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Posted on June 8, 2022July 20, 2022 by The Time Traveler — Leave a comment

Ahoy, Scratch-Made Treats! Blackmarket Bakery 🏴‍☠️

Nestled in an eco-friendly retail campus surrounded by the 73, 55 and 405 highways is a glass building with a logo reminiscent of the pirate flag. It’s none other than Blackmarket Bakery!

Allow me to introduce you to the unique bakery serving scratch-made treats, fresh bread and savory sandwiches.

The CAMP at Costa Mesa

Blackmarket Bakery is a small, locally-owned business located within the CAMP, a green, eco-friendly shopping center in Costa Mesa, CA. It’s located near South Coast Plaza, LAB Anti-Mall, Mitsuwa Marketplace, and John Wayne Airport.

It really looks and feels like a camp in the middle of the city, with lots of wild plants, old trailers and camp-related decorations scattered about:

With around 25 stores that focus on healthy, active lifestyles, the shopping center hosts a bunch of events designed to bring awareness to the environment and the local community. (Plus arts & craft classes, free movie showings and drive-in concerts!) *For a full list of shops and services, visit the CAMP’s website HERE. For their calendar of events, HERE.

Now, back to Blackmarket. The bakery sits at the tip of the CAMP, right in front of the main parking lot that’s painted with feel-good messages in white:

I highly recommend choosing and parking at your favorite message! 😁

The Vibe

The first time I visited, I was taken aback by the exterior. From the outside, it didn’t look anything like a bakery with its modern glass windows and wild plants growing outside. I mean, I couldn’t see a single trace of baked goods. But the logo of a cake shaped like a skull, words “Bakery” pasted here and there plus these UFO-shaped cakes let me know that I had come to the right place.

It looks nothing like a bakery, with the only hint being the logo with the
Jolly Roger cake. ☠

Though it didn’t look at all like a bakery, it was plenty chic with its unique logo and vinyl stickers. As I entered, I expected the interior to be more “normal,” with clean walls in warm colors and baked goods neatly displayed in glass countertops like other bakeries.

But the interior was as eccentric and chic as the exterior:

The bakery was like an industrial factory with metallic lights hanging from above. I honestly didn’t know where to look with all these cool merchandise and aesthetic chocolate bars lying about. They had these cool periodic table lunch boxes, cookies shaped like dragonflies, metallic trailer displays and treats that all look good.

Menu & More

After being overwhelmed by all the products and standing dumbfounded for about a minute, I was able to make my way towards the counter to order. As I stood at the very end of the line, I got to watch bakers kneading the dough by hand:

Bakers kneading behind rows of freshly made breads.

When I moved a few inches closer to the cashier, I saw this huge menu board:

Visit https://www.blackmarketbakery.com/menus/ to view the official menu online.

Having witnessed all the tasty-looking cookies and bread at the entrance, I had confidence in all the menu items. In fact, I wanted to try everything on the menu plus all the treats displayed. But as I physically and financially couldn’t afford to do so, I narrowed down my choice to the Hot Potato Egg Sandwich, i.e. Hot Potato “Eggywich,” as called by the crew.

Along with the Berry Basque Tart and latte.

The Food

By the time I received my orders, I was too hungry to remember about blogging it. So… I devoured the Hot Potato Eggywich without taking any photos of it! 😫 But I remember and can say with confidence that it was good. The over easy eggs, bacon, and hash brown patty made it a hearty meal – an excellent breakfast. The pickled onions and garlic aioli sauce made it very savory.

Despite my overall satisfaction, I personally found the Eggywich to be a bit overwhelming. It was too much to eat the aforementioned ingredients with its butter croissant bread. I didn’t realize while I was eating it, but once I finished, I really was feeling overwhelmed.

The Berry Basque Tart was VERY good. It had a crumbly tart crust with fresh raspberries, thin almond slices, and lemony cream with powered sugar sprinkled on top. And the latte was smooth, with a good amount of foam. Both the tart and the latte were excellent. HOWEVER, I wouldn’t drive all the way to Costa Mesa just to have these again – especially with the insane gas prices these days. I would if I happened to be in the area and wanted some good tart and latte.

