ASA Bakery

We stopped by this Japanese bakery café while visiting San Diego, and honestly everything we tried was a hit. Their tiramisu latte was fire, and the mentaiko baguette ended up being my favorite item of the day. We also got the Earl Grey melon pan, fruit sando, and curry pan — surprisingly, all of them were really good. I especially loved the cake sponge they use for the fruit sando; super soft and airy. The curry pan had really flavorful curry inside, and both the mocha and matcha drinks stood out too. Overall, an amazing spot with great flavors across the board. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area! My Japanese wife approved this spot!

Pastry culture is such a wonderful combination of carbs and aesthetically pleasing views. Though I am but a passerby in the city of San Diego I was happy to find Asa Bakery in my mindless wandering through the city. Once inside it feels like you truly entered a community space. Looking around I saw couples, families, hangouts, and business meetings all going on whilst the waif of sweets filled the air. The design of the interior was clean and green with gilded highlights popping all around. You could envision the space being used for a music video with little staging needed. The food ranges from pastries to actual plated items such as curry rice. When you grab a pastry like a croissant you can see the layers beautifully crafted with the naked eye. With closer inspection and the breaking of bread you'll see the flaky exterior give way to a buttery, soft interior. Add a little bit of California sunshine through the big windows and you have cinema in your hands. Bonus: for those in the know there's a speakeasy located here but I'll leave that for you to decipher. Where cities thrive in chaos and faster than life moments Asa Bakery exists as a place where anyone who enters its space can breath once more. With calming atmosphere and good food for casual dining and treats San Diego is lucky to have this Japanese bakery.

I came on thursday so it wasn’t crowded, could still peacefully enjoy your food. I ordered a lot and cost me more than $100 so I could taste at least the majority of the options available. The queen is the curry bun. I bought two. Custard bun and mentaiko bun were also the good ones. Custard filling matcha pastry was not dissappointing. Matcha latte was so good. I have to admit the bread base type was still soft even when it’s cold. Pastry base type were not that extraordinary. They need to improve on katsu, need a bit of juiceness, softer crunch would be better, and katsu sando need a little extra sauce, a little bit bland. The rest was okay. We didn’t get to try the famous banana or matcha croissant, so I’m intrigued to come back for that one. Overall it’s a great place to enjoy baked stuff and drinks with some fushion choice. I would avoid weekends.

Finally I checked out ASA bakery! My husband and I were just happened nearby on Saturday and I decided to bring several pieces back home. The line wasn’t crazy long around noon, just 10 minutes wait. I had a curry bun, a sausage bread and plus a matcha croissant 🥐. All the breads were looking good but I want to have a try first. They helped to heat up the two savory breads which is nice. All three breads are delicious with so many ingredients in it. The curry one is very flavorful like a Japanese curry style. The sausage one is kinda spicy! But very meaty and delicious, my husband loves it. The matcha croissant is my favorite, with a lot of not that sweet matcha cream stuff in it, so good! The store isn’t as beautiful as I thought, so take it to go is a good idea. Anyways, it’s pretty good. I’ll come back for other things if I’m nearby. But probably I won’t just come for it from far away because they are so many other good spots in SD.

I had such high hopes for this bakery because I read so many great reviews and the menu items looked interesting. The line was incredibly long and busy all Saturday morning. All the inside tables were full, but there was some outside seating. We had to clean the table ourselves before seating. I was looking forward to the matcha croissant and as a soft serve lover the Hokkaido milk soft serve. When I arrived the matcha croissant was sold out so I opted for the green tea Naruto Croissant. Naruto croissant - right off I was turned off by the fingerprint on the chocolate. I would expect blemish-less goods from a bakery like ASA. The green tea flavor was lacking and overall this croissant was incredibly sweet (by Asian standards). The custard was just okay and the pastry was more bread like than croissant like. Hokkaido milk soft serve - was already melting and dripping all over my hands as soon as it was handed to me! We were so disappointed in the texture of this soft serve. It was very dense and watery (as opposed to creamy and whipped/airy) kind of like the cheap soft serve you get at a Chinese buffet restaurant. For a price higher than SomiSomi, we expected better texture. You’re better off with SomiSomi soft serve ice cream if you want Asian flavored soft serve. The everything mochi bagel and macadamia nut pies were just okay. Nothing to write about. My husband was disappointed in his chocolate croissant that looked more chocolatey than it tasted.

PLEASE bring the mentaiko baguette back I'M BEGGING YOU The new mentaiko bread tastes like a basic westernized baked good because the potato and cheese overpower the mentaiko flavor; it just isn't the same as the baguette! It was glorious and I used to get three every time I go!! I will do anything to have it back on the menu, PLEASE! Other than that, vibes and lighting are very nice, service is friendly, drinks are not the best but decent, and their savory goods are great! Also their plastic cutlery is not strong enough to cut through many of the breads, so it gets pretty annoying to eat sometimes.

