Sakuraya Gardena

This is one of the mochi and manju store I know in South Bay area. Since my Hubby grew up in this area, he is familiar with this place and knows that it sells the best mochi and manju.

The store is located on the main street of Western Avenue between Redondo Beach and Artesia Blvd. Street parking is easily available in front of the store. We usually go on the weekend but have to be there early because they sell out pretty quickly. We usually get the orange mochi plus other with white bean or red bean filling.

Nothing impressive outside or inside the store but they sure have the freshest and softest mochi you can find in town.

Sakuraya
16134 S Western Ave Gardena, CA 90247
Ph: (310) 323-7117

Bakkers Cookies @ Lakewood Center Mall

My love for cookies attracted me to this Bakkers Cookies kiosk at Lakewood Center. Their cookies are freshly baked and the sweet cookies scent pulled me over to their small little kiosk in the center of the mall while shopping with my family.

The price was cheap compared to Mrs. Field cookies. I paid $2.75 for a dozen of these. I picked 3 of each different varieties. Yummy ... they are good and chewy, the way I like them.

Besides cookies, they also sell coffee, bagels, and other snacks.

Rossmoor Bakery @ Signal Hill

My sister-in-law loves buying cakes from Rossmoor Pastries. I was curious about this place and everytime we drove by Signal Hill on 405, I had always wanted to check it out. But everytime, I forgot to bring the direction. One time, I even called my SIL to get direction but I just couldn't find it.

That day, I came home and immediately logged on to the internet to find their address and looked it up using Yahoo! Map. We were almost there when SIL gave us the direction but we missed the turn.

So the next day, we purposedly drove back to this place to check out their bakery items. They specialize in wedding cakes too and have consultants to help with tips and orderring for your big day.

The building is huge, but the store front was not. We walked in to the shop and there was two glass display shelves with all their cakes and pastries. To the right is their wedding consultation room with a few tables. They were busy at the wedding tables, probably 3 couples were selecting their wedding cakes. Store front wasn't busy. I was helped immediately. They have many items available. We picked a few different flavors slice cakes and a few pastries items. They are good. Will return to try their other items.

Rossmoor Pastries
2325 Redondo Avenue, Signal Hill, CA 90755
Ph: (562) 498-CAKE Fax: (562) 597-7474

Floral Decorated Cake

To celebrate my first income from blogging for money, I got a cake from Torrance Bakery. I love cakes as you may have already noticed.

This cake is an 8" round 3 layers cake with floral decoration in lavender color. This is not a custom design so it is only $24. A custom design 8" cake is $31. The cake is a chocolate/yellow layers cake with strawberry mouse filling while the outside is covered by, my favorite, fresh buttercream icing. The buttercream scent just filled my kitchen and home. I love it so much. Although I also love indulging the buttercream but I dare not as it is really high in cholesterol.

Torrance Bakery
Downtown Torrance Branch
1341 El Prado Avenue, Torrance, CA 90501
Phone: (310) 320-2722 Fax: (310) 320-4233

Giuliano's the Italian Deli in Gardena

This particular Giuliano's is the main branch. They have another location in Torrance. But since we live in Gardena, we frequent the main location for its sandwiches and bakery items.

Giuliano's is an Italian deli's with bakery and some unique Italian groceries and wines. It was established in the early 1952 by Gaetano and Frances Giuliano. It was their dream to have a unique shop to provide their customers with fresh and finest products with fair prices. Today, the deli is still under the operation of the children and grandchildren of Gaetano and Frances.

The deli is very busy during lunch hour where nearby offices come to get their lunches. They have a wide varieties of hot and cold sandwiches on their menu. They also have soups, salads, pastas and pizza. Their prices are pretty reasonable and the quality is very fresh. The item we usually order is their regular (1 foot) roast beef sandwiches for $5.79 and some of the cakes (~$2/pc) and cookies ($5.39/lb). We have also tried their spagetti with meat sauce, french dip, orginal torpedo cold sandwich, tuna sandwich, chinese chicken salad, and chicken ceasar salad. Beside these, they also have the cold cut meat section. A wide selection of wines also available in the store beside the groceries section.

