Bread, Espresso & — Restaurant in Redondo Beach

This inconspicuous bakery sits underneath IShabu Shabu surrounded by lots of street parking. Dropped by around 10 AM on a drizzly Thursday morning and for a second, I thought it was closed—it looked so quiet from the outside. But the moment I stepped in, I was met with a cozy, bustling bakery, packed with customers and a team of focused workers hustling to get orders out.

There was a note on the door apologizing for running out of bread and thanking customers for their loyalty—a sign of how in-demand this place is! I almost turned around, thinking there was nothing left, but then I spotted sandwiches in the cooler. Grabbed a turkey and cheese, plus an egg salad & ham sandwich, and ordered a drip coffee to go.

Back home, I bit into the egg salad & ham sandwich and—wow—the texture of the bread was unreal! Soft, airy, with just the right amount of chew. The egg salad was chunky in the best way, the mayo tasted homemade, and the sweet ham balanced it all out. Plus there’s a surprise walnut that gives it a perfect crunch. But really, the bread was the star.

I get why some people were frustrated with the early growing pains and short supply, but honestly, selling out fast is a good problem to have. This place is a true Japanese bakery, still finding its rhythm in a new country, and the team—mostly Japanese-speaking—clearly takes pride in quality and excellent customer service.

Sure, they’re working through some kinks, but I hope people give them another shot (again, easy for me to say as a local who doesn’t need to travel far). Better to sell out than to have waste! Hopefully, as they adjust, they’ll be able to keep stock longer. Either way, I’ll...

Lately, it feels like all the famous Japanese eateries are popping up in LA, and I’m loving it. We’re getting some seriously good eats from Japan right here in California. Bread, Espresso & is one of those spots—a well-known bakery straight from Japan famous for their fluffy, soft milk breads called “Mou” (which means soft in French, apparently). I’ve tried visiting this place a bunch of times before, but every time I got there, they were either closed or sold out of bread super early. Today, I finally made it in time and got some of the last Mou breads they had left—a regular one and a red bean version.

These breads live up to the hype. They’re incredibly soft, almost like biting into a cloud. I decided to toast them just a little at home, and wow, that took it to another level—crisp on the outside, still tender inside, with this subtle sweetness that’s just perfect. The red bean one had this nice, earthy filling that paired so well with the bread’s texture. No wonder people flock here! The staff were really friendly too, which made the whole experience even better. Parking’s mostly street-side, so you might have to hunt a bit, but it’s worth it. If you’re into soft, delicious bread, this place...

[Atmosphere] The staff were all very friendly, cheerful, and efficient, creating a bright and welcoming atmosphere. I love the Omotesando location, but the Torrance store felt more spacious and comfortable to spend time in.

[Taste] We shared the “French Toast Plate”, but I think one plate per person would be just the right portion. My partner absolutely loved the sausage on top of the toast. I personally enjoyed the crispy bacon underneath as well.

The French toast itself was crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, with a perfect level of sweetness—absolutely delicious! The dish also came with a salad and granola with yogurt, making it a well-balanced meal.

[Crowd Level] We visited around 1:30PM on a Saturday. About 80% of the tables were occupied, but only one group was waiting in line, so we were able to order from the full selection of toast menus without any issues.

[Takeout] There were about five toasts available for takeout. Unfortunately, the other baked goods sold out right in front of us. It seems that they bake fresh toast at 9 AM and 1 PM, so next time, I’ll try to visit at the right time to get...