L’Epi D’Or ("Golden Wheat") Bakery is like an infomercial. It pulls you in, fills you with hunger, and keeps promising more. Newcomers, attracted by the smell of fresh-baked bread, drift in with visions of sugar plums, thinking to satisfy their carbohydrate cravings. They are met by a squeaky clean display case of baked confections showcasing elegant tiramisu, an array of mousse cakes, sponge cakes topped with a rainbow of fruits, custard twists, buttery crisp palmiers the size of your face, and polka dot cookies studded with M&M’s.
Behind them are baskets laden with several varieties of pineapple buns, so-called not because they contain pineapple, but because of the unique crusting that occurs during baking which resembles pineapple rind. There are red bean buns, taro buns, mochi buns (the sticky rice-flour mochi provides the filling), coffee buns, and even French liver buns. And then there are several varieties of breads baked fresh daily, like coconut bread, black sesame bread, and seven grain bread.
In fact, owners Johnny and Judy Lee, originally from Taiwan, bake 50-60 varieties of bread and pastry each day. They also ply out hot crepes on demand, in several sweet and savory varieties, and will even top it all off for you with a scoop of Dreyer’s ice cream.
Just when you’ve finally picked your poison, L’Epi D’Or offers you lunch. Lee’s lunch menu, like its bakery, is heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine. You’ll find several "bento box"-style lunches, like Pot Stewed Chicken Leg Bento, Fried Chicken Bento, and Eel Fish Bento ($5.50 – $7.50). These are also made to order, and each come with rice, a sprinkling of pickled vegetable, a few shrimp chips, and a small side dish of ground pork. Try the Japanese Style Tasty Fried Tofu – the tofu is deep fried for a hard, crunchy exterior and then glazed with a sweet and spicy sauce ($3.50).
But wait, there’s more. A large posterboard urges you to try one of several Vietnamese sandwiches, like the ham sandwich or pork roll ($2.50). Order one, and you can have a pearl milk tea for just $0.99 more.
And that’s not all, folks. There’s also a freezer full of items to take and make at home, like chive pot stickers and pork scallop wontons. Chive pot stickers have a wrapping made of rice flour and are easy to pan fry. There’s a sushi roll made with sweet shredded pork "sung" and pickled vegetable. If by now you’re dizzy with the vast array of choices here, hurry in and order now. The offerings won’t last long – just until tomorrow, when they are baked or made fresh once again.