When 85 Degree Bakery opened in Newark, I was so excited. This bakery was originated from Taiwan and its business slowly spread to California. They have a variety of breads, cakes, and drinks. Their prices are more on the cheaper side, compared to many of the upper class bakeries.
The atmosphere is overall, very neat. One thing I enjoy a lot about this bakery is the way they place everything; it is very consistent, meaning that the breads, cakes and drinks are placed in a way that when people step inside, they can differentiate this bakery from all the other bakeries. I would not consider it to be a small place, in fact, I would say it is huge. Many of the bakeries, sell the same type foods but is a portion of the size. Once you enter, you'll see what I mean. It is very spacious, and comfortable to enjoy just simply, a cup of 85 degree coffee and bread or something more fancy, like their iced sea salt drinks and gourmet cakes.
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Ok, now let's get to the food and drinks:
BREADS
These are my favorites. Of course, there are many more.Marble Taro
This bread has a unique texture. On the outside, there is a thin layer which I'm not sure what it's called. In the inside, there is a sweet taro filling. The bread texture is somewhat chewy which gives it more texture. Overall, the bread is purple and is one of my favorites. You've gotta give this a try.
Multigrain
If you're a nut and seed lover, you'll love this bread. Based on what I observe, I see that there are flaxseeds, white sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and raisins. Personally, this is also one of my favorites. It is not only healthy but tasty.
Coffee Bread
By just looking at the bread on the outside, it doesn't look as appealing but when you take a bite out of it, you'll become addicted. Inside, there is red beans and mochi. The combination is very unique but at the same time, very delicious. The coffee taste really brings out the taste.
Maple Brick Toast
I personally really enjoy chewy breads, so this maple brick toast is perfect for me. With the maple syrup on top, it's not just bread which is just plain boring. It is the perfect combination, just like the coffee bread I mentioned above. It is simple but super tasty.
CAKES
These are personally what I would choose.Fruit Jelly Cup
If you want something light but tasty, this is probably the only one you are left with. On the very bottom of this cup, there is a layer of yogurt and above that is some kind of jelly. And inside the jelly is a variety of fruits, which makes it healthier. And above that is some more jellies cut up into cubes.
French Fruit Tart
As a fruit lover, I'd love to have my desserts with them. And if you're also a fruit lover, you'd love this. It is stacked up with many thick cut fruits such as cantaloupe, apples, kiwis, and berries. I think the ingredient that makes this dessert a winning is the taste of the cream. It is not too sweet and it is given the right amount. Other fruit tarts are filled with unnecessary amounts of cream and usually, their creams are either really bad quality or they're too sweet. And not to mention, the tart/crust has a perfect texture and taste. It is not too crumbly or soft. Here at 85 degree, I think I have tried the best fruit tart ever.
Mango Panna Cotta
The texture of this dessert is like a pudding, but even creamier. Again, the sweetness of this one is just like what I said about the other ones-it's just right. With the fresh cut up mango on top, makes this dessert complete.
Egg Tart
This type of egg tart reminds me of a portuguese egg tart I've eaten many times. They are indeed very good, especially when it's straight out of the oven. It is smaller in size, compared to the other breads and cakes.
DRINKS
I haven't tried many of the drinks but these are the ones I would really recommend.Iced Sea Salt Mountain Green Tea
This drink is by far my favorite drink I've ever had. The flavor is very strong. Even without the boba, this drink is great by itself. They also have the iced sea salt jasmine green tea and the iced sea salt coffee, but after trying all three of them, I'd have to say the iced sea salt mountain green tea is my favorite.
Lemon Green Tea
This drink is very common among the other boba shops but here at 85, I can taste the tea and flavor come together and it's among the best. Other places don't have such a strong tea flavor which is really disappointing because that's what most people are looking for in a classic tea drink.
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The quality of every item at 85 Degree Bakery Cafe is very fresh and full of flavor. Every time they have more breads to put out, they yell "Fresh Bread". It might annoy some customers but to me, it gives me a good feeling that all these breads they put out are actually fresh and is not saved for another day.
However, one thing that I don't like is that they don't have signs for every piece of bread. Sometimes, they even have the wrong signs up. Because of that, I get confused at which breads are which and I really hope they can fix that. Also, their breads repeat several of times. I like that idea because if there are many people in line for the bread section, and you miss one item that you really want, you can have another chance to put it on your tray again. But the bad side about this is that it makes customers feel like there isn't a wide variety of breads, and that it only repeats so that it could fill up the spaces.
Despite the fact that their variety isn't too huge, the quality is only what matters. This place is worth coming back.
