Bakery Beauty

In Southern California, Smoking Tiger stands out with its Korean-inspired and global mash-up baked goods. It takes musubi in an entirely new direction with its Galbi Musubi Croissant. Buttery laminated pastry meets marinated Korean short rib and furikake, folding musubi’s flavor cues into a pastry-case favorite. This unexpected crossover shows how musubi’s core components—a savory protein, seasoned rice and nori—can be translated into new formats that expand its reach into different dayparts and menu categories. For operators, it’s a reminder that musubi isn’t limited to its classic structure; its flavor profile can serve as inspiration for bold, hybrid innovations that both surprise and delight.

Flavors on the Edge is an ongoing series that explores emerging ingredients poised to become high-impact flavor builders.