Angel Maid Bakery in West LA

Before there was Beard Papa's cream puffs (which I still have yet to try), there was a small Japanese American bakery on the west side of Los Angeles called Angel Maid Bakery.

A small hole-in-the-wall family run business, Angel Maid Bakery has been a staple in the JA west side community. Along with what was Mago's, Aloha Grocery, and the Marina Marketplace, it was also part of my own experience growing up in Los Angeles.

Nothing fancy or pretentious, you've got a down to earth bakery with all the fixings! Friendly helpers ask for your order, and there are only three parking spaces in their small lot in front of the store. (I usually try to park right in front on the street for easy access into the shop and back onto the road.)

It's funny that each time I've visited Angel Maid in the past couple of months, I have seen little old ladies and men (oba-sans and oji-sans) smiling with glee as they point to homemade breakfast danishes, cinnamon rolls, fruit tarts, and more. You have to arrive early if you want these delicious breakfast items, but not to worry because there's always plenty of good sweets to fill you up as can be seen in this picture.

But my all-time favorite at Angel Maid has got to be the chocolate dipped cream puffs. I usually buy them in a mixed box full of chocolate dipped and regular cream puffs. These little balls of sweetness conjure up nostalgic memories of my youth... I am a wide-eyed, excited girl ready to pop one in my mouth and taste the cool and light custard with a hint of chocolate... Mmm... Absolutely delicious!

As Emily P. Lawsin writes in her poem On The Unveiling of the Aloha Grocery Mural History :: Our Story...

"Something told me: this was home."

Angel Maid Bakery in West LA
Street: 4542 S Centinela Ave (in between Washington Blvd & Culver)
T: 1.310.915.2078