Issue #7 July: All the Bakeries I Visited this Month 🥐

Plus a new park with panoramic views, my favorite book so far this year, and a fancy restaurant with a hip-hop playlist. 

Apologies for the delay in sending this month’s newsletter. I just got back from a week-long trip in Scandinavia, which I will write more about in August’s issue. Looking back on July, I ate a lot of pastries, all of which I’m excited to share. I also went to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island for the first time ever on July 4th to celebrate Penrose’s birthday. I honestly can’t believe half the year is already over 🤯. Hope you’re enjoying the rest of summer!

Eat 😋

Grand Opening (Chinatown, SF)

Former Mister Jiu’s pastry chef, Melissa Chou, holds a bake sale only on weekends from Mister Jiu’s kitchen. The line forms down Waverly, an iconic alleyway in Chinatown where you might catch a lion dance performance while waiting. The pastries are all beautiful and inspired by traditional Chinese baked goods like the pineapple bun or strawberry sponge cake. My favorite was the mortadella scallion bao that I ate for dinner because why not 😝.

Jina Bakes (Japantown, SF)

I luckily found myself in Japantown right as Jina Bakes opened and the line seemed manageable. Because I was leaving for my flight that day, I only got three pastries: the Daeho kalbijjim (braised short rib) croissant, injeolmi (Korean rice cake) croissant, and the matcha cream puff. They were all delicious, but the injeolmi croissant was definitely the star ⭐. The soft chewiness of the rice cake somehow worked perfectly with the flakiness of the croissant. They also have fun drinks like the honeycomb toffee latte and orange foam coffee. I went with the hot yuja tea, which paired nicely with the pastries.

Ocean Malasada (Ferry Building, SF)

After many years as a pop-up in the Bay Area, Ocean Malasada just opened up at the Ferry Building. I love any kind of donut, but malasadas with their sugary fluffiness and fruity fillings are extra fun. We tried all the flavors they had that day: ube, guava, passion fruit, and coconut pudding. My favorite was the passion fruit–the tartness balances out well the sweetness of the donut 🍩.

Mishka (Ferry Building and Marina, SF)  

Penrose loses his mind every year we go to this luxury dog bakery for his birthday 🎂. They make the most beautiful cakes from all natural and organic ingredients in various flavors, including chicken, beef, and lamb. Each cake is topped with gold leaf and packaged in a cute box and tissue paper. It’s a silly splurge, but Penrose lives for this day and devours the cake in seconds. 

See 🖼️

Panorama Park (Yerba Buena Island, SF)

Panorama Park is on Yerba Buena Island located in between SF and the East Bay right off the Bay Bridge. The park has gorgeous 360 views of the SF skyline and a sculpture by Hiroshi Sugimoto. Further down is a brand new dog park also with stunning views and lots of seating for humans. Since Yerba Buena Island is right next to Treasure Island, we walked over along the water and had lunch at Mersea for the city’s best fish & chips 🐟.

Read 📖

Real Americans (Rachel Khong)

Real Americans is the best book I’ve read so far this year (out of 35 books!). It’s a multi-generational story of a Chinese American family told through three perspectives. First we meet Lily, a poor intern living in NYC who meets Matthew, the heir to a large pharmaceutical company. Despite Lily’s reluctance to continue the relationship due their class differences, they end up falling in love, getting married, and having a son, Nick. The next part of the story is from Nick’s perspective as a teenager living with his single mom. He takes a DNA test and ends up finding and reconnecting with his father, Matthew. The last story is of May, Lily’s mother and Nick’s grandmother. She’s a geneticist who moves to the US after escaping her circumstances living under Chairman Mao in China. All three characters have secrets that are slowly revealed through each other’s stories. It’s a fascinating page-turner about family, class, identity, and coming to terms with who you are. The writing is so suspenseful that I could not put it down.

FAQ ❓

Q: Where should I go for a fancy meal to celebrate a special occasion without feeling like I’m in The Menu?

A: I knew it was going to be a great night as soon as I walked into Anomaly. The host greeted me with a glass of bubbly and 2Pac’s California Love played through the speakers. Anomaly calls itself a “post-modern” restaurant, but don’t let that scare you–there’s more solid food than foams and the vibe is totally relaxed. It started originally as a pop-up before finding its permanent home on a quiet residential street in Lower Pac Heights. What makes this tasting menu stand out from others is that while the food is serious in its taste and execution, it’s also really fun and playful. When the chef served the caviar and mini french toast course, he proclaimed, “If it’s not an ounce, it doesn’t count.” Then came the “egg-snack” 🥚 made of puffed rice with dashi form and egg yolk jam in the middle. It looked like an emoji and tasted like a shrimp chip. The “bougie” shrimp and grits 🦐, again topped with caviar, was the best I’ve ever had (even without the caviar). I was fortunate enough to be invited to dine as the plus one of my BFF (best food friend), but I would gladly come again and spend my own coins.