Their beef, egg, & rice dish is perfect Japanese comfort food. The hojicha milk tea was good. All their pastries are good and not too sweet. The line may be long but it moves along quickly. It's street parking so that might be a challenge.

Nice little place with great pastries and some good food too. Had the strawberry cream ribbon croissant which surprisingly had a lot more filling than expected. It was light and creamy, going well with the crispy and buttery croissant. The beef hayashi was rich, savory and went well with the egg, though the meat quality was not good. At first looked like thin sliced eye round or brisket, but was very tough and chewy. Only thing that held this place from getting 5 stars.

Ordered the matcha latte with oat milk, it was powdery didn't taste like good quality 5/10. Ube latte didn't taste like ube just coffee 4/10. Baristas were nice :D

Yum! Great to try this Japanese bakery downtown after seeing lots of hype on social media. I arrived right when it opened at 9am on a Monday and there were already people waiting! A long line formed behind me as well but it moved quickly. Service was very efficient and super friendly. They have so many fun pastry options it was hard to decide. I got an assorted box with the berries danish, naruto croissants, regular croissants, and miso bacon baguette. SO GOOD! And very aesthetic too. There were a couple pastry items I'd seen on their website that I was curious about but they weren't on display while I was there. I think they might cycle in & out different options but I'm not sure. Just another reason to return! Street parking was pretty easy too. I will definitely return to try some more menu items.

Another Sundate with momskiis and she wanted Japanese pastries. I've seen this place on social media and always saw long lines, so I had a feeling it must be good spot. We waited for about 20 minutes, but the line went by fast. I like how they do a limitation of 4 pastries per customer, so that everyone else can enjoy throughout the day. We split the following and also asked for to-go boxes because we weren't able to finish it all: ⁣ ⁣⁣ + curry pan⁣⁣ + fruit danish with berries⁣⁣ + miso bacon baguette⁣⁣ + chocolate croissant ⁣⁣ + macadamia pie ⁣⁣ + ube croissant ⁣⁣ + iced matcha tiramisu with almond milk ⁣⁣ ⁣ I enjoyed the fruit danish and the curry pan and brought home the chocolate croissant. ⁣My matcha tiramisu was a bit powdery, so unfortunately it was not a favorite of mine. Also, I think there should be a change in seating policy with who they allow to sit down. I tried to get a table, but someone said they were saving a spot for their party and pointed to their party that was at the end of the line outside. I highly recommend seating should be for people that actually have food and need a place to sit. We ended up having to wait for someone to leave, so that we could sit down. ⁣⁣

So after much hype decided to come down and see what all the fuss was about. First thing is come early as there was a line already before it even opened. Parking can be tricky as only on the street and depending on the day downtown San Diego can be tricky. The ambience is open, modern, and comfortable. The service was either patient and helpful or a bit brusque and curt. As for the food the curry pan was mild on flavor but the pastry exterior was quite light and fluffy. The French toast pastry was delicate and airy but also not a strong flavor. And the cream custard pan which is a standard for any Japanese pastry was solid if not spectacular. In addition, will also point out they make a good Hojicha latte as well. Not sure if would come frequently considering the wait but a nice place to come for a light snack to satisfy the sweet or savory palette.

We arrived at 9 AM because we heard that the pastries sell out pretty quickly. I love the interior of this bakery because it looks very aesthetic with great natural lighting. There were outlets along the tables near the windows, which makes it a nice place to do some work while eating delicious pastries. Although the line was long throughout the day, it moved very quickly. All of the workers were patient and efficient. My personal favorite was the Mentaiko Caviar Baguette. It was so savory, and right when I finished it, I immediately wanted more. I also loved the Matcha Croissant because it was completely filled with matcha cream. I also tried the Curry Pan, Custard Choco Crunch, Macadamia Pie, and Strawberry Naruto Roll. They all tasted great. It was honestly hard to pick which pastries to get because they all looked so good. I also got the Matcha Tiramisu Latte which was refreshing. I enjoyed the cheese foam on top. I really enjoyed this bakery, and will definitely return to get more pastries. I would also like to check out their lunch options!

First time we came here there was no line, but they were out of the Naruto croissant so we got French toast, curry pan, katsu sando and egg sando. The curry pan was so good, makes a great snack for on the go. My husband loved the katsu sando and the egg sando. The bread was sooo soft. We also ordered some drinks which were ok. The French toast was my favorite! It's like a mochi toast, so tastes like flavored rice! My fave. Second time we came back, there was a line. We got the Naruto croissant and I wasn't too much of a fan. The outside where the sweet crust is at was really sweet to me. But it was expensive so I finished it. We also got the katsu sando again and waited a bit to eat it so it didn't taste as great since it wasn't fresh. I want to try everything there.

