5 tips to keep in mind when visiting

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The newly revived Helms Bakery in Culver City has everything from pints of Thrifty ice cream to freshly baked apple pie.

Since reopening last Friday, Sangyun’s quietly open daytime destination has drawn Angelenos from home and abroad to explore everything its highly anticipated bakery, restaurant, and specialty market has to offer . People love reboots, but what’s not to love about reinventing a bakery that closed over 50 years ago?

Photo: Daniel Carranza of Time Out

On my fourth day of service (which unfortunately was the day after Election Day), I stopped by with the help of Time Out videographer Danny Carranza and sampled over two dozen different types of food and drinks. Although not all fascinated me, some standout culinary establishments can compete with some of the city’s best bakeries and sandwich shops. And even where it doesn’t, it doesn’t serve as an appealing option for a breezy, casual Westside brunch.

As previously reported on Eater, the founding chef of Father’s Office and the now-closed Luxion confirmed to me directly that Helms Bakery intends to keep new items coming out of the kitchen throughout the day.

Key takeaway #1: Once the initial hype is over, you don’t necessarily have to go here early in the morning to get the good stuff. As someone who has wasted hours of my life waiting in line for overhyped spots like Fondry, Modu Cafe, and Hull Cakes (yes, I’m shading here), that’s exactly what the new Helms Bakery is all about. I think this is a characteristic of

However, sometimes the first item that arrives in the morning sells out before noon and is replaced with a slightly different item. As of this writing, most of this bakery’s delicious items aren’t available until 11am. At 11 a.m., the hot and cold deli counter opens and the “Good to Go” refrigerator and “Hot & Fresh” shelves are restocked with additional sandwiches and kimbap. Lunch is (Korean style seaweed roll). Before that, the same area offers breakfast burritos, ready-to-eat breakfast plates (scrambled eggs, biscuits, sausage, maple syrup), chia seed pudding, and yogurt parfait. However, the bakery section was well stocked with all kinds of pies, sliced cakes, cookies, and some donuts.

Photo: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out By around 9:30 a.m., the cookie corner was fully stocked.

I’m not usually the type to rush in within days of a new opening, but I think it’s rude to judge a restaurant at that point, as staff are usually still working out operational kinks. But it’s clear that readers are in on the joke with everything related to the new Helms Bakery. The brand first launched in 1931, the year before the Olympics were held in Los Angeles, then a much smaller city. Since then, the bakery’s iconic “Olympic Bread” logo has now housed several high-end furniture stores, Father’s Office and a second Pasta Sisters location, and a relatively new modern Austrian restaurant, Lustig. It looms large over its former headquarters.

Most people (myself included) are too young to remember the declining days of the delivery-based Southern California bakery, which closed in 1969, but when I was in grade school in California, I fondly remember learning about the local history behind Helms Bakery District. Culver City. Yun’s rethinking deviates from the original business model. Helms Bakery 2.0 offers gourmet yet approachable breads and other baked goods, including donuts, that don’t just deliver bread to your doorstep. Deli style lunch menu. Housewares, groceries, and groceries that make great gifts. We also have a full selection of coffee, tea, and smoothie bars made with home-roasted beans.

Photo: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out The newly reopened Helms Bakery opens at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 6th.

Key Takeaway #2: There are many different and equally interesting ways to experience the new Helms Bakery. It simply depends on your mood. Early next year, Yoon plans to open Dinette, a sit-down restaurant next door with a midcentury-inspired menu and a liquor license.

On my first visit around 9:30am, I purchased 7 different baked goods (priced from $4 to $7.50). Most of them were donuts, which I basically loved. I also bought a cup of Manos de Muger, a seasonal drip coffee. ($4). The crowd was relatively small due to the relatively early hour and post-election darkness. As of this writing, the majority of outdoor seating areas are exposed to direct sunlight and honestly could use some type of shade cover. Even in LA’s cool fall weather, the heat gradually transfers into your body as you eat.

However, what I didn’t notice until I went to the drinks bar was a small observation that you might miss if you are visiting during busy hours, especially on weekends. Key Takeaway #3: Some donuts are served at both bakery stations and drink stations, while viennoiserie (layered pastries like croissants and danishes) are only served at coffee, tea, and smoothie bars.

Photo: Patricia Kelly Yeo of Time Out Coffee, tea and smoothie bar donuts and laminated pastries.

After spending 15 minutes sampling some baked goods quickly and getting some much-needed caffeine, I left the premises to run some nearby errands and returned to meet up with Danny around 10:30am. By then, there was a short line at the deli counter, which was not yet open, even though it was Wednesday. On the cold side of the counter were several seasonal cold salads, similar to LA Grocery & Cafe in Erewhon or East Hollywood, but the ones that really got me excited were the salmon, meatloaf, fried chicken, and saucy salads. There was a warm section including chicken wings. , a rotating selection of soups, and made-to-order sandwiches like pastrami and tuna melts.

Thanks to Danny’s help, I was able to explore various packaged items without having to wait in line at the deli. Key Point #4: If you’re putting together a meal with drinks, baked goods, and hot food, you can save time by bringing a friend along. The retail store’s dizzying selection includes over 100 different bottles and cans, including premium sparkling and carbonated waters, lemonades, sodas, kombucha, and imported Asian beverages from brands such as UCC and Milkis. Beverages were included.

Key Takeaway #5: Even if you’re not eating, buying pastries, or just for the specialty grocery store, pantry, and gift selection, Helms Bakery is worth a visit. At any register, you’ll find hard-to-find chips and candy items, like macaroni-and-cheese-flavored popcorn or violet-flavored chewing gum. The centrally located Helms Bakery has an equally impressive selection of “Shopee Shop” items, both edible and non-edible. When I visited, an entire table divided into “human babies” and “fur babies” was lined with gourmet dog treats, anthropomorphic knitted vegetables, and other adorable playthings. .

Photo: Patricia Kelly Yeo One of the many tables of household and pantry items for Time Out gifts includes toys for dogs and babies.

I went back to where Danny was waiting and ordered a lunch of soup and nuts. 2 pieces of fried chicken ($8). Packaged Asian-style skinless egg salad sandwich ($12). packaged shaved mortadella sandwich ($15); Pastrami sandwich ($15) made to order. Also available a la carte are two salads ($7 each) and macaroni and cheese ($6). For the two combo plates, we chose meatloaf as our main and the day’s special, lasagna. After paying, I popped outside for a shady seat and searched for warm items on the sunny patio. Meanwhile, Danny walks in and orders a mocha ($7), black iced tea ($4), and a draft beer. Ice Oolong ($7). Within 15 minutes we were able to try all the delicious things.

Photo: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out The spreads we tried included stone fruit salad, quinoa salad, pesto pasta salad, and tomato, cucumber and feta salad.

Overall, all the food and drinks we tried were delicious. If I had to rate them individually on Time Out’s 5-star scale, considering both taste and value, most items hovered around a 4, with the lowest being closer to a 3. We also found everything to be relatively affordable when compared to other upscale local lunch options. The five items that impressed me the most are: