Waaaay back in November of 2023 I did a post on ASA Bakery after the Missus requested I pick up some pastries after scrolling thru Instagram. The Missus was less than thrilled with what we got , which I mentioned in my post, along with the crazy long wait. In the comments of that post; the owner of ASA (along with BeShock Ramen, etc) left some thoughtful comments, which I really appreciated.
"This is Ayaka from Asa bakery, thank you for visiting us during soft opening! I feel terribly bad about your experience. Our baker just arrived from Japan end of September. As you can imagine baking or any type of cooking is very different in every country, he needs to make adjustment from ingredients(Japanese flower vs US) water source(Soft water vs very hard water in SD) cultivating yeast, humidity, even measurements are all different (oz vs ml, ℉ vs ℃, lb vs grams). We bake everything in house and that requires high baking skill sets. Training new staffs, hiring experienced bakers also takes time as a brand new business."
Which I totally understood. There's a reason why we enjoy Nagoya so much! And I made up my mind to eventually revisit as Ayaka also stated "Our classic croissant is head baker’s favorite". Croissants you say? The eventuality came to play as the Missus recently asked me to check out ASA again. Of course, I was going to head on down again myself!
I arrived a bit before opening and found parking near Island Avenue.
One of the first things I noticed was this guy lying down at the street corner yelling at people.
And crossing on Market there was this going on right down the street.
But all of that didn't seem to deter the customers waiting for the place to open as there was a good sized line. Though it wasn't as bad as when ASA first opened.
The line moved quite quickly and of course there was always something to catch your attention while waiting.
I was in the shop in about 20 minutes.
And there was a nice selection of items. The staff were really friendly and efficient. It seems like everything is priced at $5.95. I got a Chocolate Danish and an Earl Grey Melon Pan for the Missus.
She preferred the Chocolate Danish to the Melon Pan which She said was too bready, had no Earl Grey Flavor, but at least wasn't overly sweet. She did say the Chocolate Danish was much better than what She had before. But it's not something She craves. I guess it's still Desserts by Clement for Her.
As for the Croissant.
Well, in her comments Ayaka describes it as "perfect flaky crust outside, right amount of butter to have moist and chewy texture with light and airy layers." Almost sounds like our favorite croissant in Paris, right? Well, hold on there pilgrim! The croissant was not bad, decent butter, but definitely use more. As for flakey, I'd say it was way too crumbly, the crust "exploding" into a crumby shrapnel. It was definitely light, too airy, without "body" and was quite dry to boot.
This was not bad, though I prefer what Wayfarer, Izola (though based on DavidG's comment about their business practices I may refrain from visiting), and even La Clochette to this. And based on the location, we would have to enjoy what ASA makes, like we enjoy the food at Sovereign in the area to revisit. Though if I can get someone to tell me that their "Sandos" are outstanding, it might be worth a lunchtime visit!
Still, the service and selection was much improved since my last visit. Also of note, ASA does not accept cash; only electronic payments.
ASA Cafe & Bakery
634 14th St. Suite 110
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Wed – Mon 9am – 9pm
Closed on Tuesdays
On an interesting note; man, this is my 48th post on Croissants….that's a lot of "beurre under the bridge". I hope you're not getting tired of my croissant posts!