Giuliano's Delicatessen
Gardena Branch
1138 Gardena Blvd, Gardena, Ca 90247
Phone: (310) 323-6990 Fax: (310) 323-5068

Delicious Cookies

These are very delicious cookies. They are from Sam's Club, $5.68 for 18 pieces. The box I bought comes in three different flavors - White Chocolate Macadamia, Oatmeal and Raisins and Chocolate Chunks. They are chewy and soft. These are not the crunchy kind of cookies.

Torrance Bakery

This bakery shop even has their own website. You can order cakes through the website. Well this is very uncommon but is becoming a trend that bakery shops are going online.

Torrance Bakery has two branches. Original shop is located in downtown /old town Torrance and another new one in Gardena on Western. I've heard a lot about Torrance Bakery from my Hubby as their office has many parties and sometimes they would get cakes from Torrance Bakery, or even pastries for the breakfast table. Up until yesterday, I've never tried their cakes or pastries. But since I have to find a bakery to order my boy's birthday cake, I've gone out trying many cakes around. Finally we've decided to place the order with Torrance Bakery.

This shop was named the Retail Bakery Award Year 2006 by the Modern Baking Magazine. It all started by an entrepreneur name Kirk Rossberg back in 1984 when he bought over a donut shop in downtown Torrance. Now with 74 employees they also serve lunch with simple sandwiches and salads menu. They also have a wedding cake showroom and offer large selection and varieties of delicious cake and fillings.

And about their cake, the texture of the piece of chocolate buttercream filled cake with chocolate shaving and buttercream icing which I bought from Torrance Bakery as sample was so smooth and moist. The buttercream is my favorite, which I didn't even know they have it here because most of the cakes I've eaten used whipped cream instead. One piece of choclate cake cost $2.85 which is kinda expensive for me even dollar to dollar as I can get a piece of similar cake back in Malaysia for only RM1.20 or RM2.00 the most from the local bakery shops there. Anyway, I already paid the $58 in full for the custom order of 1/2 sheet chocolate birthday cake with Pooh and Friends design. Their standard design 1/2 sheet cake only cost $47.

Torrance Bakery
Downtown Torrance Branch
1341 El Prado Avenue, Torrance, CA 90501
Phone: (310) 320-2722 Fax: (310) 320-4233

Le Cupcake @ Santa Monica

When I walked past the food court from Santa Monica Place towards 3rd Street Promenade, I saw this bakeshop. I couldn't resist but admired their beautiful decorated cupcakes. I decided right then that I would get a few of their cupcakes afterwards.

These were definitely the best cupcakes I've ever tasted in my life. I bought 4 cupcakes for $2.75 each plus sales tax. Got one of each of the following: Chai Latte/Chai Latte (cream topping), Banana/Chocolate, Chocolate/Peanut Butter, and Carrot/Cream Cheese. They were so yummy delicious. I especially love the Chocolate/Peanut Butter and the Carrot/Cream Cheese. Not to mention they were very filling too. I will be back there for more of their cupcakes another time when I am in the vicinity.

Le Cupcake is located inside the food court at Santa Monica Place. If you are visiting the Santa Monica Pier, do stop by the mall (within walking distance) and get yourself some of these extremely scrumptious sweet treats.

Santa Monica Place Food Court
395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 917-CAKE / 917-2253

French's Cupcakes

Do you like cakes? You're reading the right blog and post. Try the bakery products at French's Cupcake Bakery. This is one of the best bakery in Orange Country. We live in LA County but we drive down to this place to get their Chocholate Banana Whipped Cream Cake. This cake is a two layers chocolate cakes with banana and cream filling in the center and topped with fresh whipped cream with a cherry in the middle. I still remember the first time I tried it couple years ago was at a relative's birthday party and someone brought this cake as a gift. There was so many people and I only got a small little piece. It wasn't enough for me, it was too good. I noticed the box had a sticker with the phone number and address on it. I noted the number down on my cellphone and the week after that we went down to pick up one whole cake for myself.

Beside cakes, they also sell danishes, breads and cookies. Bought a piece of butter cookie to try and it tasted so yummy. Will have to go back for more cookies next time.

French's Cupcake Bakery
273 E. 17th Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Phone: (949) 642-0571 Fax: (949) 642-5551