It's always a pleasure to see people at work when you're not. At the Korean Napoleon Bakery if you look over the counter crammed with cakes colorfully decorated in butter creams with greetings, wedding figures, sugar babies to celebrate every occasion imaginable, you can see the bakers in the back making the goodies.

The Korean bakery and cafe has been here for around 4 years and it feels like a family's front room. It doesn't look like one - the setting is pretty plain. But the staff behind the venture chat with their regulars and emerge from behind the counter with babies on their shoulders to help you navigate the myriad cakes sealed in cellophane for sale in the front of the shop. The problem - if there is one - is that their English is not quite up to explaining what the names of the cakes describe. But not to worry, most of them have a sampling box with toothpicks. There are steamed castella buns, sweet potato snack, snail snack (no, it's not a gastropod, it's a bun), peanut cream bun, cinnamon mantu, baby chestnut mantu and at least a dozen other intriguing individual cakes. Maderenco looks like a large Madeleine, but it's a little dry. There are a good many breads, especially those much liked by the Japanese that are taller than they are deep and look like a massively thick slice of white bread. But there's also a brioche and other loaves. In addition they make Korean smoothies and drinks.

Napoleon Bakery, 4217 Annandale Center Dr, Annandale, 703 914 1101 

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