Great place, small modern environment. Not many tables but they do have one bathroom in the very back. The atmosphere felt like a small little cafe serving the most amazing pastries. Sadly their lunch menu starts at 11 so I couldn't order them. Off to the food review! 4/5 - Arabiki sausage roll - Tastes like your traditional hotdog bun. Very savory salty meat with a sweet bun to complement it. You can't go wrong! 3.8/5 - Curry pan - this tastes what you exactly expect. It's very good, but it just taste like a ground meat Japanese curry packet you buy from the Asian store inside some bread. Nothing special but damn still taste good when it's warm, wish the curry itself was hotter. 4.3/5 - Matcha croissant - it tastes as good as it looked. Crunchy and soft in the inside with a slight bitterness from the matcha pairs well with the sweetness of the bun itself. Looks as good as it tas 3.8/5 - Matcha Latte - Expected some higher grade matcha at a Japanese place. The drink is still decent, but expected more as well. Definitely gets you the fix tho but the powderiness of the matcha powder is still there

We're thinking of this place the other day so swing by. We went at 11:30 on a Friday and there wasn't a line. Had their red bean, strawberry Naruto, honey toast, ube pastry. Each one was fantastic and delicious. This place is still a "pick anything and you can't go wrong" place. Had their Sakura expresso latte. One of us got it door and the other hot. It's better hot as the cold makes it taste a bit synthetic so get it warm. Have to come here for lunch. Lots of people work here as they close late around 9. There are tables inside but it's small and kinda loud just a warning. But it's perfect to put your headphones in and zone out and have tasty drinks! All in all still a 5/5!

4/5 Out of the 3 items we got, I enjoyed the matcha croissant. The cream inside was just sweet enough and balanced matcha taste. Enjoyed katsu sandwich too and my friend would prefer it even more if the chicken was crispier. Hokkaido ice-cream float was a total let down 2/5. Too much ice and coffee is too weak.

Wanted to try this café out while I was in SD because I am obsessed with cafes currently. This café is very pretty and I love the vibe inside. Hard to find parking but I go lucky and found something close by on the street. I originally planed to try a matcha latte with the matte croissant I seen on the photos. Once I walked in, I seen they had an Ube Latte. I ended up getting that and adding matcha to it. I forgot to sub my milk which I'm sad about because I always get oat milk or coconut with my matcha but I was rushing and totally forgot so the regular milk got to me. However, I liked the flavor of the Ube and Matcha together. It turned grey in the cup which was funny. Not the most appetizing looking but it was good. I also got the match croissant like I planned. The flavor is very mild. It is filled with a match custard or cream. I really enjoyed it but I am a matcha snob. When I go back to SD I plan to come back here and try the Ube sweet roll they had as well as a matcha with the correct milk so I can get the real flavor from it.

Oooooh babyyyyyy! Come in and get your whole life! Everything was bomb. Cute little cafe with service was great. Even though it was a long line, the staff were patient and attentive. Plenty of indoor seating if you coming to chill. Do arrive early cause the line forms BEFORE opening. And read the signs, there is limitation on certain food items. Some served at particular times of the day. Oh, and if you're smart, you'll carve out time to visit their speakeasy, Bar Karmon. Specializing in Negroni and Old Fashion. Good evening nibbles too! Sushi Gaga is their third establishment.

Pretty nice place. Had to wait for around 15 minutes in line and there was always a line when we were there. Lot of seating inside but mostly taken. Got the melon soda which tasted like what it was, sencha green tea was pretty good too. Ordered a croissant but wasn't given or charged it, must've forgot but that's alright. Overall pretty cool spot

Overhyped. Waited 45 minutes in line for mediocre baked goods with over sweeten drinks. Curry pan is a must though, everything else was just really dry or boring. Stay away from Their drinks. Amazing ambiance and interior decor, lots of space

My husband I came here on a weekday morning, so thankfully no lines at all! Parking was metered street parking, and being a weekday, there were plenty of spots. My husband and I both got the curry pan and shared one of the ribbon custard croissants. I wanted to try the drinks but to be honest, all the bad reviews of the drinks scared me off, lol. The curry pan was decent, but pretty average tasting. The curry had good flavor and wasn't too salty, and the bread was soft. I actually REALLY liked the ribbon croissant, although my husband and I both expected it to be regular vanilla custard (since the sign didn't note otherwise??) The custard was a brownish/grayish color and we couldn't tell if it was supposed to be coffee or hojicha flavor or what, hahah. But it was really good and it balanced the sweetness of the croissant really well! The interior is nice and bright, with plenty of tables to sit at. Service was fine, the workers were nice enough but not super welcoming, lol. If I were in the area again I would consider stopping by, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back.

