Pumpkin bun at the Diamond Bakery

Every crumb is handled with care at the Diamond Bakery, located at the Artesia Oasis Plaza in the city of Artesia. Settled in a neighborhood with a wide variety of Asian cultures, including Chinese, Korean and Indian, the Diamond Bakery specializes predominantly in wedding cakes.

The bakery, sweet and modest in its pastel pink decor, lacks the aroma that one might expect. This is because nearly every confection is individually wrapped in maroon striped plastic and windmill-patterned paper. The rows upon rows of bread, buns and pastries shine under bright lights like a miniature art gallery.

The selection is astounding, especially for buns. There are pineapple buns, pizza buns, cocktail buns and more. They’re like snowflakes: each one is unique. The pumpkin bun, which is missing from the Diamond Bakery’s online menu, is paler than the others buns, resembling an uncooked pie with a pot belly.  Its surface is smooth with the occasional seed sprinkled on top.

I was surprised by how moist the bun’s bottom felt after freeing it from its elegant wrapper, giving only a faint sent of pumpkin. The first bite is chewy and sweet with something of a powdery texture. However, as I made my way to the center, I was greeted into a dark chasm of pumpkin filling.

As the name suggests, pumpkin bun is a sort of sugary pumpkin pie. However, not every bun might be as predictable as the last.