85C Bakery Cafe Debuts at Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks

85C Bakery Cafe is a Taiwanese baked goods juggernaut that has an amazing growth story. The company launched in 2004, expanded to Southern California in 2008 and now operates 50 locations across the country. Their 50th outpost recently debuted at Westfield Fashion Square mall in Sherman Oaks, serving a staggering array of pastries, breads and beverages.

A U-shaped corridor of self-serve pastry cases starts with stacks of trays and racks of tongs. Customers grab one of each and stack baked goods as high they like. In total, 85C Bakery Cafe cases hold more than 120 styles of flavored breads, pastries and rolls.

A refrigerated display case around the bend houses options like Black Forest cake, taro snow cake garnished with purple taro macarons, and fresh fruit cheesecake piled with scored mango, sliced apple and strawberries.

I bought four items totaling less than $9: a butter-brushed “butterhorn” roll studded with sesame seeds; a coffee milk butter roll studded with chocolate chips; coiled mango bread drizzled with glaze; and an oozing milk pudding roll sporting a spiral pattern.

The business name refers to 85º Celsius, the “perfect temperature” to brew espresso. Coffee is certainly a focus in Sherman Oaks. Behind the bar, baristas pull shots on a modern three-group La Marzocco espresso machine. They craft more than 40 different beverages, including signature drinks like iced tea topped with sea salt cream. Boba is another Taiwanese culinary tradition, and those bouncy tapioca balls appear in milk teas. Frozen marble taro shakes, mango slushes and passion fruit green tea are other top sellers.

85C Bakery Cafe is located on the mall’s ground floor at the south entrance closer to Macy’s. The open, inviting space touts brick and wood panel walls, an LED beverage menu, several tables and a small patio. Most people grab their pastries and drinks to go, but 85C Bakery Cafe is certainly a pleasant place to sit and work or socialize.

14006 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, 818-501-8585