A few weeks later, I had another chance to visit Costa Mesa and so I went again to Blackmarket Bakery. This time, I ordered the Fresh Prince Eggywich. I liked it better than the Hot Potato Eggywich:

+ Update 6/18/22: I visited the bakery yet AGAIN and this time I got the Plain Jane. It wasn’t overwhelming with just cheddar cheese, eggs and brioche bun. It tasted great with fresh orange juice:

Delicious! I liked it better than the other eggywiches I tried.

A Bakery Worth Visiting

Blackmarket Bakery is definitely worth visiting – at the very least once. They’ve got good food and superb treats – made fresh every day. And equally importantly, they’ve got unique, clever decorations that you won’t be able to find anywhere else, like the metallic UFO cakes, chess boards painted on tables, and whisks hanging from above.

It’s a must-see bakery for photographers, bloggers and tourists alike who appreciate industrial chic decor with creative, artistic culinary touches.

More About Blackmarket Bakery

🏴‍☠️Fun Fact #1: The unique Blackmarket Bakery in Costa Mesa was founded back in 2012 by Rachel Klemek, a UCI alumni. Her first Blackmarket Bakery opened even further back in 2004 in the city of Irvine (now closed).

🏴‍☠️Fun Fact #2: Chef Rachel Klemek is a champion of the Food Network show Chopped! Watch her slay in the “Sweets Showdown: Cake!” episode (Season 43, Episode 10) on Food Network. Watch the full episode at: https://watch.foodnetwork.com/video/chopped-volume-3-food-network-atve-us/sweets-showdown-cake

🏴‍☠️Fun Fact #3: According to the founder herself, the name “Blackmarket” comes from the fact that baking fundamentals like butter, flour, sugar and eggs were only available via black markets during World War II. She says in an interview with OC Weekly that the name for the bakery was developed during the Atkins diet craze in the early 2000s when baked goods seemed culturally outlawed (read the full interview HERE).

What brilliant way to incorporate history to one’s bakery! 🤩

🏴‍☠️Fun Fact #4: There are currently 2 Blackmarket Bakeries: one in Costa Mesa and one in San Diego (with another San Diego store coming soon). They offer online ordering, gift cards, and loyalty cards that you can use to get free coffee:

The chic red loyalty card from Blackmarket Bakery.

Visit these links to learn more about Blackmarket Bakery!

🍪Get to know Blackmarket Bakery – from CAMP’s website

🍞Interview with Chef Rachel Klemek – from Great Taste Magazine

🍰Podcast Interview with Chef Klemek – from UCI School of Social Sciences

🎂Interview from Chef’s Insight – featuring Chef Klemek’s chocolate caramel tart + marshmallows

P.S. Visit their official Instagram Page HERE for seriously aesthetic cookies & more!

Posted on February 15, 2022December 21, 2023 by The Time Traveler — Leave a comment

PADERIA BAKEHOUSE: A Whole New Level of Quality Pastry

Not all pastry shops are the same. There are the good ones that sell pastries that aren’t overly sweet but still taste excellent; the bad ones with tasty but sugary goods that make one feel really guilty for having consumed them. And the ugly, where cheap-looking, sugar-coated treats make one feel sick after a few bites.

And then there’s Paderia Bakehouse, where even a single item (i.e. their Portuguese Egg Tart) makes one visit the shop again and again despite the distance. Not to mention their award-winning Cookie plus their Malasada that I haven’t even tried yet.

The Square Shopping Center

Left turn leads to John Wayne Airport while at the right is The Square.

Tucked away in The Square next to the John Wayne Airport, Paderia Bakehouse may easily be overlooked. In fact, one may opt for the better-known Starbucks several shops away. Yet, once you experience their desserts and/or drinks, the shopping center will become that spot where you get all your Paderia goodies.

On the outside, the bakery looks nothing special with its bland but neat store front and clean fonts:

The Bakehouse

But once you enter, you will be pleasantly surprised by the chic designs of the dark interior with gilded accents. Along with the stylish, modern interior design, the green plants placed here and there help give off an eco-friendly atmosphere.

A few steps further in, you’ll face the counter with the baked goods displayed behind the glass:

Here’s a close up of the baked treats sold at the Irvine location:

A Limited Menu (Serving Only the Good Stuff)

What I also found somewhat unique to Paderia was its limited menu. They only have select drinks and treats to choose from, compared to, say, Starbucks or other cafes.

