Bon Epi Patisserie and Café-(Irvine)-Road Trip

Thanks for stopping and reading mmm-yoso!!!, the blog about food.  Sometimes Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy write about local eating adventures and sometimes they drive to find a place to eat.  This post is about two of Cathy's driving adventures, because after her first visit, she just had to bring The Mister here.

This post is a continuation of an eating adventure which began very early one Sunday across the parking lot. The first bakery we hit (85C) is Taiwanese and this bakery, Bon Epi, is Korean.  CC and I were driving North with an ultimate purpose (to meet and hear Marvin Gapultos speak about his newly released The Adobo Road cookbook). It was so early, we were missing crowds and finding fresh baked goods at an interesting variety of ethnic bakeries in Irvine, Costa Mesa, Tustin and Pasadena.

Several posters (corner of which is in the bottom left of this photo above) advertising macarons, are all around this mall (Diamond Jamboree).  This is going to be a post of the first of *many* macaron posts...after this visit, macarons have became a snack obsession. 

I purchase pain d'epi, wheat stalk shaped bread, at Major Market in Escondido whenever I am there...being wheat stalk shaped means it can break apart into rolls and I find that convenient.  I figured Bon Epi would sell many breads and compared to other bakeries, it does (that's a whole table of just breads to the left when you walk in).

There is a small eat in area inside and quite a few tables outside.  

The baked pastry area is fairly small, but kept constantly filled with fresh choices.  

The refrigerated cases to the other side of the cash register hold a beautiful array of colorful macarons as well as other refrigerated colorful sweets. 

The macaron (not to be confused with a coconut macaroon) is delicate, small and packed with flavor.  The 'gateaux sec' is the dry cake (and most colorful part you see).  It's basically a meringue: egg white whipped with sugar and crushed almond/almond flour and usually that's all the flavor in it. It's a light and crispy crust with a softer interior cookie. The fillings of the macaron are varied in flavor and texture.  

This was cc's purchase that first day.  The box costs $1 or 50¢ extra, but is a nice keepsake  and presentation as well as protectant for the delicate bites.

My purchase that first day here consisted of the pistachio and the white chocolate peach.  The pistachio was very nicely nutty flavored, lightly whipped and went well with the almond 'cookie' exterior.  The peach was basically peach colored and basically filled with thick white chocolate.  It was very sweet and not what I like. 

CC bought this peanut bread (topped with crushed peanuts; it looks so good) and almond Danish stick; I got the Biscuit Cream seen on the left; it was a very generous filled and delicate cake-like pastry. 

When I came back with The Mister, we also exercised restraint, knowing we were on a bakery centric morning and got the ham and cheese croissant here (to compare with the one I had just purchased at 85C) and The Mister chose a salted caramel macaron...which was thickly filled with a heavy real salted caramel. It lasted a while because a tiny bite just filled your mouth with flavor and the chewiness of a soft caramel.

I breifly mentioned in another post that I am also currently infaturated with ham and cheese filled breads.  I do think the ham and cheese croissant here is the best I've ever had...so far. Maybe because it was still warm, maybe it was the chunks of white cheese or maybe the thick and flavorful slice of ham...or the combination of all three.  (See the macaron on the table?  We each had a small bite of it and wanted to savor and stretch out that flavor...)

Bon Epi Patisserie and Café 2750 Alton Parkway, Suite 101 Irvine, CA 92606 (949) 251-0070 

Open seven days 7 a.m.-midnight Website

Comments

[nhbilly]

Honestly I wasn't so impressed with 85 in Irvine its not like I couldn't get it baked goods somewhere else in Garden Grove. Maybe it was the selection I had picked out.

[Ed (from Yuma)]

That croissant looks really good. The croissant itself looks excellent and then cheese and ham. ymmm.

[Cathy]

It wasn't the selection, bill; Taiwanese bakery items are different (look at my last 85C photo-that's the ham and cheese) and I don't understand the lines out the door at 85C. There are a handful of items I like from Taiwanese bakery shops and only the freshness of the items helps to not completely avoid patronizing any. This Road Trip and the various bakery choices really taught me how to discern.
The croissant and its filling put it in my top two best ever, Ed. It was excellent.

[caninecologne]

hi cathy - now i need to link your post! i'll have to try a ham & cheese croissant next time. i love savory fillings in croissants or any kind of bread.

for the record, the box that held 10 macs was a mere .50! the box for 5 (that i got a few weeks later) was .25! the boxes are so pretty and sturdy. i have them in my office, holding paper clips, push pins, post it notes, etc.

[nhbilly]

I might brave the lines again when I'm in OC just to see what I have missed out on.

[Cathy]

Yes, I do prefer savory over sweet also, cc, but the macs and their bit of sweet are a perfect size for that bit of sweet I sometimes 'need'. I thought the boxes cost more (that must have been the doughnut place); next time I'll get my macs in one-can always use organization thingys on my desk, with a reminder of a good time and maybe a future visit.
You'll be visiting from another time zone, bill, so should be awake early and can get to those places before the crowds...also my most favorite bakery of this road trip is just up the 55 at the 5- in Tustin-post soon.

[nhbilly]

The bakery on El Camino and 6th street shopping plaza. When I used to work in that area. There was a Japanese bakery that always sold out in the morning and down the street from there was a really good sandwich.

[Cathy]

Cream Pan 602 El Camino Real, Tustin. Opens at 6 a.m., Japanese. Absolutely my favorite.

[nhbilly]

Now that place is good and always OOS in the morning.