May 2022 is AAPI Heritage Month! Help out the AAPI community by getting delicious bread and pastries at your local AAPI-owned bakery. Here are a few bakeries you can support in LA:
- Phoenix Bakery — Chinatown
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Known for its strawberry whipped cream cake, Phoenix Bakery is a bakery run by the second and third generations of the Chan family. It’s the perfect place to go if you are craving something sweet!
- Sugarbloom Bakery — Glendale
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Owned by Taiwanese-American pastry chef Sharon Wang, Sugarbloom Bakery serves one of LA’s best croissants. Although its physical store is not available, it does have options for delivery and pick up, so it’s perfect for this age of the pandemic. It has special menus depending on seasons (e.g. Valentine’s Day croissants) so ordering croissants on special occasions might be fun too!
- roji bakery — beverly grove
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Roji Bakery is a Japanese-style bakery owned by Japanese-Americans Mr. Shin and Mr. Tokunaga. It serves almost any type of bread from savory to sweet, such as edamame cheese bread and honey lemon pastries. It even has the LA-adapted avocado truffle on its breakfast menu!
- B Sweet dessert bar — sawtelle japantown
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Made with the love of a Filipino-American owner, B Sweet serves anything from mouthwatering cinnamon rolls to build-your-own salads. It’s a perfect stop to grab a breakfast or lunch bite!
- Coin de rue bakery & cafe — koreatown
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Known as the “international bakery” of LA, Coin De Rue Bakery & Cafe offers a variety of unique savory breads currently trending in Asia. Some famous ones include bulgogi croquette, pork katsu sandwich, and squid bread—the perfect way to get a taste of Asian bread in one bakery!
- Domi — arts district
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Domi is filled with modern, Asian-inspired pastries! Its cakes are super Instagram-worthy for their detailed and colorful art. My friend got her birthday cake here and she loved it!
These were six of LA’s top, Asian-owned bakeries. Little things like shopping at Asian-owned businesses can be a catalyst for big change in the AAPI community! Even if you don’t identify as AAPI, it can also be a great excuse to immerse yourself in Asian culture.