My friends and I walked here for lunch after doing pilates nearby. I got their Chicken Katsu Lunch special with truffle fries as well as the Sakura Latte and added a shot of espresso to that. The sandwich had a very heavy horseradish taste but I do not like so I immediately did not enjoy my sandwich for that reason, but the chicken was pretty juicy and the bread was soft. The truffle fries were also tasty! I will say there was a little too much cabbage in my sandwich, I had to deconstruct my sandwich to eat in order to get any chicken in my bite. The Sakura Latte is only good if you add espresso to it, my friend got it without and it just tasted like milk with a very light floral after taste to it. My other friend got the Berry Patch Tea and it just tasted like water, so huge pass on that. I probably wouldn't come back for their drinks or lunch items, but they did have very pretty bakery goods that looked intriguing and sounded yummy!

I've always seen this place on social media and it has been on my list. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed. I walked up during lunch time and it was completely dead outside so I thought omg they're so good they're probably sold out for the day. No, it was fully stocked, just not a lot of business. I got a honey toast and a bacon and cheese pastry and it was so tough to chew. Honestly the texture felt like it's been sitting for a day and not fresh at all. I didn't finish my pastries. I also had the chicken sando with fries and it was fair. I didn't see any uniqueness to the sandwich, so I don't think I would drive another 12 miles for this sandwich if I was craving chicken katsu. I tend to stay at coffee shops or cafes for hours reading my book but there was no AC in this building. It was really hot and stuffy, so I left after eating. I hate writing all this, if I ever try it again, I hope it's a better experience.

Asa Bakery has a lot of Asian-inspired dishes and drinks here which is cool. Think a lot of matcha and some other green teas. It can get pretty busy so plan accordingly! I thought their drinks here were tasty. I tried an iced sencha green and an iced genmaicha latter and both were nice and smooth. I liked the matcha croissant as well! It was very large too and the matcha flavor was not too overwhelming. Their melon pan was also decent too! I wasn't a huge fan of the egg sando. I think the ratio of the filling and bread was a bit off. I think the bread was a bit too fluffy if I recall correctly. My friend who is a sando lover also did not like his sando as much either. I think next time I will stick with the drinks and baked goods since I liked those a bit more than my sando.

HYPES: We've tried almost everything yelp has recommended! big KUDOS for the katsu sando, the egg sando, the matcha croissant, and my favorite -- the narutos (matcha, chocolate and strawberry!). everything we've tried has been pretty phenomenal. we even had the croissant with cavier in it, i forget what it's called...but it's pretty good! tried their matcha late and it was also very good! GRIPES: you have to get back in line for multiple orders of the naruto, which i think is pretty whack-- considering i've spent at least an hour in line to get all things. but it's okay! :) GREAT SERVICE!! 5 stars!!

Gorgeous Japanese bakery with so many options. My husband was so excited to finally make it here, we bought one of everything. Hits: Curry Pan **everyone's favorite** Shrimp Sando **highly recommend** Lemon pepper salad **highly recommend** Katsu rice Matcha Naruto (but a bit too much cream) Plain croissant Truffle fried Miss: Sakura expresso latte Matcha Tiramisu Latte (too sour) Hojicha croissant (a bit overcooked/burnt) Macadamia white chocolate (too sweet) There was a line out the door on a Saturday and took about 30 minutes to get to the register. The pastries go fast so come early if you want a selection. The bread on the sandos were so light and fluffy. Definitely try a sandwich if you come after 11:30am. They do the lunch order early but won't start cooking lunch until lunchtime.

I came here right at opening and there was already a line outside. Unfortunately their location being in downtown does inherit the homeless problem. There was human poop on the sidewalk and it was unbreathable standing in line. HORRIBLE. Once inside I noticed there was also no restroom. I find that hard to understand as you serve coffee... needless to say I got my order and left quickly to be in range of a restroom while I enjoyed my hojicha latte. Everything was great. My favorites in order: French toast, curry pan, hot dog bun, and everything bagel. I wanted to try their rolled croissants but was told they would be bringing them out later. that was a bummer!

Right when you walk in the space is very clean, you know exactly where to go and all the pastries are lined up behind glass for the employees to hand out to you. I loved every bit of being here, every server was so kind, polite, and patient. They had a wide array of choices for food and drinks. We got the japanese sausage bread, two rolled croissants (chocolate and strawberry) and a shrimp cutlet sando, HIGHLY RECOMMEND the sando combo. Their fries were cooked to perfection, no joke. There also was this yuzu pepper sauce in the sando and I can't stop thinking about it, it's been 3 days and I wanted to come back on Tuesday and learned it's the only day they're closed . Downtown parking so you'll have to search a lil and most likely pay the meter, but so so so worth it!!

