85°C Bakery Cafe

After reading all the Unilocal reviews, I planned to go on a Friday around 3 pm, which wasn’t a peak time. I walked right in and the space is nice and open. The right hand side is for self-​serve breads whereas the left hand side is for cakes displayed in glass cases. I was ready to get my carb-​loading on, but I was just left with a load of disappointment.
Food:
–Calamari squid ink roll ($ 1): I like squid ink pasta, so I had to try this roll. There was a good dusting of garlic seasoning on the outside, but the inside had a negligible amount of rubbery cheese. I didn’t even finish the whole thing.
–Hokkaido cheese tart ($ 1.85): I was most excited to try this tart since I’ve been to Japan and really miss the Hokkaido dairy stuff. It just tasted like a dense cheesecake though, not like anything from Hokkaido.
–Green onion bread ($ 1.80): I really liked the green onion bread from Pangea before it closed, but this didn’t come close. It was too greasy and there was a weird after taste that I can’t really describe.
–Premium milk bread ($ 1.80): Everyone raves about this on Unilocal,so of course I had to try it. It looked so pretty, but be warned that the filling is minimal so I was basically eating white bread – forget it!
–Egg tart ($ 1.65): They’re known for their egg tarts, so I popped mine in the toaster oven to get nice and crispy. It was just okay – nothing to write home about.
Overall, I prefer Paris Baguette which costs more, but tastes a lot better in my opinion. Everything I had here was cheap and the taste matched what I paid with skimpy fillings.

«FRESSSHHH BREAD!!» he shouts.
«Presh Bred,» he bluntly states.
«FRESH BREAAADDDDuh! another shouts.
Alternately you’ll hear screams, shouts and statements of FRESH BREAD. I get it. Fresh bread is hitting the shelves (sometimes NOT even making it to the shelves because the warmed loaves and rolls are immediately swarmed by people waiting for those flavors to emerge from the kitchen). Fret not if your favorite bread variant is not on the shelf, just ask a worker and they are pretty good about telling you when it’s coming out.
It’s comical to hear to the various announcements of FRESH BREAD. Some are muttered without a smile while others are announced with glee and happiness. Happy cooks and service make happy food or so I believe (similar to the Happy Cow Campaign of «Good Cheese comes from Happy Cows).
Love the Brioche loaf! It’s light and fluffy with a slight hint of butter and sweetness. Shamefully, I’ve been known to eat an entire loaf before leaving the bakery. It’s like biting into airy sweet clouds that miraculously make you full (just add water). Just kidding about adding water. The Brioche comes «plain» or in chocolate — I love them both but prefer the regular Brioche.
Marble Taro super rolls are another favorite with its stuffed taro filling. It’s chewy, gooey and a much heartier bite that that of the Brioche. Not too sweet, not too bland but juuusst right with the nuttiness coming from flaxseed and almonds. Filling and satisfying.
They have various sweet/​savory baked goods as well with the bacon/​cheese bread, garlic cheese bread as well as the hotdog pastry/​bread. I’ve had two of these three (sans garlic) and ’twas just ok for me.
I’m a breadaholic so places like this get me hooked quickly and hard. Probably the worst thing I’ve had from here was a marbled mocha/​coffee bun but the chock full of nuts in every bite really turned me off. The Hokkaido cheesecake tarts are also very good here — light, not too sweet and just the right size if you’re craving just a «taste,» but I could probably demolish a dozen of those tarts by myself.
The bread/​dessert addiction is real and if you’re craving for bread, sweets and such — this is your place! They have a section that sells slices of cakes or whole cakes. It’s pricey here for breads and cakes but it’s a convenient one stop place to feed that addiction. The sliced pieces of cakes are not overly sweet (much like those of Japanese desserts) and tastes as good as they look. I’ve had the red velvet, mango and tiramisu flavored cakes all things that I’d order again.

Easily the best bakery I’ve been to. They have a wide assortment of breads, pastries, tarts, and other delectable treats. All of the pastries are made fresh and are continually being restocked throughout the day. My favorites include the honey bread, choco bread with cream cheese filling, and custard buns. They also have savory breads but I usually stick to the sweet varieties. The staff is friendly and the sometimes long checkout lines go quickly. Check this place out if you’re in California since they don’t yet have any locations outside of the state.

