Okayama Kobo Brings Japanese Charm and Bakery Know-how to Anaheim

A journey that began thirty-three years ago in Osaka, Japan continues in the heart of Center City, Anaheim. Japanese bakery Okayama Kobo’s parent company took three years to find the right location, its first outside of Japan.

Vice President Rocky Yoneyama’s aim was to introduce a café with over two hundred stores in Japan to the U.S. consumer. It was a bit of a risk, but one that so far, seems to be paying off as a steady stream of customers line up at the counter each morning for the pastry shop’s array of treats. All of Okayama Kobo’s baked goods are made with its proprietary Hokkaido flour. Additive and preservative free, bread made from the dough is baked fresh daily.

The name Okayama comes from the chain’s second bakery. Okayama is a picturesque town and the capital of the Bizen province, which not so coincidentally is the name of the cozy beer bar next door: a sister store to the bakery. “Kobo” means workshop, which fits the behind-the-scenes look at the bread-making process you receive upon walking in.

Rocky hired a Japanese-based designer to create a modern yet homey feel. Natural wood tables add to a warm, family-friendly vibe. The aesthetic extends next door to the brewpub—you can easily cross from one to the other, cozying up in either space. Groundwork Coffee is featured on a drink menu that includes kombucha, nitro cold brew and assorted teas.

With over 500 rotating recipes, delectable treats on display range from more familiar like Sunrise (plain or matcha), a soft dough covered in a thin layer of cookie crust, to savory treats like the popular Japanese beef-filled Curry Pan, to satisfying sandwiches served on Japanese-style hotdog buns such as the Yakisoba Coppe, made with traditional fried noodles with sausage and ginger.

By far, the best-selling item is the minimally perfect Salt and Butter roll. “Once they tried it, they got hooked to it.” Yoneyama says about the soft style bread unfamiliar to many Americans. He often sees the same customers on a daily basis.

“We wanted to get into marketing where it was an average demographic in the U.S.”, Yoneyama says about the shop’s location, about a block from Muzeo. “And it’s right in front of City Hall, so we were able to think about connecting with the city.”

He didn’t waste any time making that connection. Rocky is working with the city to organize Anaheim’s first ever Japan Fair taking place on Saturday, May 25th. With free admission, it will feature food, entertainment, merchandise and cosplay. Rocky assures us Okayama Kobo will make its delicious presence known as well.

Aside from the Japan Fair, he created a special event for Bizen Beer Bar on March 16th where you can sip imported Japanese and locally brewed beer for $5 while enjoying the feats of a troupe of four to five authentic samurai performers. “And…you can drink with them!” he says. We can’t wait!