We returned to try the lunch special this time and got the egg salad sando & chicken katsu sando combo with half lemon pepper salad/half truffle fries. The lunch special sando combos are actually a great deal (imo). Thick pieces of shokupan with a large amount of filling. The egg salad had a horseradish taste to it, which I wasn't expecting, but I personally enjoyed it. For the sides, I loved the salad dressing and the choice of greens. The truffle fries are crispy and seasoned well. I liked how you could choose to get both of the sides instead of having to choose just the salad or fries. As for the strawberry naruto croissant, I thought that it was a bit too sweet with the strawberry coating, and I expected the custard inside to be strawberry flavored, but it wasn't. However, my husband really enjoyed this one. I highly recommend the everything mochi bagel. I have already referred friends and clients to try this cafe. :)

Long wait times for average baked goods. If I didn't live in the East Village area, I would not go to Asa. Parking is tough downtown in general but especially so on this far corner of East Village. Full of hype and promise, I wanted to support Asa as I love downtown. However, that is what I feel Asa mostly is--hype. With cute Naruto baked goods and other Japanese pastries, they have the recipe for success! But under-delivering on flavor after waiting outside for 45 minutes only to learn that the main Japanese croissants aren't for sale until later is poor communication. By the time I got to the front, I felt rushed as it felt more like a conveyor belt than a local bakery experience. I'm still rooting for Asa as they're coming up on a year in business, but don't think they are the "go-to" bakery in East Village yet.

I came in the AM for their pastries and there's a reason why there's a line outside. I had the matcha croissant, curry bun and melon pan!! The curry bun is a must here! I wanted to try the melon pan because it reminded me of Japan and it's not quite like Japan, but it'll do. I also had hojicha latte which I enjoyed a lot and it goes well with their pastries. You can make your drink large for $1 more and add boba for $1 more. Pastries are until 2pm or until they run out. I'd love to try out their food here in the future.

Blown away by the Japanese pastries here! They are super picture worthy but also taste delicious too. I super appreciated that their pastries aren't overly sweet, it is just the right balance of sweetness. The cafe is located in East Village of Downtown San Diego so street parking is the way to go, I was able to get a spot fast but could imagine downtown parking being inconvenient. There was a line out the door when we visited around 11:00am on a Saturday morning, but moved faster than expected, we waited around 20-25 minutes and it was DEFINITELY worth the wait. food ordered: - Strawberry Naruto Croissant: This croissant has a special swirl/circular shape, filled with rich cream, and dipped in a flavorful icing on the outside. The outer layer was crisp and had buttery layers. I usually dont like cream-filled pastries but this was exceptional and I couldn't stop eating it. I really liked that the cream wasn't too sweet. The strawberry icing on the outside was on the sweeter side so it was a good balance overall. Apparently only available after 10am so glad I was able to snag one before they sold out. - Matcha Croissant: such a picture-worthy pastry with its distinguishable green stripes! The matcha filling tasted great. The matcha flavor was prominent and had a good balance of sweetness. The croissant also had such yummy buttery layers. - Bacon and Cheese Lava: I also love savory pastries and this really hit the spot. We got it warmed up and it was delicious. I wouldn't say it was very lava-y since the cheese didn't melt/flow out but it still had yummy flavor with the cheese and chunks of bacon (it was more like ham). - Chicken Kastu Sando: we ordered lunch a little early - lunch starts at 11:30am so we ordered at the register 7 minutes before then and just had to wait a few extra minutes for our order. This was a really yummy sandwich! The chicken was fried to perfection, and was a good size. The tonkotsu sauce and mustard flavor was strong, and the cabbage balanced it out all on super soft shokupan (japanese white bread). I made it a combo with half lemon pepper salad, half truffle fries for $3 more. Overall a nice little lunch! Since I had eaten some of the pastries as well, I was stuffed. - we also tried a couple of their coffee drinks: Iced americano - not bad but a little on the bitter side, and hot latte - super good with whole milk! I'd say their espresso is average, but I know that's not their specialty/focus. Overall, super super impressed with the food and pastries here. I definitely will return to try more :)

The low rating is for the service. The pastries were fine. I understand weekends are longer and don't mind waiting, however it seems like the long long wait was due to only helping ONE customer at a time. Wondering why there is only 1 employee is filling the boxes, seems like it would be much more efficient to have at least a second employee help with customer orders? There seemed to be enough workers behind the counter so wasn't because of the short staff.

When this place popped up on my IG, I knew I wanted to try it out since ASA is a Japanese American bakery. I grabbed an iced matcha and a few pastries for the road. Everything was perfectly balanced and not overly sweet - just the way I like it. They were the perfect companions for my short drive to La Jolla. Not only did ASA make it to the IG for being so IG worthy, it was worth the stop for its delicious snacks. So the Q now is, you in???

