JSLALALAND

THE HUNGRY HOURS

The LA bakery map | Why do you have to get up early for bread in LA?

In Taipei you can still grab fresh scallion bread at 8 p.m.; in LA the good croissants are gone by 10 a.m. One bakery per page: the story, how to eat it, what time to show up so you actually get some, and the one I always walk to after Pause.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. 01 | 8 words at the bread counter

    Sourdough is naturally leavened, and levain is the starter the bakery keeps going; a kouign-amann has a crisp layer of sugar on the outside; for soft bread, look for milk bread; a concha is a bit like a pineapple bun.

  2. 02 | Why go early?

    Lots of bakeries bake once in the morning and that's it when it's gone, and République doesn't restock pastries during the day; some limit how many you can buy or are only open a few days a week, and at Fondry you can preorder a box. Whatever you're craving, make it your first stop of the morning.

  3. 03｜République

    A building Charlie Chaplin had built in 1928, formerly Campanile and La Brea Bakery, one of the starting points of LA sourdough. Croissants, baguettes, a quiche that changes daily; get there early on weekends.

  4. 04｜Gjusta

    Venice's busiest bread counter: baklava croissants, pistachio croissants, olive bread. No parking lot; dining in adds a 20% service charge and takeout 15%, so no separate tip needed; go before noon for the full selection.

  5. 05｜Jyan Isaac Bread

    He used to be a baker at Gjusta, sold sourdough from his home kitchen at 19, and in 2021 moved into a former pizza shop in Santa Monica. Marbled rye sourdough, huckleberry scones; no seating.

  6. 06｜Clark Street

    From a stall at the Melrose farmers market to Angelenos' everyday bread. Cardamom buns and Danish rye; to sit down, go to Clark Street Diner; every location has different hours.

  7. 07｜Tartine Sycamore

    Sourdough from San Francisco, on the same street as Pause, a one-minute walk. After Pause I swing by for some bread to take home; The Infatuation especially recommends the ham and Gruyère croissant.

  8. 08｜Lodge Bread、Friends & Family

    Lodge Bread, with natural fermentation and organic grains, is the Westside's everyday sourdough; Friends & Family in East Hollywood uses heritage whole grains, and The Infatuation ranked its croissant number one in 2025.

  9. 09｜Fondry

    From the same people as Kumquat, and the line on York Blvd often wraps around the corner. The kouign-amann has just a sprinkle of sugar on each layer; you can preorder a box, and it usually sells out by afternoon. 'Line up early.'

  10. 10 | Two worth the drive

    Bub and Grandma's in Glassell Park started out wholesale and does BG Nites on weekend evenings; Gusto Bread in Long Beach started with a backyard earth oven and makes Mexican pan dulce and nixtamal bread.

  11. 11 | Taiwanese flavors and Asian bakeries in LA

    Miopane's maple scallion croissant sells out every time; Okayama Kobo has curry bread, Harucake does minimalist Korean cakes, and Sunny Bakery in the SGV has pork floss buns. 'For soft bread, just drive east.'

  12. 12 | New in 2026

    Santa Monica got three at once: Matilda's by the airport, Petitpain … et Chocolat from Petitgrain's chef, and Louma, which offers baking training to employees with disabilities; plus Dusu in Temple City.

  13. 14 | Four bread routes

    Westside: Petitgrain → Jyan Isaac → Gjusta. Eastside: be at Fondry when it opens → Bub and Grandma's → Friends & Family. Homesick: Miopane → the SGV. Mine: Pause → Sightglass → Tartine.

  14. 15 | Two-city mirror

    Taipei's bread is soft and sweet, with scallions and pork floss, and there's fresh-baked bread even at night; LA's bread is hard and sour, and needs a starter fed. 'In Taipei, you buy bread on the way; in LA, you get up early for it.'

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).