"When Bakers Bench first opened in 2021, it was a tiny Chinatown kiosk that would regularly sell out of plain croissants by early afternoon. The pastry shop has since moved just five minutes away to a much larger brick-and-mortar location in the same courtyard as Perilla. The counter-service bakeshop sits next to a burger joint in a craftsman bungalow, serving a full range of vegan sweets like yuzu poppy seed scones and cherry white sesame coffee cake, but the best items are still the flaky, buttery pastries. We especially love the furikake croissant—it’s got a fun crunch with toasty, salty flavor encrusted on every inch of its golden-brown top layer. Grab a box of to-go pastries, or hang out in the flower garden around back and contemplate the power of churned cream." - Nikko Duren