A long time bookmark for us to try when we visit San Diego - we finally made it on a Sunday morning around 10:30am and waited in a moderately quick moving line for about 25min before ordering. They only allow 4 pastries per customer and 1 spiral croissant (Naruto roll) for now. We ordered a matcha spiral croissant, a few other pastries and a matcha and hojicha iced latte. Unfortunately we felt the drinks were incredibly disappointing with almost no flavor in the matcha latte and not very well blended grains of both matcha and hojicha in the drink - resulting it becoming chunky and uneven. The pastries themselves were nothing special - if anything they were really really sweet and felt a bit pricey given the quality of the bread and custards we had.

I LOVE THEIR MOCHI BAGELS!! Mochi Bagel: 9/10 - worth the wait Melon Pan: 8/10 - maybe worth the wait if you've never had good melon pan Curry Pan: 7/10 - not worth the wait Matcha: 4/10 - don't get it. Save yourself the money and go to Rikka Fikka down the street. Bakeries are always a tough one to review because there's so many options, and everyone likes different things. My friends and I waited in line, and as we got closer to the front, I started panicking because I didn't know what to order. What's good? What are they known for? What do I like? What should I eat fresh in the store? What will still be good if I take it home? Croissants are every where these days, and I was tired of always trying croissants and they all taste the same more or less. Anyways, my friends and I arrived at the bakery around 9:15am (they open at 9am) and there was already a long line of maybe 20-ish people. The bakery has a variety of pastries, lunch items, and drinks. At first I was interested in the lunch items, but my friend told she had them before and they were alright. So then I decided to go with a set of pastries. The melon pan was the best melon pan I've had in the US. Better than your average asian bakery. The top sugar crust was nice and crusty, great texture. The inside of the melon pan was airy - more airy than melon pan at regular asian bakeries. My main critique is that you can taste the slight sourdough taste in the melon pan, which is not something I want. The best melon pan I've ever had was in Tokyo at Katgetsudo Asakusa. If the Tokyo melon pan is a 10/10, then this Asa melon pan gets a 8/10 for texture and a 7/ for taste. I'd give regular bakers like 85c a 6/10 for texture and a 7/10 for taste. The curry pan was as average as the curry pan from 85c or Paris baguette, which is kinda disappointing considering we waited so long in line. I should have asked them to heat it up for me. The star of the show was definitely the MOCHI BAGEL. I would come back and wait in line only for the mochi bagel and to try other pastries. I almost didn't get it, but I know I love mochi and wanted to give it a try. Initially I was going to take a few bites and save the rest for tomorrow, but I ended up eating the whole thing because it was so good. It probably tastes even better heated up! Next time I come to this bakery, I'm going to buy 3 mochi bagels. I'm a matcha snob, and I had a feeling their matcha was not going to be tasty so I didn't get it. I tried a sip of my friend's matcha and it was super grainy, and the color is very drab (not vibrant) which is an indicator of quality matcha. Staff was friendly and great!

I had seen a video of Asa Bakery on instagram and decided that I wanted to try it when I came down from Orange County to stay with them in Point Loma. We went around 2:30pm on a Sunday afternoon and were not sure if they would still have any pastries but to our surprise they still had quite a few. I picked up a Matcha Croissant and a Curry Pan. The curry pan was okay, I would've liked the curry to be more flavorful and for there to be more curry filling. The matcha croissant was a bit different than expected, it was a cream filled croissant instead of having the matcha incorporated into each of the layers (with the exception of the green stripes). I was so excited to try out the Hokkaido milk ice cream with the black coffee, but the flavor fell a bit short even when mixed with the coffee. Don't know if it was really worth the trip, but for people in Downtown looking for a cute/casual date spot, this might be a good option. I would come back if I was in town and someone suggested this spot, but I feel like there are better Japanese bakeries elsewhere (especially in Orange County).

Asa Bakery & Cafe is a modern Japanese inspired spot located in Downtown San Diego. There is no parking lot, so street parking is the move here. Due to it being downtown, parking can be pretty challenging as it ended up taking us close to 30 minutes just to find parking. Be prepared for lines as well due to this spot being so popular. Once we found parking, we ended up waiting in line for about 15 minutes until we ordered. We got one of their limited time One Piece ube devil breads, a curry pan, a seasonal yuzu hibiscus cooler, an iced matcha tiramisu latte, a Nagoya karaage sando, and a beef hiyashi rice. Everything we tried was beyond delicious and flavorful! Overall, I would say this spot is definitely worth checking out despite the parking difficulties. The pastries, the meals, and the drinks exceed the hype and more! The staff here are very welcoming and efficient. You really cannot go wrong with anything you order here!

