Two Pasadena Bakeries

I greedily munched my way through Southern California with the help of my loyal friend Sof.   Unfortunately we had to limit ourselves to about five establishments a day due to the exertion to our stretched gullet.  As a Northern Californian, I'm loathe to admit that there are culinary offerings in SoCal that are better than what's offered the Bay Area but so it is.

 The most precious of these bakeries is D'odici in Pasadena specializing in made-to-order souffles and souffle cheese cakes. I went thrice as I was so keen on their pillowy soft offerings. They serve the chocolate souffle with a scoop of cocoa dusted vanilla ice cream on top of chocolate mousse.  It takes thirty minutes but it's utterly fabulous and worth the wait.

I struck out a bit at Flour+Tea also in Pasadena. The space was open and welcoming but their specialty- a mochi baked inside a bun was just so-so. Actually I'm not convinced such a match is even a good idea as the two different textures of chewiness did not complement each other.  But their curry chicken bun was decent.

They also sold bulk green and black teas as well as some token puerh.  While I was inspecting the shu bricks- the server behind the counter perked up and told me how good they were. Apparently the shu brick is going for $65 (?) a pop.  I was about to find out what the street price of it was on taobao when I realized I was on vacation and should try to spend quality time with my dear friend. Brick and mortar shops usually have more than a 100%+ upcharge and it's not like I need any more mediocre shu.

The highlight of Flour + Tea is their enticing case of macarons. We tried the Earl Grey and Blueberry Lavender  which had a pleasingly intensity- definitely superior to San Francisco's Miette's versions which come in decidedly safe flavors.  All in all, Pasadena residents are lucky to have two such bakeries.