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!
She even provided two forks without me asking! This was pretty good, sweet-savory, nice crisp top, creamy-rich interior. Well worth the $5.75 to me!
The Cold Brew was ok, on the milder side. The scone was pretty good, not overly dense, nice chunks of corn, and not too sweet. I did not find it to be overly salty. Quite filling to be sure.
Slices of pork belly wrapped around cucumber; looking at it, we were reminded of what we’d had 
The pastry was quite flakey and crisp. The interior a bit wet and on the doughy side, but acceptable. The amount of salt was good, but it was sorely lacking in butter.
Which turned out to be true…at least for me. Man, look at all that pork! The pork was nicely seasoned; though, at least for me, I'm all about proportion and balance of flavor and frankly, this was just too much pork, and where's the jamon? And the bread was just not up to the task as it got really mushy plus all of the pork muted the pickles. And was there even mustard on this….I do like a good counter-point to the rich pork. Still, if you want a very porky sandwich, here it is….. It's just not the kind of Cubano I enjoy.
Though it looked over-baked, the exterior wasn't flakey and crisp. The interior was on the doughy-bready-chewy side and the croissant, in my opinion really lacked butteriness. This was mediocre at best and was the same as what I'd had before from their stand. Well, at least they're consistent, right?
But the Missus cut into it and took a bite and made a face. She made me have a taste. The crust was doughy, gummy, and lacking in crispness. It was on the thick side. The filling was too sweet for my taste as well.
It was soft and doughy, lacking in that flaky-crispness that I enjoy. I'm not sure why they call this a "Butter Croissant" as sorely needed more butter flavor. The interior was a bit too "moist" for my taste as well. 
Overall, this was quite disappointing. I was looking forward to Izola reopening. I'm thinking I'll try the place in a couple of months and am hoping that this was just an off day. And at seven bucks a croissant….man, how would Parisians react to a six Euro croissant? I can only imagine!
Wayfarer tends to over bake their croissants; but this wasn't bad, quite flaky and crisp, the interior a bit on the dry side, but light and fluffy with a decent butter-salt ratio.
The new president, Ed Morales, was introduced and he 
The artist rendition for the 2025 
Even moreso in real life! See the slot in the front hill? That is where the "Spotter" sits and can view what is in front of the float. The Spotter speaks to the driver via a headset and has a set of brakes there at the front, in case an emergency type of stopping is necessary.
Kiwanis International has the theme "Being Together" and is going to be even more beautiful when covered in natural materials and flowers. The slot for the Spotter to view is at the top of the honeycomb
The Service organization of Oddfellows and Rebekahs has their 2025 entry depicted 
Here it is in real life! so vibrant and, again, cute. You can see the rectangular slot in front. The Driver, who only follows the 'Rose Colored Line' on the street is situated near the middle of the float.
The drawing of the 2025 
This beauty is surreal and so detailed; everyone (on either side of the parade route) will see something different.
The 2025 entry for the Luthern Hour Ministries and 
There will be 'stained glass' windows on the church, all created with natural materials. This float will be magnificent with it's theme "Behold! Jesus the Savior is Born". The Petal Pushers volunteers assist with decorating about eight floats during decorating days.
The Fraternal Service Organization of Elks will have another float in the 2025 Rose Parade.
"Cherished Memories" is the theme. Remember that all floats must 'fit' down the parade route, so the Elk at the back of the float must be able to collapse down to the maximum allowable size.
Shriners Children's 2025 float will feature a working waterfall!
So far, in it's basic stages, I can see that the two parrots will be lifted up to go down the parade route, then lowered as it gets to the tight spots along the route. 
I have not seen any drawings for the City of Alhambra entry, but it was also tested on July 13. 
A cortadito ($3.39) was a nice alternative to coffee. The espresso with sweetened condensed milk really hit the spot. 
A new beverage is an iced passion fruit, yuzu pear lemonade ($5.45) and we just had to try it. Topped with edible violas and mint, this was a very pleasant, not overly sweet treat.
A peach target ($4.55) and a matcha raspberry eclair ($3.90) were our choices to try later that day. Wonderful crust and pastry and fruit and cream. Very nice indulgences.
A walnut-raisin batard ($4.65) is a must purchase item. Crisp crust, an almost sourdough base and walnuts and raisins; a perfect snack or breakfast.
Two cheese rolls ($1.19 each). were enjoyed in the car on the way home. Crisp and flaky and sugar topped with a whipped cream cheese filling. Another perfect item.
We ordered Torrejas (Cuban French Toast) ($9.15), a wonderful breakfast item, especially with the cream cheese and fresh fruit.
Instead of an eggy sandwich, we shared a lechon sandwich ($8.69) Roasted pork, so tender and topped with pickled onions, served on fresh, pressed bread that was spread with a wonderful house made chimichurri sauce. This satisfied the cravings I had for about half a year.