Such a cute little spot in the East village downtown SD. When we arrived it was almost 9:30AM and already there was a line out the door, in significance that the wait is worth it. Surprisingly the line moves quite quickly, and so best recommended to check out the menu before walking in. The staff is super nice, one person takes your order and safely places it on the box to-go or on a plate for dine-in. And a second person rings you up. We had the everything mochi bagel with cream cheese and a chocolate croissant with the tiramisu mocha latte on one order and the French toast with the ham and cheese bun on the other. Everything was delicious . We dine-in so we only grabbed what we were going to eat, but it's better to also buy pastries to-go in case. Overall it was amazing. Will be coming back before heading back home (to try their lunch menu)

This bakery and a cafe is pretty nice. The inside is very trendy and well organized. I stopped in for some baked goods, but unfortunately, they do not offer anything made from whole wheat or multi-grain, which was disappointing, to say the least. Don't get me wrong, all the baked goods and pastries looked amazing, but not for what I was looking for. I do hope they add some more wholesome items to the menu containing multigrain or wheat. I settled for a small chocolate chip scone and an iced coffee with oat milk. The scone was very good and had that perfect scone texture and great flavor. The iced was okay, however. It definitely needed more oat milk in the mix. They barely gave it a splash. They use Cafe Moto, so expect some strong coffee, too; hence, the reason why my iced coffee needed more oat milk. The staff members were friendly enough. They seemed rushed, given the line out the door. They need to work out a better system because the line does move rather slow. One person taking orders isn't going to cut it.

Since it is located in SD downtown, street parking is a must. Nicely located across from Albertson's on 15th & Market St. Had to try it since I saw it on the the Instagram! Japanese-inspired bakery goods and drinks! All were delicious but the display was... ummm... a couple of fruit flies flying around, putting their footsteps on the patries. Not good!! :p

I've been visiting Asa many times since their opening and the quality has always been excellent. My most recent visit is no exception. I had the Anpan and French toast in the morning which was absolutely delicious.

I once l saw a line driving by Asa Bakery. Curiously, I decided to check it out on Yelp and in person. Hoping to get a taste of their Naruto croissants, I was unfortunate to know they sell out quick! No wonder lines always form! However I did try their ice cream and it was delicious! * hidden tip. Though the ambiance of this Japanese bakery is cute and looks normal. There is a hidden bar and hidden omakase in this space.

This place has been on my list for sometime now due to social media and tiktok, but was poorly let down by some of the pastors that I had. I truly wanted to enjoy the crème filled croissants, but when I took a bite... it was as hard as a rock. I understand that due to the cream they have to be in the fridge, but it took away the whole experience. Maybe they should try piping the cream when the patient orders the dessert, so that they do not have to be stored in the fridge for so long? But other than that they had a lot of bakery options from sweets to savory breads. I wanted to really enjoy the bakery, but this opportunity was a miss. I'll try them again on a different day.

Gosh, their curry pan was genuinely one of the best things I've ever eaten. I'm so excited to try more of their food items! Unfortunately, they're closed Tuesdays (found out the hard way), but I'll for sure be making the trip back downtown soon just for these guys.

Delicious and aesthetic Japanese bakery, I was so excited to try this! We came around 10:30 am on a Saturday and luckily we only waited around 10 mins to order and were able to find seats! Food: The melon pan was my favorite! It was perfectly sweet, fluffy and soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. I also enjoyed the curry pan, which was nicely savory and crispy, and the everything mochi bagel, which was chewy and flavorful! The strawberry naruto croissant was slightly too sweet for me since it had lots of custard filling inside but it was nicely flakey and soft. The ribbon caramel croissant was pretty good and nicely crunchy but a bit sweet for me as well. Drinks: I had an ube espresso latte and I enjoyed it! It was perfectly sweet for a sweet tooth like me and the ube and espresso were nicely balanced. My friends had the matcha lattes but said the matcha taste was slightly off. I would definitely come back to try their other pastries and lunch items!

Was so excited to finally try this place!! We came around 10:30AM on a Saturday and only waited about 10 minutes to order to my pleasant surprise! Found meter parking about a block away. We bought 5 pastries and 3 drinks which came to around $48 for the three of us. Was luckily able to find a seat inside to enjoy (loved the vibe inside). The woman helping us order was great too! Food: The melon pan was my favorite, crispy and perfectly sweet, soft, and fluffy! I also enjoyed the chewiness and seasoning of the everything mochi bagel. The curry pan was very savory and I liked the crunch of the bread. I was excited to try the strawberry Naruto croissant after seeing it on social media; it was a little sweet and had a lot of custard inside but I enjoyed it overall and liked the crispiness of it. Lastly, I didn't quite enjoy the ribbon caramel croissant due to taste of the cream inside. Drinks: I had the matcha tiramisu and found the matcha flavor to be a little off, but the tiramisu cream was good. Overall had a great experience and would come back to try more items, especially the soft serve and lunch items!

