Koko Bakery - Asian Delights

If you are looking for a bite, something sweet or just something a little bit different in Asiatown (http://www.asiatowncleveland.com), give Koko Bakery a try. Located in a small plaza at 3710 Payne Avenue, Cleveland, OH right across the street from Seoul Hot Pot, Koko provides a wide variety of choices. Set up more like a coffee shop or cafe there is an attractive little dining area and plenty of choices. Walking in you will notice a large bakery self serve display to your left. Here you can pick from a variety of sweet or savory buns (think similar to donuts or danish) at a very reasonable price ($.90 to $1.25 each). Among my favorites are the chocolate creme stick and the egg custard. These pastries show a nice balance between sweet and flavor and are rich and chewy. If you feel adventurous you can pick up a taro root or bean paste bun. The flavors and textures may be a bit different, but they are delicious and a nice change from what you would expect. For those looking on the savory side there are a number of meat based buns. The bakery cases in the counter show off the fancy pastries that Koko provides. These are some of the nicest looking delights available in the Cleveland area. Carefully prepared and arranged, they resemble the displays I saw in Vienna. Most are garnished with vivid fruit and splashes of color. Koko has a limited menu of Asian sandwiches, rice bowls and steamed buns. On this last trip down, I tried one of the steamed green vegetable buns. The greens inside of the soft bun were nicely spiced and flavorful. Finally, Koko offers a wide variety of beverages, from expresso to fruit smooties. My personal favorite is the Bubble Tea. A very sweet milk tea is flavored with your choice of flavoring, I go for the taro root as it provides a slighly less sweet flavor and a nice purple color. Served over ice with sweet tapioca pearls you get an interesting drink with sweetness, some texture and something to chew on. Give Koko a try it will give you a different perspective.