The city is well known for its diverse multicultural background, which is reflected in its eclectic food scene, where institutions like Musso & Frank (once frequented by stars of Hollywood’s golden era) sit alongside the recently designated cultural historic monument, King Taco.
A part of this mix is the legendary Phoenix Bakery, founded in 1938 and widely considered the oldest bakery in Los Angeles still in operation. The business has remained family-run for 88 years, and this May it adds a new chapter to its story by joining the lineup of the LA Bakery Walk, a curated 13.1-mile pastry crawl across some of the city’s best shops.
Phoenix Bakery, the oldest in L.A.
Phoenix Bakery began on Broadway before moving to Central Plaza and later settling into its current Chinatown location in 1977. Its legacy was shaped in the 1940s when Lun F. Chan, trained in Hong Kong, became head baker and helped define the bakery’s identity for decades to come.
In the 1970s, he created the signature Phoenix cake, a strawberry whipped-cream dessert that became a staple for birthdays and family celebrations across generations of Angelenos. Alongside this Western-style favorite, the bakery preserved its traditional Chinese pastry heritage, continuing to craft mooncakes with wooden molds and imported duck eggs.
Over the decades, Phoenix gradually expanded its repertoire, adding everything from almond cookies and chocolate éclairs to baklava and tres leches cake. Today, it remains a multi-generational family business and is considered eligible for designation as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
How to join the LA Bakery Walk
This one-of-a-kind event is far from a traditional race… Instead of competing for a place on the podium, participants stroll through the city exploring the best bakeries at stops along a 13.1-mile route, and receive a featured pastry directly outside each shop.
This year marks LA Bakery Walk’s third edition and features an expanded lineup including Concerto Bakery, Yori, Maury’s, Valerie, Café Knotted, Baker’s Bench, and Phoenix Bakery, of course.
With a capped number of entries and a lottery-based registration system, the event is one of Los Angeles’ more unusual and in-demand experiences for foodies.