Bake Sum

Bake Sum is the story of a successful pandemic born business.  Started by a pastry chef who made weekly boxes as a way to get through the pandemic, and grew to a small boutique bakery located in Oakland, where you can visit in-person a few hours a day.  They also supply to a few coffee shops, and have drop locations around the Bay Area for weekly boxes, which are still a focus for the bakery.  Boxes are $38, and contain both sweet and savory items, a mix of danishes, buns, cookies, mochi bites, cakes, and more.  

"A modern bakery with Asian American influenced viennoiserie, cakes, and pastries. Our pastries are always fun, beautiful, creative, and above all delicious."

As a lover of all baked goods, I've had my eye on Bake Sum for a while.  The menu changes monthly, although there are some classics that stick around more.  Flavors are full of Asian flair, with ube, lychee, hojicha, black sesame, and the like.  I've been drawn in by nearly everything on the menu.  The menu is dominantly sweet, but I've actually only tried the savory, as I discovered Bake Sum at a opening reception for a benefit gala, and it was savory only.  Given how fantastic my savory item were, and how great the sweet lineup sounds, I can't wait to try more.

Okonomiyaki Danish (mini).

"Inspired by the Japanese pancake, Okonomiyaki, this danish is topped with a veggie mornay and finished with Kewpie Mayonnaise, Okonomiyaki sauce, furikake, and bonito flakes."

This was the (savory) item I was most excited to try.  I love okonomiyaki in general, and I certainly love quality pastry, and it sounded fabulous.  And, indeed, it was.

First, the pastry.  This needs a special mention, as it was stunning.  The lamination was top notch.  So flaky.  Perfectly crisp.  So rich and buttery.  Excellent, excellent pastry.  The pastry alone made me want to try all the Bake Sum danish/croissant line up, as it is clear this pastry team has skill.

The toppings were even more flavorful than I had hoped they'd be.  The creamy mornay took the place of what would often be a cream cheese filling in a sweet danish, and the okonomiyaki sauce and kewpie mayo (yes!) both added to the creaminess and packed it full of flavor.  Very savory, very umami, and very complex.  Of course the furikake and bonito flakes amped up the flavors even more.

This was a delight to eat, a very successful interpretation of okonomiyaki into pastry form.  If I were to change one thing, I might add a touch of pickled ginger, or perhaps cabbage, just to give it one more dimension, but it wasn't actually needed.  I'd gladly have enough of these.  This world needs more Japanese danishes. ****.

Mini Danishes: Okonomiyaki (left), Aloo Matar (right).

"Filled with a tomato sauce and mornay of peas and spices, we top this Danish with roasted potatoes, yogurt and a mild mint & cilantro chutney."

I also tried the Indian danish, inspired by aloo matar.  The base was just like the okonomiyaki danish, a truly fabulous, well laminated, intensely buttery, crispy danish.  Top notch, again.  

I thought the okonomiyaki danish was flavorful, but this one was just as flavorful, if not more.  The little dollop of chutney, the spiced peas, the yogurt ... wow!  The complex spices really made this a flavor powerhouse, so unexpected given their small quantities, but, it packed such a punch.  It made me want to ditch my regular naan next time I get Indian cuisine, and just dunk a buttery croissant in my curry instead ...

Another great success, and I'm honestly not sure which I preferred more.  Both very unique, both very successful, and both very true to representing the dishes they are based on.  ****.