Old Traditions turn a new leaf

By Mario P

California Bakehouse is a shop that started in the early 1900s. Initially a hobby, Kevin Lam's mother baked for the family, but after encouragement, she decided to sell her goods. In Vietnam, Kevin's mother had 2 stores that went under different names, and eventually when she and her family moved to America, they opened up the California Bakehouse.

The Bakehouse runs on a made-to-order-style business. Every day they make the fresh bulk of their goods, such as their famous green pandan waffle. The more expensive and more extensive goods are made only after orders are placed, allowing minimal waste and less food thrown out.

Kevin: “Before Covid, we only did walk-in’s but when the pandemic started, our customers dropped, so we started to do online orders which helped ease it out. After the pandemic, we were actually doing better than before.”

The California Bakehouse is located at Little Saigon plaza on San Jose Story Rd, from 12:00-6:00 pm. It has excellent foot traffic, is near the Grand Century mall, and is a trendy spot during festivals.

Kevin: “During important festivals such as Tet (Lunar New Year), we easily go through hundreds of Green Waffles and get overwhelmed on orders.”

The Bakehouse is also a hotspot for many students at the nearby schools, with Vietnam Town being the closest plaza next to them. Kevin says that a majority of their customers are teenagers.

The Green Waffle is the shop's signature staple and most popular item. It is a batter made with pandan leaves, a common and abundant plant found in Southeast Asia, giving it a fragrant, sweet, and earthy flavor as well as its iconic green look. The Bakehouse offers more goods than just their pandan pastries. Some of their other popular products are pork dumplings, guava mochi, and durian egg tarts.

The Bakehouse has been around the area since 1993, starting as a small shop by the entrance of the Grand Century mall, which later would close and be relocated outside the mall into a bigger store in 2020. At first, there was a decrease in customers due to this change since the news was less widespread.

Kevin: “When we closed the old location, we tried to tell as many people as we could, but it was hard because we didn't really have a big social media presence. We were only able to tell people from word on the street.”

However, with the new and bigger space, they've been able to work more efficiently, now taking mobile orders as well. 

Kevin says they plan to expand the business and open more locations, like the one that recently opened in San Francisco, CA. They’re also experimenting with new recipes to add to their menu and keep up with the latest trends.

Whether you're tired after a long day from school or work, or just want to satisfy your sweet tooth, the California Bakehouse will always be around the corner.

For the Warrior Times, this is Mario Perez.