What an amazing bakery! Wide variety of cheap and delicious sweets to choose from. I stopped by on a Friday morning before work. There was ample parking since its in a shopping center and only a few customers, so I didn’t encounter the crowds of people others have experienced.
To the right of the entrance are clean trays for which to load up your bounty. Grab a tray, then take a few steps where all the delicious baked goods are stashed. Each goody is stashed in its own cubby that has tongs alongside. After you put all your stuff on your tray, head over to the check out line while scoping out the drink menu and other more artistic and decadent sweets behind the glass counter. I got a ton of stuff, I’m talking at least 10 pastries on my tray, then 3 items from the glass case and spent $ 25.
The quality of everything far surpassed my expectations, especially given the price point and the fact that getting in and out of the joint was so easy. I’m in trouble since I found a new fave bakery on the way to work. Some of faves included the milk bun, berry milk bun, strawberry mocha and a savory hot dog thingy.

Love at first smell of breads! U can’t got wrong with any of the breads/​pastries, but my favorite ones are premium milk bread, chocolate roll, and brioche loaf. Give this a go! Glad we have this around Clairemont!

Finally made my way in this place. My family comes here pretty often and brings home some goodies but nothing compares to having the items fresh out of the oven.
It was pretty crowded when I came-it’s definitely fast paced so if you’re a newbie like I was today make sure you first grab a tray, a liner to put on the tray and a pair of clean tongs. I was unaware of this that I just grabbed stuff with my hands-​whoopsie!!!
Anyway the staff is real friendly and helpful here. They’re everywhere too, I swear everywhere I turned there was an employee right near me. Oh and be aware of the shouting… someone is always coming with some «fresh bread» and the whole bakery is echoing «fresh bread» it can definitely get pretty annoying if you’re here for a while.
All the baked goodies were amazing! A favorite of mine was the bread with the hot dog in it, I don’t remember what exactly it was called but make sure you grab one. I was looking forward to their fresh brioche loaf but they were all sold out when I got there it was another 40 minutes for a fresh batch. I will definitely be back.

Well I already know I’ll have to come back and check out the bakery aspect… The breads smelled delicious! This time around I ordered the iced sea salt caramel coffee and the coffee crème brûlée cup. The dessert was pretty good but had more of a flan texture than what I had expected… And the crème brûlée more liquid than candied.
When I asked for the recommendation between the regular sea salt iced coffee and the caramel one, I was directed to my choice, being advised that the regular coffee one just tastes like coffee to them. I found that the sea salt isn’t evident (which is what I was looking forward to most), but I did see a few reviews note that the flavor was solely in the whip, which holds true. My coffee wasn’t overpowering and I enjoyed it. I’d venture to try the regular coffee one next time.
3.5 stars…

The boyfriend LOVES 85 °C Bakery… mainly because of the Milk Pudding Buns. If a store just made and sold this scrumptious pastry, he would be perfectly content. I introduced him to this chain at their Irvine location (first in California) a couple of years ago. The line was insane but moved very quickly. I didn’t find that this location isn’t as efficient. For example, the cashiers were slow and there was a wait of 35 mins for Milk Pudding Buns. I would suggest making popular items more frequently so customers wouldn’t have to wait that long for one or any single item.

They literally serve «fresh bread.» What I like about this bakery is it reminds me of my unforgettable trip to Hong Kong, where they’ve got lots of bakeries like this. On that note, they almost have the same quality and taste of EGG TARTS in Hong Kong.
I also like the softness of their breads. I didn’t think I’d find a bakeshop like this here in Cali since we’re not in Asia.
Looking forward to their branch in National City.

Sea Salt Caramel Smoothie is so freaken good. I’ve had it iced & totally had it a few times. But after trying the Smoothie version hold me back I love it. I thank Isaiah for recommending this addicting coffee.
He’s also a rockstar… so thank you.

FRESH BREADS: Their inconsistency is driving me nuts. I got a few of their fresh breads and although they all look amazing and fluffy, all the breads I got seemed like it was filled with air and no cream or the filling it claimed to have in it. Disappointing.
PS: Shoutout to Marvin for having great customer service! =).

