{Consideration provided by 85 °C Bakery Cafe}
I am fully aware of the fact that I can be a coffee snob. I like cold brews and gourmet flat white lattes with an aesthetic that matches their flavor. I’ve been known to scout out restaurants and cafes specifically because of their coffee. So when I first tasted 85 °C Bakery Cafe’s popular Iced Sea Salt coffee, my immediate reaction was “Where have you BEEN all my life?” The Asian-Euro fusion bakery likens their signature drink to crème brulee with the richness of coffee and it is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted.
While 85 °C Bakery Cafe is well known for their fresh breads and pastries, the cafe was named after the ideal temperature that coffee holds its flavor best…85 degrees Celsius. The cafe’s commitment to quality coffee is evident in their widely popular Sea Salt Coffee, which is just 85 cents every Monday. Founder Cheng-Hsueh Wu was inspired to provide premium coffee, bread, and cake at affordable prices after visiting a cafe in a 5-star hotel. Today, each cafe features over 50 varieties of pastries baked hourly.
Wu opened his first cafe in Taiwan, and the franchise has expanded to include locations in China, Australia and the US. The first US store opened in Irvine, and there are currently 30 locations in the US including California, Texas, and Washington.
When you visit your local 85 °C Bakery Cafe, you can expect fresh bread cooked in-house every 4 hours from store opening to closing. Their coffee is brewed with Guatemalan coffee beans and each drink is handcrafted and made to order. Gourmet cakes, fusion pastries, and European-style desserts make a visit to 85 °C Bakery Cafe a must. I should also mention that the cafe offers a wide variety of vegetarian options.
Before you visit your local cafe, here are 10 Things You Must Try at 85 °C Bakery Cafe
- Sea Salt Coffee: Iced sweetened Americano is topped with sea salt cream and unlike anything you have ever tasted.
- Marble Taro: This sweet bread is made with mixed grains and filled with their signature Taro filling.
- Mango Crème Brûlée: Vanilla sponge cake is layered with vanilla brûlée and mango mousse, then topped with fresh mango, strawberries, chocolate and mango cream.
- Brioche: Their Japanese-style bread tastes like a buttery version of Hawaiian bread. This bread is soft, moist and absolutely addicting.
- Garlic Cheese: The cafe’s soft textured bread is topped with a rich garlic spread, mozzarella cheese, and fresh parsley.
- Cheese Bread: Filled with decadent cream cheese, this pastry is topped with melted shredded cheese…the perfect fusion of sweet and savory flavors.
- 85 °C Coffee Bread: Pair your sea salt coffee with this coffee-flavored bread, filled with red bean and mochi.
- Cheese Dog: If your sweet tooth is mostly savory, you’ll love the cafe’s popular cheese dogs. Soft bread is wrapped around a hot dog with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. The pastry is baked with ketchup, light mayo, black pepper, and parsley.
- Pork Sung Bun: A soft Taiwanese bun is topped with dry shredded pork, and a special blend mayo sauce.
- Calamari Stick: Their signature squid ink based bread is filled with swiss cheese and topped with their signature garlic spread.
Admittedly, it was incredibly difficult to narrow the list down to just 10 items. I really enjoyed every pastry I tried, each unique and diverse in flavor. During my visit, I saw a constant rotation of freshly baked pastries and the warm, sweet smell was absolutely intoxicating. I could have spend my entire day sipping sea salt coffee and taking in that nostalgic scent of freshly baked bread.
Iced Sea Salt Mondays
Every Monday, 85 °C Bakery Cafe offers a medium or large coffee for just 85 cents, with a limit of 4 per person. Be advised that while the lines at 85 °C Bakery Cafe can be long, expect to increase that wait time on Mondays.
Happy 85 Day
Save 15% on your entire purchase on 8/5/17.
Monthly Specials
Each month, 85 °C Bakery Cafe offers a buy one, get one 50% special on a featured drink and bakery item. This month (July), you their featured drink is a Rose Milk Tea and their featured pastry is the Hokkaido Chiffon Cup. You can find all of their specials by visiting 85cbakerycafe.com.
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