Whoever designed this bakery and crafted the pastries are masters in aesthetics! The interior boasts a modern design with tall windows that let sunshine fill the space. As for the baked goodies, I wish they tasted as good as they looked.  Here's what we tried: *Strawberry Naruto Croissant: Not as flaky as I'd hoped. Stale exterior. *Creamy Caviar Roll: Super fishy smear of mentaiko on top. Tough, chewy baguette. *Hokkaido Soft Serve: If you like White Rabbit Creamy Candy, then you're going to love this! *Royal Milk Tea: Decent. *Melon Soft Serve Float: Fun and yummy.  This seems like a popular bakery, so don't be surprised if you see a long line out the door. We waited 30 minutes in line to order and were lucky to find open seating. Note that there is a limit of 4 pastries per person!

As I arrived, I saw a line outside the door. I figured it's not like it wraps around the building or anything so I got in line. I waited about 40 minutes. I'm not going to lie. It took really loooong. The best thing I ordered was the miso bacon baguette. it was so savory that I didn't even offer to share with my husband. I usually do. Hahaha. The combo of the cheese and miso and green onion made me wish I ordered more than one! The iced hojicha tasted authentic, smoky and a little nutty. the banana pastry was just ok. The honey toast was sweet and tasted caramelized but it was a little hard and difficult to chew. The sausage pastry was ok but I'm just not a fan of marinara sauce. I didn't get to try the peach danish. I let hubby have that one. I would come back for hojicha again and to try the hokkaido soft serve in a croissant, but I wouldn't wait if the line was out the door again. it's probably best if u get there right before it opens.

Love the ambiance of this place, I actually went 2 days in a row since I wanted to bring back the curry pan on my road trip home. The line here is worth the wait because the variety of pastries,food, and drinks they offer are plentiful. I recommend the Nagoya chicken sando, very crispy when fresh and delicious. The egg salad sando was pretty light in flavor and could use a bit more. I understand the simplicity of it but probably won't order it again. Their naruto croissants were very popular as it's limited quantities per person so I got strawberry, in my opinion I wish I didn't because it's too sweet, it's definitely a pretty pastry however I won't get it again. I would definitely try to make this a stop next time I'm in SD.

The baked goods here are divine. I enjoy the unique items they have. I don't think you could go wrong with any of the food. There is a good variety of options to choose from. This place is super busy on the weekend and the line wraps around outside. They limit the amount of some specialty items you can order (like the Naruto croissant), which is smart so they don't run out for the next customer. Seating also goes really fast when they are busy so you need to get lucky to get a table. The lunch & dinner items take a while to come out when it's busy. The ambiance is bright and modern. The aesthetic is clean, but the restaurant itself wasn't very clean when I last went. There would be trash on the floor and tables wouldn't be wiped down, but it's understandable since the place is busy.

I need to visit Asa next time after I haven't already ate lunch. I enjoyed my iced hojicha latte. the food menu and baked goods looked delicious as did the Hokkaido soft serve but I wasn't very hungry. Beautiful space and staff was friendly and helpful. Lots of windows and seating at tables and counters along the window. i did grab a macadamia pastry to share with my cousin. Which was tasty but would want to try their savory items next time. Very popular space with a diverse clientele.

I'm a sucker for Japanese baked goods so when I heard this place was opening I had to try it. The bakery itself is so well built and aesthetically pleasing right off the bat. There's plenty of seating but keep in mind it does get very busy so it goes quickly. We got there 10 min before opening and there was already a short line. I got a variety of pastries to try out including the lava bread and the curry pan. The lava bread was delicious with the melted cheese and bacon bits. The bread was so fluffy and soft. My friend tried the hojicha croissant and said it was delicious! Overall a great place for some choice pastries!

Saw this cute cafe on IG and their pastries are TO DIE FOR! However, the drinks...my sister got the matcha latte hot and i got the iced version...and tbh it kind of fell short for us. The matcha powder was not properly prepared so our drinks were super grainy and I remember it being a little bit more milkier than the matcha. I wished I got a cup of coffee instead but at least I can forewarn you guys. I'm sure it's probably better now. I was in SD back in June so yep! But all the pastries we had the sweet and savories were 10/10

The atmosphere of this establishment is giving!!! The aesthetics from the ambiance to their pastries is everything I live for! You can't miss out on the everything mochi bagel when visiting here. The customer service is fast and friendly. I will be back here again next time :)

Japanese cafe and bakery that's always selling out their pastries for the day! When we arrived Sunday afternoon, there was a line outside the door. We ordered 4 pastries (curry pan, matcha croissant, bacon cheese lava, and French toast) and got a matcha latte. Their most popular item was the Naruto croissant, which they already sold out of. They also sell Japanese rice dishes like omelette and katsu. I absolutely loved their savory pastries and found their sweet ones good but not as great as the savory ones. I'm excited to come back to try more. They offer street parking, and a lot of tables inside to eat and chat. Ambience is upbeat and chatty. Not sure if it's the right study spot, but definitely inviting for a snack and hangout.