I love how soft all of their breads are! Especially the milk cream bread, that’s my favorite. Their pastries are not too sweet and they even have savory breads and pastries to combat the sugar rush from all the sweets. I’ve been to 3 locations (Irvine, San Jose, and here in San Diego) and it may just be the time I went, but I thought San Diego had the most variety. When a tray of fresh bread comes out of the kitchen, all of the employees yell «FRESH BREAD» at which point multiple customers come running over. It’s kind of funny to watch. But if you manage to get some fresh bread, do it, it’s extra soft when it’s warm!
I like that you can order drinks and cakes in a separate line, so that way if you’re coming as a pair, one person can get drinks while the other picks out bread! Their sea salt drinks are the most popular here I think (all served iced), and with good reason. It’s a unique taste, and it’s very delicious! I had the sea salt mountain green tea last time, but I liked my husband’s sea salt black tea better!
The line for bread can be out the door, but I think it goes relatively quick. Once you get inside, you pick up a tray and tongs and just load your tray up with as many goodies as you want. The items are relatively inexpensive, like $ 1 – 2 each for pastries, a little more for loaves of bread and slices of fancy cakes. But overall reasonable for delicious pastries!

Their products are pretty good in general, but some items are so overpriced.
I’ve been here a few times and this time is Mother’s Day weekend. The bakery is very crowded that there is a line outside where an employee would allow some people to go in after a while. Basically the idea is not to let too many people go in all at once.
There are 2 lines for the registers. One is for all orders and the other one is for cake & drinks only. The employees are full of energy, which we can see where they all say «fresh breads» loudly whenever a tray of fresh breads is transferred from the kitchen to the store.
Personally, I believe this place is definitely a good option to purchase some breads & pastries but I just don’t think there’s anything that great & special here.

I don’t know what 85 degrees celsius means with this bakery. You can look it up. But the order of order of foods are not quite organized. One section you get and pay and the other section you get and pay so you have to get in line 2x and that’s not good when there are lines in both counters.

We love this place. Desserts are not as sweet so this can be your guilt free dessert. Prepare to wait a little longer since this place is always packed with people even at 21:00. Service is good and the staff here seems nice. I would really recommend his place.

I really wanted to like it. Really. But meh.
Finally after four months of living across the street from the shopping center I decided to walk in. Second time today. If you come past 4pm be prepared to deal with loads of people and empty shelves. Since I’m lucky to work from home, I stopped by around 11am and got few people and full shelves. Yay.
Here is the thing, to me, it looked like things LOOK better than they TASTE. It’s not bad, it’s just average. Desserts look like pieces of art but taste fairly bland. I’ve their five of them so far and nothing really knocked my socks off. They are cheap, maybe that’s why. Even their macaroons are on the sad side. It’s bland, it’s not that richness of sugar you expect from a dessert. It’s fluffy and pretty, and that’s all.
As for the baked stuff… Everything seems to be sweet. I tried about five different «cheese» things hoping for some saltiness and nothing. Breads and pastries are HUGE but ironically very light. So don’t get shocked when you see people carrying eight items on their tray (because I did, the first time I went there. I was like «how come people are not fat eating all that?!»)… You might eat three of those big fluffy breads and leave the place hungry. Been there, done that.
They have a large variety of smoothies and those Taiwanese drinks with balls (forgive my ignorance) on the bottom. I didn’t have any drinks so I can’t comment on that. Seems to be popular tho.
The staff is like a group of people pulled out from Charlie and the Chocolate factory movie. Soooooo bubbly and happy and choiring «fresh bread!» fifty times a day. It’s actually quite endearing. I just wanted to hug them. Working so hard with such smiles and energy, I want to hire them all for my team. Can I?
Overall my two visits were nothing extraordinary. It’s convenient and walking distance from home so when the sugar need kicks in, I’ll most likely run there for a slice of tiramisu. But I am positive there are bakeries around town with better tasting stuff.
Picture like this: there’s that really really pretty and sexy guy (or girl, if you’re a guy) you’ve been flirting with. You are soooo attracted to him. You go talk to him and hes empty, boring and not that interesting in content. Still pretty tho, but lacks flavor. So it’s this place :)