This is their complete menu from the Irvine location:

I conjectured that this was due to the fact that they were confident in their select items. The limitation, to me, felt like a sign that this bakery only served top-quality food and drinks that they knew (like really knew) how to make.

And I was correct!

Portuguese Egg Tarts

On my first visit, I chose to get some Portuguese egg tarts, cookies, and Mazapan coffee. I had never tried Portuguese egg tarts even though it’s easily available in other bakeries that I visit, as I never expected it to taste particularly good, given the visuals. The egg tarts at Paderia prompted me to try, and little did I know that my life would change forever!

The egg tarts are just…

(How do I type this as accurately as possible..?)

They are SO GOOD that they haunt you. Seriously. After tasting their egg tarts, I became HOOKED. Me, a skeptic of egg tarts and an opponent of the concept of putting more eggs in pastries other than during the baking process, became a FAN.

It’s warm & soft in the inside, crunchy & flaky on the outside, with hints of sweetness that explode as you savor each bite. It’s COMPLETE BLISS.

Other Items

As for the other items, they were excellent, too. The hot Mazapan coffee, which is hazelnut “harmonized with a crème froth & Mazapan peanut candy bits” is as good as its description on Paderia’s website. The cookies, which are satisfyingly fatter than other cookies, are great. According to their site, their Chocolate Walnut Cookie is an “Award-winning Cookie.”

Who doesn’t want to try an award-winning cookie?

My favorite thing about the cookie was how thick and chunky they were. You really get to just dive in the chocolatiness and the buttery texture. But as such, it can get overwhelming if you eat more than one in a single seating.

On my most recent visits, I tried the Ensaymada, Drip Coffee (both hot & iced), and the Vietnamese Coffee (+more Portuguese egg tarts), and I can say with confidence that they are all good. As for the rest of the items, I haven’t tried yet so I can’t say but they all sound & look delicious. Especially the Malasada that they only sell at their Fountain Valley location!

Paderia Bakehouse: For the Cosmopolitan Connoisseur

Paderia is not some bakery to try out. As their self-description, they are a bakehouse serving traditional baked goods from around the world, with emphasis on “basics, quality and authenticity.” They make “fresh-from-scratch” products in their kitchen with “intentionally sourced” ingredients, making sure to not sell old inventory with their “Open until sold out” policy.

Dear Cosmopolitan Reader, do yourself a favor and check out Paderia Bakehouse next time you’re around Fountain Valley, CA/ Irvine, CA / Santa Monica, CA.

This modern, globally-inspired bakehouse will inspire you.

P.S. Paderia Bakehouse was founded by the two young Vietnamese owners, Nathan Vuong and Davion Tran. Check out the duo’s interview here! 🤩

🍪Official Website of Paderia: https://www.paderia.com/

☕Official Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/paderiabakehouse/?hl=en

P.P.S. They have this cute little egg tart crochet plush displayed with the egg tarts behind the glass display. I’ve asked the cashier if they sold plushies (as I said, I’ve become quite a fan), but she said that they don’t. 🙁

The cute little Portuguese egg tart crochet plush.

P.P.P.S. 2/16/2022 Update: I visited the Fountain Valley location to try the malasada – and it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. It was good, for sure, but not as good as a beignet I’ve tried in Corona Del Mar, CA (view the post HERE.)

It is unfair to compare a malasada with a beignet but the two pastries all share similarities with the doughnut and I can’t help myself from comparing them…

The malasadas at Paderia Bakehouse in Fountain Valley, CA.

The dough and vanilla cream of Paderia’s Malasada were both very light, and I prefer my dough and cream heavier with more substance. I wouldn’t drive all the way to their Fountain Valley store to eat their Malasada whereas I would drive to both their Fountain Valley and Irvine locations to get their Portuguese Egg Tart.

Here’s a short clip of the pretty signage inside the Fountain Valley location to wrap up this post!

Posted on November 21, 2021July 4, 2025 by The Time Traveler — 2 Comments

“Not Your Grandma’s Coffee Shop”: The One and Only, Coffee Dose ☕

Ever in search of aesthetic cafes, I came across an interesting coffee shop this month. It’s called, “Coffee Dose.”

Nestled between office buildings in Irvine (also located in LA and Costa Mesa), Coffee Dose is certainly “not your grandma’s coffee shop.”

