Review: 85C Bakery Cafe - Irvine, CA

85°C Bakery Café originated in Taiwan and grew so much in popularity that it opened up over 30 locations in the country and expanded to Australia, China, and eventually here in the USA. I have heard great raves about this place from family and friends, so when a friend and I were in the area we decided to check this place out.

Now I had been warned that no matter what time of the day it is, there is always a line for waiting at this place. Those warnings are true! My friend and I went around 2 in the afternoon and we had to wait in line outside of the establishment. There are two lines, one for the breads and pastries and another line for drinks and cakes. When we entered the store we were immediately embraced by warm smells of freshly baked bread. They have many distinct breads and pastries such as their infamous Marble Taro Bread to their unique Calamari and Squid Ink Bread. They also have common breads such as cream cheese rolls and whole grain. Even though their bread is made fresh, it's even better when they come out with a just baked batch where the bread is still hot and fluffy. The pricings range from $1 to $3, depending on the size and quantity of the bread.

The other side of the establishment houses the drinks and cakes. They have specialty drinks such as Sea Salt Coffee (their most popular refreshment) and Micro Boba Milk Tea. I am not a fan of boba, but when I tried this, I actually really liked it because the boba was more like tapioca and the milk tea flavor was rich. They also carry regular coffee drinks such as hazelnut lattes and Americano coffee. Their cakes are beautiful and tasty. They offer smaller slices to go or to enjoy in house. Their cake varieties include Strawberry Tiramisu, Crème Brule, and Black Forest. I tried a slice of their Crème Brulee cake and it is delicious! All of their cakes are decently priced and are actually cheaper than other Asian bakeries that I have been to.

Their operating hours are Monday through Thursday 7AM - 10PM, Friday and Saturday they are open from 7AM - Midnight, and on Sundays they are open from 8AM to 10PM.