LOVE THIS PLACE!
*SHOUTOUT to the real homie Bendrick!
The hype is toooo real here! I always load up on pastries and morning bread munchies when I’m in the area. They always have FRESH BREAD and the best selections! I always love getting the egg tarts, the coffee bun with mochi and red bean filling, the custard bun… okay honestly, everything I have tried here is delicious! The savory items are good too if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I stock up and eat them for breakfast/​snacks throughout the week. The best part is that they still taste fresh and delicious even after a couple days. They also have delicious cake options located in the glass cases by the counter.
Their drinks are also pretty on point. I had the sea salt jasmine green tea and it was SO good which is surprising because 85C is mostly known for their pastries! Don’t look past their drinks because they are equally delicious!
It is located in the plaza with several other food places but I never have trouble finding parking which is a huge plus! I usually try to come at odd hours (like after noon time and before evening rush hour) where theres not too many people and they bring out the freshest breads and pastries.

Morning, noon and night, without a doubt, 85 °C Bakery Café is a fairly popular place. During peak hours, which seems to be almost at all times of the day, it tends to be crowded with folks strolling to carbload (or overload).
If you happen to come during peak hours, you’ll find the cases primarily empty. When the workers do come out, shouting «FRESH BREAD!», the horde that is waiting for new goodies appear swoop in for a share of the tiny pastry glory. When they do actually have pastries, they have a large variety to choose from, if you’re not sure what you want. Pastries are just okay, for being mass produced. More often than not, the tables tend to be dusty or dirty, so I won’t be eating in-​store anytime soon. I also wouldn’t want to come here on a regular basis to fulfill my sweet tooth. There are a lot of better pastry choices out there.
There is a lot of parking available. But, let’s face it, even with the decent sized parking spots, my Asian peeps all park (and drive) like a-​holes. So, like I’ve warned folks who drive around Convoy or Plaza Blvd, be extra, EXTRA (!) careful.

So a bit has changed at this location (not sure about other places) ever since my last review.
#1: If 85 is supposed to be well-​acclaimed for their taro bread, you would think that they have these popping out of the oven every minute! But nope. Now it’s «exclusive»…
A. you can’t grab it yourself
B. its *sometimes* behind the cashiers and you can order it only when you pay
C. you’ll have to wait 50 minutes
D. they pretend like this bread didn’t even exist…
#2: a lot of the nice, big, fluffy, stuffed filled breads are now GONE! Whatever happened to the mocha bread with red bean and mochi? Or the one stuffed with walnuts? Or that giant loaf with a bajillion grains?! I was so sad that they don’t offer these classic anymore… I hope they bring those back.
#3: is this a sandwich shop now? Why are there so many savory pastries-​especially the ones with hot dogs?! You might as well buy a pack of Pillsbury croissant dough and DIY.
#4: they now have a whole section just for «new pastries»! Which is cool, since they switch it up every time I’m there. They *had* chocolate brioche a few weeks back (and it’s gone now?) and now they are introducing the Hokkaido cheese tart and some other stuff.
#5: you either Come early to fight for the variety or come at night to wait for the taro bread. The middle ground just seems like a waste of my time and each time I’m more and more disappointed with what they have to provide.
#6: What happened to the lovely unison chime of «FRESH BREAD!!!» Don’t even hear a peep now.
BRING BACK THE PREVIOUS MANAGER. OR SWITCH OUT THIS ONE. OR WHOEVER IS MAKING THESE CHANGES.
Only thing keeping me coming back is the $ 3 off if you spend $ 12 deal that ends 3÷15÷16. And I guess the new honey bread is good too…(stumbled upon it by accident.)

Like many Unilocalers here, I was really excited that 85 was coming down here. However, I was sad to see that the San Diego location didn’t have as much in terms of variety. Don’t get me wrong, the quality of the bread was still delicious, but it would have been even better to have those Irvine items as well. I recommend getting the following pastries:
1. Marble Taro Bread
2. Milk Pudding Bun
3. Garlic Cheese Bread
4. Mochi egg tart
5. Brioche Bread
You also have to get the passion fruit green tea with boba. Their boba is soft and chewy with the drink itself not being too sweet. I really recommend it! Overall, 85 is a great place to get your carbs craving satisfied.