Paderia Bakehouse
18279 Brookhurst St. Suite 1
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
There are some places that I'm pretty glad are far away from where I live. I need that extra buffer because, to be honest, I have no willpower. Paderia is one of those places that I'm glad is not just around the corner. I have a twenty-mile barrier between me and this bakehouse, and that does my waistline just fine.
I had been hearing whispers about this modern day bakery since they opened eight months ago. People were throwing around praise like, "best cookies ever", "the malasadas are just as good as the ones in Hawaii", and "the banana pudding is the bomb." It was not until my friend and food writer for the OC Weekly, Anne Marie Panoringan told me that I had to give Paderia's cookies a try, as they were that good. I trust her as much as any other OC food influencer, so I knew when we were eating nearby we would be swinging by to pick up some of their baked goods to take home.
You should be aware of a few things when coming to Paderia. They are not open on Mondays. The rest of the week they open at either 7 or 8 am and close when they sell out, which from what I have read online is generally around 1 pm or earlier. There's also no place to sit and enjoy your goodies, so be prepared to eat them out front on the curb or tempt fate and try to make it home without ripping open the box.
Paderia was started by two local guys that have known each other since junior high and they decided to open a business together. Originally they wanted to open a meal prep company, but then it segued into a bakery, and for that, we are all thankful. They put together a great group of bakers and Paderia was off and running. The menu is not going to blow you away with its diversity. They have three specialty items, four cookies, coffee, tea, and a couple of specials offered.
We got to Paderia just before 11 on a recent Saturday and walked right in and ordered. I was a little surprised that there was no line, but there was definitely a steady stream of people coming in, and they were out of their banana pudding and their ensaymada. We ordered at the register and then waited for our items to be boxed up to be taken home. I'm happy to say that I was very good and waited to get home to try anything. Of course, I had put the box in the trunk because I know myself pretty well. Let's see if these baked goods are worth all the hype they receive.
Here's a quick overview of what we got on this trip. We got two each of their four cookies, three malasadas, and you can't see it in the picture, but we also tried one of their seasonal items, the banana bread. Let's dive deeper into the box.
Don't judge me, but this was my first experience with Malasadas ($2.50 for filled or $1.75 for plain). The last time I was in Hawaii was 1993, and I was not the foodie I am today, I mean I was just practically out of diapers. Anyways, now that I'm a little wiser, and can do a Google search, I learned that these are a Portuguese doughnut, that became popular in Hawaii when the Hawaiians needed skilled laborers to work in the sugar and pineapple fields. They got people from all over the globe to help, including some from Portugal, and they probably never left after getting a taste of the island life. They brought their cuisine with them, including the now popular malasada. The malasadas at Paderia are filled with Nutella, coconut cream, ube, or you can have it plain, which is just dusted with sugar.
Since this was my first experience with malasadas I really do not have anything to compare these to, but I did like them, especially the filled ones. They are not as greasy as regular donuts, and they seemed lighter, which would allow you to eat more of them before getting too full. The Nutella one was my favorite, but the coconut cream filled one was close behind. I liked the contrast between the dough and the fillings. Definitely, a must try if they still have some of these when you are here.
The malasadas were good, but the cookies from Paderia are what will bring us back here many times over. Quite simply, these cookies were some of the best I have had. Leading the pack is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie ($4.00). I'm a big fan of PB and chocolate, and this cookie is now one of my favorite ways to have these two things. The peanut butter is in the form of chips in this one and goes together excellently with the dark chocolate cookie. I liked the crunchy outer portion and the slightly chewy center which was the hallmark of each of these cookies. The Chocolate Walnut Cookie ($4.00) was another winner. I'm not really a fan of nuts in my cookies, but it worked out fine here. They were finely chopped and the imported Belgian chocolate really shined in this cookie. Chocolate fiends will feel the love after their first taste of the Triple Chocolate Cookie ($4.00). This rich cookie uses both milk and dark chocolate and brings to mind a swim through the chocolate river depicted in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Oatmeal Cookie ($2.25) was fine, but could not compete with the other three in my opinion. The texture was spot on, but it needed something like maybe some chocolate chips to really make it pop. Of course it just so happens that oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites. Hint, hint Paderia Bakehouse.
The only miss on this trip to Paderia was this Banana Bread ($1.50). This was one of their seasonal specials on this particular visit. I found this banana bread to be on the dry side, and the banana flavor did not really come through to me. If it wasn't for the nuts topping this it wouldn't have really tasted like anything. Disappointing, but I was still basking in the glow of the cookies.
Paderia was everything it was promised. These are the best cookies I have had up to this point. I find myself daydreaming about them frequently since we made our initial visit. I also find myself trying to come up with reasons to end up in Fountain Valley. Yes, these cookies are not cheap. Katie and I ended up spending $36 on eight cookies, the banana bread, and three malasadas. Steep, but totally worth it. The hype is justified at Paderia.
Out of five flashlights, (because the 4th largest employer in the city of Fountain Valley is SureFire, maker of milatry and commercial flashlights), five being best to zero being worst, Paderia Bakehouse gets 4 flashlights.
For more information about Paderia Bakehouse, head to their website here: https://paderiabakehouse.com/
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