Find (Experimental) Breads Made With Love at Love Grains Bakery, Topwin Center

It looks as though Taiwan is taking over half of Beijing's baking business, such with the rainbow-colored pastries and hot drinks at Nestgram, the more than 20 types of bread at Zeroll, and the freshly baked goods at CBD's Taipei Story. Now, yet another Taiwanese-style bakery has made its way to Beijing, though this one sets itself apart by also drawing inspiration from other locales. 

Nestled on the first floor of Sanlitun's Topwin Center, Love Grains and Croissant Village has already gained traction as a solid supplier of bread and simple foods for the workers situated nearby. Love Grains makes delicious European-style bread – whole wheat bread with low sugar, salt, and oil – with a Japanese and Korean twist. Each bread takes four to five hours to make and comes additive- and preservative-free. For something a little different, the staff described that they add purple and brown rice to make the bread more fluffy and nourishing, which admittedly might not suit everyone's palate.

Even so, you can try each of the breads before you buy. As you walk among the shelves, you will be given suggestions by the kind and enthusiastic staff. You might need to rely on them more than you'd like, given the slightly confusing names: Mr. Saturn, 666, Angry Bird, and Coal Ball, just to name a few. The best and most efficient way to find what you're after is by telling them which flavor you prefer. One of the bestsellers, whole bread with cranberries (RMB 28), comes as a sizable 470g loaf. It's chewy, not overly sweet, and with an abundance of dried cranberries.

Cheese lovers, meanwhile, may want to opt for the "Power Cheese" loaf (力量芝士 lìliàng zhīshì, RMB 22). Its name does not lie— this bread is extremely cheesy, although it may put some fromagers off with its combination of two kinds of cheese: sweet and savory.

We got a little experimental on the way out and couldn't help but try the durian bread, which featured a strong durian flavor and a green hue thanks to the addition of matcha in the dough. A winner, for sure. The laoganma bread, however, was lacking any of the signature kick or flavor of the famous chili cooking sauce. For the more adventurous, try Love Grain's salted duck egg pastries, or their pork floss varieties – you never know, they might open up a new world of Asian tastes for you.

After you pick up your bread and pay, you can also have your loaves sliced into bite-sized pieces, just another thoughtful service that helps Love Grains stick out in the ever-growing world of Beijing's bakeries. All in all, Love Grain's care and attention is reflected in their products. Coupled with decent prices, a revolving selection, and a taste for experimentation, and you've got a bakery that's worth revisiting.

Love Grains
Daily 9am-10pm. 1-11 and 2-12, Topwin Center, Nansanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (5712 1605)
真麦粮品：朝阳区南三里屯路通盈中心一层1-11及二层2-12A

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang