The Baklava

Which does the world need more: another Godiva chocolate store, or another place to experience Mediterranean and Middle Eastern desserts? If you picked the latter, a visit to The Baklava inside The Shops at Mission Viejo should certainly be in your near-term plans: In 2023, this dessert and drink shop replaced the mall’s centrally located Godiva boutique, preserving much of its distinctive structure while replacing the expensive bonbons with various types of baklava, Turkish delight rolls, and a small menu of coffees and teas. While the drinks are basically served from premade packages – our $4.50 chai was straight out of a Tazo box – the sweets are either housemade or sourced from a good bakery, and worth checking out.

The Baklava’s left-most display cases are unsurprisingly filled with various types of baklava – multiple shapes and colors of pistachio ($3-$6) alongside one-off mini walnut ($3) and chocolate ($6) baklava pieces – plus a tray of pistachio-garnished phyllo noodle and honey kadaifi at $6 a piece. Right-side cases are filled with Turkish delight variants including single-flavor fruit or rose water gels (~$2 each) and six-piece rolls ($8) mixing various nuts, chocolate, fruits, and/or seeds: one is sesame/honey/nuts, another coconut/date/pistachios, and another pomegranate/puffed chocolate rice/pistachios. Central displays show off tea and coffee gear under a drink menu with very reasonable prices: $3.25 to $5.75.