228 onions with a sting, sweet corn kernels and perfectly soft-boiled eggs. Origami also sells a smattering of fried appetizers, Japanese curries, rice bowls and sweet drinks, and it’s cute as a button inside thanks to an eye- catching origami light fixture and walls plastered with anime stickers. 22222 B EST D I M S U M Great Wall 3446 W. Camelback Road, #155 602-973-1112 greatwallcuisineaz.com Make sure to skip breakfast before showing up to Great Wall for dim sum. The west Valley restaurant has an extensive menu that often tempts us to over-ordering — and over- eating. The dim sum comes in three price tiers: small, medium and large/special, and there are treasures to be found at every level. We love the shrimp shumai (the biggest we’ve ever seen), the spareribs with black bean and the crispy roast duck. There are dishes for adventurous eaters (think chicken feet and tripe with ginger and scallion) and for those who like tried-and-true Chinese dishes, such as salt and pepper chicken wings and barbecue pork buns. It all passes by your table in the large dining area. Bring a group to try more dishes, but be advised that although dim sum is served every day, some items are only available on the weekends. 22222 B EST D U M P L I N G S Happy Bao’s 66 S. Dobson Road, #112, Mesa 480-912-1207 happybaos.com The dining options inside Mekong Plaza frequently change. But Happy Bao’s stands strong, continuing to serve the Valley’s best dumplings year after year. These handmade, slightly irregularly shaped parcels are as delicious as they are unique. The chefs at this small restaurant share recipes from northern China and make excellent noodle and rice dishes along with fluffy buns and soup-filled xiao long bao. But the signature dumplings, stuffed with pork, chives, eggs and shrimp, are our go-to. They have a slightly thicker skin than many varieties, giving them a super-satisfying chew. They also come in pork and chicken flavors or in a combo of 20 for the perfect dumpling feast. 22222 B EST B R I T I S H BA K E RY The Great Gadsby 1030 S. Gilbert Town Square Ave., Gilbert 480-244-4727 greatgadsbybakery.com Millionaire’s shortbread, sticky toffee pudding and custard trifles, oh my! Any British expat will feel their heart flutter at the mention of such delights. And these hard-to-find treats can all be bought at The Great Gadsby, a small but mighty bakery in Gilbert. Stop in for a savory, flaky, buttery sausage roll, and you’ll inevitably leave with a box full of goodies to enjoy later. This bakery has been serving a blend of British baked goods with a little French patisserie influence and a dash of American cooking since it opened in 2017. Popular items do sell out, so we recommend stopping in early, or placing an online order if you’ve got some- thing really specific in mind. Otherwise, drop by and see what treats you might find in the case. 22222 B E ST PAST R I E S JL Patisserie 4700 N. Central Ave., #121 480-859-4459 7342 E. Shea Blvd., #108, Scottsdale 480-859-4459 jlpatisserie.com Whether you’re seeking a fresh-baked flaky pastry on the go or want to sit down and savor it with a cup of coffee, JL Patisserie should be your go-to spot. It offers several varieties and even a few to take home and cook yourself. A croissant with smoked ham and Swiss cheese is the perfect way to ease into a Saturday morning. Or, finish off brunch or one of its weekend specials with the sweetness of a chocolate coconut pecan scone. Scottsdale is the flagship location, opening nearly a year before the central Phoenix spot took over the space of an ice cream shop in December 2019. The display case is filled with what seems like endless options — savory or sweet. And what French cafe is complete without an offering of maca- rons? JL Patisserie offers 13, from Earl Grey and rose lychee to more standard fare like strawberry, lemon and vanilla. Do yourself a favor and spend a morning exploring what this cafe has to offer. 22222 B E ST B R E A D Nice Buns nicebunsbakery.com Chef-turned-baker Mark Bookhamer has crafted crispy, crackly baguettes, squeezable milk bread buns and more for chefs around town since 2021 under the name Nice Buns Bakery. Although he sells directly to restau- rants, there’s no need to fret about finding Bookhamer’s breads. Made from local small- batch grains from Hayden Flour Mills, Bookhamer’s baked goods are featured on menus around the Valley. You can sample his pretzels and sesame buns at Wren Sudhalle in Ahwatukee; try one of Underbelly Meat Co.’s rotating sandwiches on one of Bookhamer’s buns, baguettes or ciabatta; or tuck into pan con tomate at wine bar Kid Sister. A thick slab of Bookhamer’s country loaf soaks up its juicy, smoky, garlicky tomato topper. Follow the bakery on social media @nice_buns_bakery, where Bookhamer will often share the latest spots serving his carby delights. 22222 B E ST BAG E LS Bagel Man 5035 E. Elliot Road 480-705-9999 We’re about 2,500 miles from New York City, where a good bagel is easy to find. Here in Phoenix, you have to drive past a staggering number of chain bagel shops and mediocre bakeries to find a bagel that’s worth its salt (or garlic, or poppy seed). The Bagel Man in Ahwatukee is where we go for a truly excel- lent bagel. Owner Kal Salih opened his first bagel shop in New Jersey in 1994, and he’s got the formula down pat: Use water filtered and softened to replicate East Coast H20, make the dough in-house, make them nice and big, then boil them to perfection. The results are massive bagels with a nice crisp exterior and a tender interior. You can get them in the form of a breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese and a selection of meats, but we like them best done simply: with just a schmear of cream cheese, allowing the bagel to be the star of our morning. 22222 B E ST C O O K I E S Urban Cookies Bakeshop 2325 N. Seventh St. 8776 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, #108 602-451-4335 urbancookies.com You can smell the carbs as soon as you open the door to Urban Cookies, so take a deep whiff of baked goods as you walk inside the tiny retail store. There’s just enough room to lean in for a closer look at the nearly dozen cookie options, which include a Prickly Pear Saguaro sugar cookie, because Arizona. These treats are not of the grocery store variety. They are sizable — with mere mortals needing both hands to hold on before taking a bite — and they are baked fresh every morning in both the Phoenix and Scottsdale stores. If your sweet tooth is more fixated on cupcakes, pick from among a dozen everyday flavors and occasional specials. This bakery also offers dessert bars, iced cookies and cakes. They’ve been curing sugar cravings since 2005. 22222 B E ST B R E A K FAST SA N DW I C H Berdena’s 7051 E. Fifth St., Scottsdale 480-256-1403 berdenas.com A popular, stylish Old Town Scottsdale coffee shop would seem the least likely place to find an excellent no-nonsense breakfast sand- wich. This is a neighborhood that thrives on showy fluff, after all. But the breakfast sand- wich at Berdena’s is a stone cold killer that works so well because every element is handled with precision and care. Thick slices of ham get a little sizzle on the griddle, cheddar melts over a fried egg with a gorgeous lacy edge, a handful of crisp arugula joins a perfectly seasoned slice of tomato, and all of it is piled inside of a soft, eggy brioche bun. A subtle smear of chipotle aioli is as wild and crazy as this sandwich gets, but unlike so
