It was a gut feeling. Or it was hunger. But I knew that I was getting closer to something tasty. As I drove west from Nashville, Music City USA, the skyscrapers of downtown disappeared and were replaced by lush, green hills. The weather was humid. And, what do you know, there were vendors selling fruit from their trucks on the side of the road! It was a scene straight out of Taiwan, also known as the land of deliciousness.
Far from the country music, the barbecue, the fried chicken, Alpha Bakery resides in the middle of a vast expense of strip malls. Underneath its off-white and slightly worn exterior is a bakery that serves some of the finest baked goodies I’ve had in Nashville (besides biscuits from Loveless). While many of the items are European in origin, there is a considerable Japanese influence. It’s apparent when you first open the door and a sweet odor fills your airways, when you see the Japanese magazines by the door, and when you see the Japanese candies and drinks by the register, but it’s not so apparent when you look at the goodies they offer. This only becomes apparent after taking the first soft and chewy bite of any of their buns; it’s sweet, but not too sweet–a hallmark of Asian-European pastries. I don’t really know why there’s an Asian bakery in the middle of Tennessee, but I’d rather eat now and ask questions later.
It takes a bit of driving to get to Alpha Bakery, so it’s best to stock up when you go. I came away with enough bread for a week or two, given that it doesn’t mold too fast: a loaf of glazed alpha fan, two curry pans, a melon pan, a cream pan, and a slice of cheesecake.
The alpha fan I bought was glazed with a light apricot sauce. I couldn’t really taste it, but it’s probably because I loaded up each toasted slice with honey-sweet peach preserves from Loveless. The outside has the flaky texture of a croissant, and its insides are equally croissant-y and airy, but are also dense enough to support spreads. Not quite the Asian-style toast I’m used to, but it’s a solid purchase that won’t disappoint.
The melon pan is aptly named because it looks like a melon, not because it tastes like one. The outside crust is a bit crispy–from both the baking process and some sugar granules–but the inside is doughy and a little sweet. Microwaving it for 10 seconds to make it soft and warm may make my belly even happier.
The cream bun is soft and has the same soft and doughy texture, but is filled with a thick egg-tasting cream. It reminds me of Chinese or Portuguese egg tart filling in a bun. Also quite good if microwaved.
The curry pan is covered in what I think is panko flakes and filled with a curried beef mixture. The filling doesn’t quite taste like Japanese curry, which usually has some touches of sweetness from honey or fruit; it actually tastes like curry-spiced meat. The outside is also extremely greasy for something that looked baked. It’s good, but the prospect of eating something that looks more oily than fried chicken, but not as tasty, is just a tad disturbing.
The cheesecake was overpriced for such a small price. I think it was supposed to be New York cheesecake, but I don’t like the stiffness in New York style cheesecakes. It also wasn’t as sweet as I expected to be but that can be good or bad, depending on your preference. This left me with a “Meh.”
It’s getting to that time in the school year when I gotta move back into the library so I won’t be able to visit Alpha Bakery as often, but that just means that I’ll have to stock up even more when I do get the opportunity to visit.
Alpha Bakery 7120 Highway 70 S Nashville, TN (615) 673-8168
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