Cream Pan has been a popular Japanese bakery in Tustin since 2002. As a result, this year, the owners were able to buy the adjacent strip mall space, dubbing it Japonaise Bakery & Café. The original Cream Pan space still churns out pastries. There’s always a line, and favorite baked goods are known to sell out by noon. Arrive early, since some pastries qualify as required eating.
Be mindful. Further down the line, the counter holds various onigiri, including a new variety of grilled rice ball, filled with shrimp tempura. You’ll also find a refrigerated case containing some of the shop’s signature items, including open-faced strawberry croissants, the namesake cream pans (cream puffs), along with culinary oddities like croquette and yakisoba sandwiches.
My only quibble: strawberries are well out of season, and the discs had no flavor. In the summer, when strawberries are at their peak, the croissant is bound to be even better.
The only pastry that wasn’t terrific was the ham and cheese croissant. Out of the oven, the cheese probably would have been pliable and the oils would have seeped into the flaky pastry. Since it was sitting on the counter, the cheese had a chance to congeal.
Japonaise (a.k.a. Cream Pan) certainly delivered some of the best baked goods in Southern California, and the bakery will be a regular stop on my frequent Orange County eating forays.
Blog Comments
Joshua Lurie
December 26, 2008 at 3:02 PM
The pastries were pretty special at Japonaise. It’s worth a trip to Orange County just to experience their strawberry croissant, sweet potato pastry and kinako donut. Even better, Little Saigon is only 10 minutes away and jam-packed with interesting Vietnamese restaurants. Might as well combine the two.
Teenage Glutster
December 26, 2008 at 12:55 PM
kinako soy bean flour?!
wow.