Starbucks of Taiwan Arrives in OC

It’s one thing to be popular, it’s another to be downright cult-like. And that’s the way it is over at 85C, the bakery’s U.S flagship location in Irvine.

In Taiwan, 85C is as ubiquitous as Starbucks (so we hear). It’s a coffee and bakery chain, named for the degree at which coffee is brewed.

85C is known for its black squid-ink bread, taro root bread, everyone’s favorite milk bread, blueberry cream cheese that fans swoon over, delicious blueberry brioche, brick toast, mini-cheesecakes and much more. And don’t forget to try its no-one-does-it-better (or maybe we don’t just know anyone who does it at all) Sea Salt Coffee. The coffee drink is unusual, but delicious. It’s sweet and the cream is whipped with sea salt and doused on top.

And 85C has plenty of other drinks worth mentioning: smoothies, slushies, espresso drink, and teas (add bobo or coffee jelly for an additional 50 cents). Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon.–Thurs.; 7 a.m. to mid. Fri.–Sat.; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sun. Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center at 2700 Alton Parkway, Suite in Irvine. 949.553.8585.