Hamada-Ya Bakery

Founded in Japan before arriving in Southern California, Hamada-Ya Bakery currently operates two Orange County stores inside Mitsuwa Marketplace supermarkets – Costa Mesa and Irvine – with largely similar offerings at each location. The most popular item is the Cream Cornet, a flaky pastry tube filled with delicious chilled milk cream or matcha green tea cream, and there are plenty of other desserts including cookies, danishes, donuts, and croissants (cream-filled strawberry, cream-topped cookie, almond, and chocolate). Prices tend to be in the $4-5 range per sweet baked item.

As is the case at Tustin’s Cream Pan and Anaheim’s Okayama Kobo, fans of Japanese savory baked goods will appreciate that Hamada-Ya also sells curry donuts – somewhat oilier versions of what’s sold in Japan as “curry pan,” panko-crusted buns with either mild or spicy beef curry inside – as well as loaves of bread in French, British, and Japanese crustless styles – thin or thick cut, white, whole wheat, or (non-alcoholic) sake bread. A special super soft Japanese bread made with Hokkaido milk, called Boloniya, is also available in small and large loaves.