It's so hot here in California! I've been melting everyday....
If only these Raindrop Cakes also made it rain a bit. So it wouldn't be so hot!
Sunmerry Bakery in Irvine is located in the same plaza as Shik Do Rak in Irvine! Pretty close to UCI! I used to go here when I went to UCI but never noticed this bakery...
Kevin is too tall so he has to get down on his knees to grab what he wants...
Um... say what? GREEN TEA CROISSANT?!
Of course I had to get it! The Green Tea Croissant here is actually pretty good! I warmed it up when I got home and it's soft and flaky. However, the green tea part is very... separate. You'll only taste green tea when you eat the green colored parts. The rest is buttery though!
I bought these Garlic Cheese Bombs as well! Didn't get to try it though because my mom ate them all...
Beautiful cake stoo!
Here is a list of their most popular items!
We meant to just get the green tea croissant and raindrop cakes but everything else looked so delish! So we got more!
Cristina is so smiley~!
Here is the original raindrop cake flavor! Black Sugar and Kinako (roasted soybean powder) !
What is unique here at Sunmerry Bakery is that they also have the Strawberry Raindrop cake! It's got a real strawberry placed inside the cake! And it's eaten with condensed milk and graham cracker crumbs!
Picture worthy desserts. But are they taste worthy...?!
We got thirsty so I ended up getting a Matcha Milk Tea with Salty Sea Cream!
Sunmerry Bakery has more than just Raindrop Cakes! They have so many baked goodies that look delicious! Kevin and I were going to splurge! But we just got the garlic cheese bombs and green tea croissants.
They've got savory baked goods, sweet baked goods, egg tarts, puddings, cakes and so much more! They have your typical boba drinks too such as green tea and milk teas. And of course, they have new items such as the Raindrop Cakes!
It's your typical sized bakery. You go in, grab your tongs and get the bread yo want! There are no seats inside so it's more of a go-in-n-out type of place. There aren't even tables outside nearby to sit at....
But there is a like ... seating area in the plaza itself with a dried up lake / river thing nearby Lollicup! Wish we knew about this earlier because we just stood around eating...
There are 3 types of Raindrop Cakes available:
→Original: plain flavored with black sugar and soybean powder
→Strawberry: a bit sweeter with condensed milk and graham cracker crumbs
→Mango: (not sure of details because it wasn't available at that time we went)
Raindrop Cake Verdict?
Let's just say that I would rather pay $4.50 for these than $8 at some night market. It also somehow tastes better. Will elaborate below!
The "Original" Raindrop Cake creator (although it actually originates from Japan called mizu shingen mochi....) is this guy named Darren Wong that introduced it in New York and it basically broke the internet (but why?...). He called it the Raindrop Cake and apparently it's now called that everywhere else too. He also sold it for a whopping $8 at the Brooklyn Smorgasburg which is like a daytime food festival (like a night market over here) with a variety of food vendors and booths.
I felt a bit deceived when I tried it because it didn't taste like anything. And because, I've tasted it before so it wasn't anything special. Being born in an Asian family in California, I get to enjoy the best of both worlds. This raindrop cake is basically "Thach" which is the Vietnamese word for jelly / Jell-o and is made out of Agar Agar. I paid $8 for this?! Something I have been eating all my life? And is somehow super hyped up because it's shaped like a breast implant?!
The black sugar and soybean powder did complement it well though. At least, it was the only flavors I tasted.
The intention of this dessert is for you to appreciate the taste black sugar and kinako (soybean powder) which is why the raindrop cake tastes like nothing. The Darren Wong version actually tastes very pure. It tastes like very pure spring water which is why the true stars here are the black sugar and kinako.
Sunmerry Bakery does it a little different though.
The original flavor here does not taste the same. The raindrop itself tastes less...clean? Pure? The texture is much more of a jelly-like substance. But still, it tastes like nothing. The black sugar and kinako is the entire point. They taste great together and needs to be enjoyed with the raindrop.
The Strawberry flavor is the unique flavor here! The raindrop itself does taste sweet. And it goes very well with the graham cracker crumbs and condensed milk. I really like this one!
At $4.50 a pop at Sunmerry Bakery, it doesn't really hurt your wallet that much to try. And no need to drive to the LA Smorgasburg (where traffic and parking is horrible) or fly to New York to try the $8 version!
So overall, try it Sunmerry Bakery if you get the chance! Their other baked goods are really yummy too!
Zero Degrees / Zero Express / Zero X is also serving the Raindrop Cake but they are getting it all from Sunmerry Bakery.
Check out my previous reviews about the Raindrop Cake:
Here is the address to Sunmerry Bakery:
14805 Jeffrey Rd, Irvine, CA 92618
*Same plaza as Lollicup and Shik Do Rak
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