Snapshot of their home page: https://www.coffeedose.cafe/.

They have coffee cups with words “Fuck Mornings,” “Anti-Bitch Club,” “Anti-Bitch Serum.” and a banner that says “No Karen, You Can’t Talk to the Manager.” With their pretty pink aesthetics and eye-catching slogans, Coffee Dose is a unique place to check out if you like their “cheeky” merchandise, “vegan + keto-friendly treats,” and all things aesthetically pink.

Coffee Dose (Irvine) one cloudy morning.

Some Basic Info:

Coffee Dose was founded by the couple – Jeni and Oscar Castro. They kind of remind one of the wife-husband team that founded Honey & Butter Macarons, as they’ve also started their shop in Costa Mesa. (Check out my post on Honey & Butter Macarons HERE.)

And from the fact that the shop now has three locations (from just one in Costa Mesa), their business seems to be a success. It’s not surprising – their stylish merchandise and cheeky slogans are bound to be popular, especially amongst young women who appreciate good coffee and aesthetically pleasing goods. It really is no wonder that Coffee Dose has made their marks at their Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, and Irvine locations:

Images of Coffee Dose in Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, and Irvine (from left to right) from coffeedose.cafe.

Coffee Dose in Irvine, CA

The shop I’ve visited is the one in Irvine. It’s located in the middle of a business park.

It’s literally placed right between two office buildings:

And so, on my two visits to Coffee Dose Irvine, there was always a group of customers. They were most likely a mix of office workers, influencers, and customers who so appreciated Coffee Dose’s unique menu and aesthetics that they drove all the way to the office park for them.

Once you get close to the pink container box, you’ll be able to see the menu and the cute merchandise they have out in front of the cashier.

This is where you order, buy merchandise, and receive your drinks. (Plus where the food menu is.)

The other end of the pink container where you get your food items. Plus where the menu for the drinks are. (On the right)

Oh, and they always have music playing out loud:

From my experience (which amounts to only a few visits), I found the lattes to be better than any other drinks. The cold brew was really strong and not to my taste.

But the latte? It was delicious! 😋

This is the menu they have out in the Irvine shop:

To check out the menu for the LA/Costa Mesa locations, check out their webpage here: https://www.coffeedose.cafe/la-cm-menu.

The Highlight: The Food

Now, this shop is a coffee shop, and I do think they have good lattes. But what I consider their best is the food.

I’ve tried a few items on their menu, including their cookie, banana bread, lemon bread from their bakery items, “The OC OG,” “Foxy Loxy,” “Jen & Berry’s,” “The Goat,” and “The Gentle Monster.” Wow. Now that I list them, I actually tried quite a number of their food items!

The Foxy Loxy (and the ever-strong cold brew that I couldn’t finish).

Anyways, they were all delicious, with top-quality ingredients. But my favorite of all has to be “The Goat.” 🐐🧀

“The Goat” is a toast with herbed goat cheese, figs, candied walnuts, saba and microgreens. And it’s EPIC.

I tried this only because I saw on Coffee Dose’s Instagram that “The Goat” will be available only until November. And I thought – why not give it a go before I can no longer try it?

It was such a good decision… Because it was the most delicious toast I’ve ever tasted! And the combination of goat cheese and figs along with the candied walnuts and other ingredients is genius; it’s an out-of-this-world tasting experience that belongs uniquely to Coffee Dose.

It was so good that I had to to-go another one before leaving.

Drawbacks

The only drawbacks of Coffee Dose (I speak only of the Irvine location) would be that it isn’t cheap. It’s definitely on the pricier side, as “The Goat” costs about as much as two cheeseburgers at In-N-Out.

And another drawback is that they don’t share your Instagram stories that you @ them at, as I’ve tried multiple times. I think they only share if you have enough followers to promote their brand. 😔

*Fun fact: There are Coffee Dose stickers you can use in Instagram to create your stories.

Regardless –

Visiting Coffee Dose Irvine was a fun experience. With the aesthetic surroundings and the unique, DELICIOUS food, I highly recommend visiting there at least once!

P.S. If you have any canine companions, you’ll definitely want to check this place out. The shop is dog-friendly with even “puppy cracks” for your pups!

Check out their website and Instagram for more. 😉