A Chinatown fixture on North Broadway, Phoenix Bakery has been run by the same family since 1938 and is best known across the city for its strawberry whipped-cream cake — a soft, not-too-sweet sponge that has marked birthdays and weddings for generations of Angelenos. The cases also hold almond cookies, butterfly cookies, and other Chinese-American bakery staples.
It is unpretentious and cash-friendly, with a vintage neon sign out front that is a small landmark in its own right. Worth a stop to pick up a box of cookies, or a whole cake if you have somewhere to take it.