge selection of individual pastries and they're alll soo delicious. AND, they're only $1 each!! (ok ok, to be honest some are $1.25, but that's still a steal).
It's a Persian bakery and they play lively music all the time, and it's fun to see the locals come in for tea and desserts.
I heard about this place on yelp...and somehow today I really wanted to try this Mashti Malone's ice cream of theirs that I've heard about. I had a horrible banging headache by the end of my classes today, and I knew what would do the trick. I hopped onto the Big Blue Bus #12 and got off at the stop after Westwood and Santa Monica Blvd (forgot the street name), and walked to my destination!
The Pink Orchid has quite a selection of pastries! They seem to have some more traditional Mediterranean fare in one display case and some more common European options on another side. The interior of the bakery is a little cramped, but there are also 3 tables to sit at outside. I picked out piece of baklava (#4), an clair, and a pint of the Mashti Malone pistachio ice cream (their smallest cup size).
Devoured the ice cream first. Very yummy...can definitely taste the spice that the saffron adds to the ice cream. I like how the ice cream is very simple - very few ingredients! But that just makes it so simple and good. The ice cream was very light...I ate the whole pint and didn't feel guilty!
It was definitely very inexpensive for what I got. The total for my 3 items was less than $5! ($4.90 :P) I will definitely be back to try more of their tasty-looking cookies, cakes, and other treats!
PS. As for credit cards, I think they only take Discover. (No Mastercard/Visa)
I found out about this place about 2 weeks ago and I've already been back about half a dozen times! I have a perfectly fine cake and coffee place about 10 minutes from where I live but now, I'd rather walk 30 minutes (I don't know how to drive) to get to Pink Orchid!!
Their prices alone make the long trek worthwhile. Most of their baked goods don't go over $1.50 - a piece of cake and a cup of coffee COMBINED is less than one slice of cake from my neighborhood coffeeshop.
And just because the stuff is cheap, doesn't mean it tastes that way as well. Their cream puffs ($1.20) are amazing! The cream filling is sweet and light with a hint of vanilla. The cappuccino cake and chocolate mousse cake (both $1.40) are just as great. I HIGHLY recommend the chocolate mousse cake. The cakes aren't too sweet and they're light so you can have a slice (or 2! or 3! or...) and still feel pretty good about yourself...or at least fool yourself into feeling that. I also tried a bunch of their cookies and pastries - all of which were really good.
The coffee is nothing special. It's NOT freshly brewed but since Pink Orchid isn't a coffee shop, I won't take any points off. Plus, I drink my coffee black so I don't really care too much about what it tastes like...as long as it tastes like coffee.
They also have a fridgeful of Mashti Malone's ice cream. I had my first taste of Persian ice cream today after a decadent lunch at Sushi Masu (another bonus for Pink Orchid: being situated next to the best sushi joint in the area!) and I am now officially a fan.
Service is great. Everyone is super friendly. They are happy to help with anything, even if it's something trivial and very you-can-do-it-yourself like choosing an ice cream flavor from the fridge.
I'm determined to become a regular.
The main advantage of this bakery is how cheap it is. The various cakes and pastries are good--not great, just good, and completely worth the extremely low prices. For about five dollars I got three different cake slices and a baklava, all of which were decent but I can easily say "I've had better"...One thing they have going for them is selection; lots of different kinds of cake to choose from and lots of pastries.
WOW .. all i can say is wow. This bakery is the best one in town. Not only are the prices cheap, but the food is absolutely wonderful. They serve pastries, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cakes. They make cakes for every occasion. I ordered a cake from there about 3 times. One was for my birthday and I bought the candles from there. The cakes were AWESOME. The food is great too. In my opinion, i like the Persian breakfast for breakfast, Kuku for lunch, and a nice napoleon with tea or any other pastries for dinner. The ice-cream is good. The coffe is also good too. :)
I got to talk to one of the nice ladies that work there. I think her name is Anna. She's the owners wife. I saw her daughter there too. She's a cute little girl that helps her mother and father. I asked Anna how the juices were made and she told me that the juices were artificially flavored. Not mixed with something else like other places. :)
I highly recommend this bakery for anyone. Wether it is hot or cold. By yourself, or with your friends. I go here about once a week and every time i go there, I have a delightful meal. It's so worth coming here even if you live far. This is a great place. You should go here to. :)
Pink Orchid has really good pastries and is an excellent spot to just have some dessert and coffee. They have really good fruit tarts and their specialty is Persian pastries. The place is quite small, but if you're lucky, you might be able to grab a good table facing Westwood Blvd and just watch the people/expensive cars/sea-of-Iranians pass by.
This tiny Persian bakery and cafe is easy to miss especially if you are driving by. I noticed it while buying ice-cream at the Rose Market across the street from it.
Its packed full of fresh baked goods and when you step in its easy to miss the limited lunch options that they offer. The cornucopia of fruit tarts, macaroons, pastries and baklava is riveting. It's straight out of a movie like Chocolat or an Enid Blyton book; small, cute and crammed with mouthwatering goodies.
I asked about one of the listed breakfast option; Honey with Butter and the lady told me that it's a traditional Persian breakfast of a thick slice of Berber(?) bread, crumbled cheese and honey butter on top. I can't wait for the weekend to come by so I can try it out. Especially after I sampled the almond cookies that appear to be ordinary cookies but have a thin layer of almond paste inside, the whole thing melts as soon as it's in your mouth. I had to stop in my tracks, close my eyes and savor that first bite, chasing it with my coffee until there was none left.
Had a pretty bad first visit to this so-called bakery. First complaint is that they have some good looking good-sized pastry in the front of the display case, but they're grabbing pastries that are half as big from the back of the case. We were pretty shocked when we got home. Seriously, the eclair in the window was almost as big as my foot and the ones in the box when we got home weren't much bigger than my thumb. A Napolean was also mysteriously half-sized by the time we got it home, and boy was it TERRIBLE. The custard filling in between the layers was almost non-existent, like they had put the custard onto the pastry with a butter knife and then spread it as thin as possible. Just enough custard to stick the pastry layers together, paper thin. And soggy. The blueberry and raspberry tarts are the only thing that was edible. Don't even get within ten feet of the nasty discolored eclairs with waxy chocolate-looking glaze.
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: Desserts
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Beverly Hills
Category: Bakeries
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