85 Degrees at Diamond Jamboree
Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center
2700 Alton Pkwy
Ste 123
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 553-8585
Diamond Jamboree is a large strip-mall shopping center in Irvine. It is a home to several Asian restaurants and an Asian Market. But the real gem of Diamond Jamboree would have to be 85 Degrees. It is a coffee shop and bakery that creates items at reasonable prices with extremely high quality. I’ve tried several of the bakery bread snacks and prepared desserts. Their menu is extensive but there are a few items that I’ve tried that are really worth talking about. Before I go into too much detail into that, it must be said that 85 Degrees is a fun place to go with your friends because it is usually buzzing with activity. There is something really enjoyable about going to a bustling place with tons of people all ordering delicious things and enjoying themselves. Oftentimes the lines are long, but they move quickly. And waiting in line and talking with your friends is good times. Also the people watching is great too.
My favorite unsweetened beverage at 85 Degrees would have to be their medium unsweetened hot black tea. This may sound like a boring drink but it is great. The quality and temperature of the tea is perfect and you don’t have to worry about a teabag. The tea is ready to go, already brewed and seeped. It makes an excellent pairing to any pastry item you may purchase because it has a clean relaxed flavor. But it doesn’t taste watery at all, and it is nice and strong. But the strength of the tea isn’t overwhelming. It takes the middle road. I love sipping the tea for extended periods of time and talking with my good friend. I can’t tell you how many enjoyable conversations I’ve had at 85 Degrees. It really takes the cake.
Speaking of cake, they serve high quality desserts at 85 Degrees. My favorite of which, is the Tiramisu. The price I pay for a Tiramisu slice yesterday is $2.80 and it is well worth it. The slice is triangular and small. But it is perfect with my black tea. The flavor is light and although it isn’t the best tiramisu I’ve had in my entire life, it is still very good. And the price is undeniable. They have other great desserts too. One that I had before was the Creme Brulee, they do a great job on the flavor of the custard. Although they don’t make the top of the dessert crispy, which is a bummer. The caramel is liquid form but it tastes great. The custard is the real prize of that dessert. It is creamy and slightly buttery.
A real winner of the cold sweet drinks at 85 Degrees is their Cold Iced Green Milk Tea. It is slightly sweet and it has a subtle flavor with little aftertaste. I love this drink, but when I order it, I need to get it in a large size because I tend to drink it very fast. The Green Milk Tea tastes different from a regular green tea. It is almost a mix between the flavor of milk, with medium strength green tea, with a hint of green tea ice cream flavor. Those tastes combined make a beverage that doesn’t last very long, regardless of size. So I only order that drink when I know I’m not going to stay and hang out very long.
A huge aspect of 85 Degrees is their Bakery Goods. These bread based items are extremely high quality and they make them all the time, and they get snatched up very quickly, so they are generally fresh. Many people have different tastes, and some of the bakery goods that have been recommended to me were way too flavorful for my specific palate. But some stick out as being tasty in particular. The first one that comes to mind in their Green Onion Bread. That is a snackable bread that has a slight onion flavor to it. It gives you onion breath tho, so watch out! Don’t forget their Milk Custard Ball, that thing is so good. The custard inside it is an ivory color and it tastes like nothing I’ve had before. The dough is amazingly soft and pliable. I’ve eaten their blueberry danish and that was out of sight! It had very fresh tasting real blueberries in it and they were in a circle. The danish itself was square shaped. That one tasted great when I brought it home and let it hang out in the fridge for a while and then ate it chilled. I once tried their “Ceasar” something bread but that had too much flavor in it and I couldn’t handle it. There was cabbage and onions and cheese on the thing. And I had to throw it out because I didn’t want to hurl. My friend that I was nuts for not liking it but I didn’t want to risk the upset stomach. You got to know your limits when eating food at an Asian Bakery, some of the snacks are hard-core. Like their Hot Dog bakery items…NO THANKS. I’m 30 years old, I don’t need to risk my life with hot dogs mixed with breaded whatever they got going on.So basically, you need to know your own limits and flavor preferences, as well as your digestive constitution before walking into the longer bakery line.
Speaking of lines, the lines at 85 Degrees are massive. So if you are afraid of people, then this place may not be for you. But if you don’t mind a little social interaction it is very fun. One thing to note is that there is a primary line where you get Bakery Items and then can order drinks. This line is in the front of the store and it is usually very long. But there is a secondary drink and desert line. Here you can order any beverage, but you can only order items from their desert case. So you won’t be able to get any bread-goods from this line. The good news is that the secondary line is at the alternate entrance to 85 Degrees at the side. This line is much much shorter.
One thing to realize is that the parking for Diamond Jamboree is usually very full. So be prepared to drive around for a space for a few minutes. This isn’t a wham-bam grab your snacks and go kind of place. This is more of an experience. Also the drivers in this lot aren’t Nascar quality so you need to stay on guard and be very careful.
85 Degrees in Diamond Jamboree in Irvine is a place that I like to go to every couple weeks or so. If I don’t go there in a couple weeks I start to miss the place. The menu is so huge that I doubt I’ll ever have enough time to try everything. People that visit 85 Degrees are of all ages, but their biggest demographic is young people. It is a hip place to go to and maybe I’ll see you there soon!
-Tyler