I got the sesame balls after an hour long swim and scarfed them down immediately. So yummy. read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

They place had alot of baked goods to offer so I figured I would try the popular egg and milk tarts which were pretty good. The BBQ pork bun was mostly bread/puff bun and the pork was fatty and not flavorful at all. But if you go definitely get an egg tart ! read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Egg tart and a milk tart - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Definitely the standard local Chinese bakery in Chinatown, my family stops by this bakery whenever we're in the area. Absolutely loooove the Hong Kong style egg tart from there. The crust is has multiple layers and very flaky. Big portion sizes. The egg custard center is veryyy satisfying. Better to go earlier in the day versus later, Chinatown bustle dwindles down and most businesses in the area close around 4 pm. Better to have cash on hand. read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Hong Kong style egg tarts - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

I will literally drive to San Francisco just to come to AA Bakery. This bakery makes the *best* Baked BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao). The meat filling is pretty abundant given the low price ($2 ish) and its flavor is on point. Not too saucy or sweet, just right. The baked topping is delicious and adds a sweet, crunchy texture to the otherwise soft and fluffy bun. I buy like 6 of these every time to last the week for the family. I've also tried their pineapple bun and sachima. I would recommend the pineapple bun (named for the decorative pattern on top, not for flavor btw) but not so much the sachima. The fresh sachima baked here wasn't that different from the packaged ones in the grocery stores. Make sure to bring cash and be prepared to find street parking or walk a few blocks to get here. The line can be somewhat long at times. read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

This was the best chicken pot pie I have ever had. I'm so upset I only got one and have already been planning to go back to China town JUST FOR THE CHICKEN POT PIE!!! I'm writing the review a few months later but I can still taste and feel the texture of the bread. Super dense and perfectly sweet. The filling was great too but the bread, the bread was something else. I was shook after I took my first bite I didn't want it to end. I was begging my friend to take us back. But we were already so far away. The bakery had a bit of a line. I also had the cheesecake (I don't like Asian cheesecakes though they're too fluffy and not sweet). 100% get the chicken pot pie, maybe even 3 or 4. read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Chicken pot pie - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Pineapple custard roll was to die for!! Anyone visiting must try it! Great china town visitor experience read more

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AA still has the best Egg Tarts that I've ever eaten and boy have I tried a whole lot!! The custard is sweet without being overpowering and the crust is still flaky, buttery and just plain delicious!! I don't know if I'm an Oddball but I love mine warm (chefs kiss) Their pineapple buns are also Bomb!! Every time I come to San Francisco I grab a bunch of egg tarts to take home and try something new! Definitely a must try when you're visiting!! read more

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Came here around 7:30am for some pastries and there were already trays of freshly baked pastries! Egg tarts and pineapple buns and more. Love that they start early, it makes for a quick grab and go, no wait! The egg tarts were delicious- super flaky and jiggly inside. Come Again? Yes! Not committed to this place though since there are so many good bakeries in Chinatown but this one definitely seems reliable! read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - @eatingsfrom egg tart - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

SF has so many famous bakeries, but I always find myself coming back to AA for their egg tarts! I've tried my fair share of egg tarts from restaurants and bakeries, but I'd say that AA is definitely top tier for their quality and price point ($2/each when I last visited). The crust is flaky and there's a decent amount of delicious egg filling to leave you satisfied. And of course, it isn't too sweet. A must try if you ever visit the area! read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Egg tart - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Stopped into AA bakery & cafe on a whim and decided on 2 mango cakes and a Japanese cheese cake. Loved the mango cake. Japanese cheese cake was good not great. Want to come back and try more cheap pastries! read more

very thick crust, and the egg custard was on the sweeter side. $5 min for credit card so we paid with cash ($2). they sell plenty of other old-school chinese breads/pastries/biscuits! read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - egg tart - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Our go to bakery place in Chinatown for all good sweet things. Been coming to this place for decades. It's a local gem and a no frill place. Just look for the large red sign and a line on weekends. There's some seating area on the inside, but most people take out. Local and also touristy place that's really well known. It's cash only and they do charge for boxes and or bags so keep that in mind or bring your own. Have your orders ready or point to what you want because it could get hectic and the people gathering your stuff are straight forward and normally in a rush to get to the next people in line. Prices have gone up over the years, but the quality seems to stay consistently good. Language is sometimes barrier but they normally type your total into a calculator and just turn it around and show you. Some highlights to order are the char siu baked bun, pineapple coconut filled bun, peanut coconut mochi, and hot nai cha. Highly recommend if you're looking for a good authentic Asian bakery in Chinatown! Everything is made fresh and good quality. Noticed that over the years the fillings have gotten less & less but that's to be expected. read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Char siu baked bun, peanut mochi, pineapple bun w shredded coconut - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

I happened to be in the area a while back and decided to stop in. It was pretty popular, with a decently sized line ahead of me even in the afternoon, but I guess probably some of it was tourists wandering around Chinatown. They had a decently sized selection with some types of buns I haven't really seen in other Chinese bakeries I've visited. I decided to get two pineapple buns, a Chinese Mexican bun (I assume it is named such because it takes some kind of cues from pan dulce), and a pineapple custard bun. I paid with credit card so it came out to $3.80, but I think it would've been closer to $3.50 had I paid in cash. All of the breads were great! The Chinese Mexican bun has more of a lighter appearance in both color and the visual of the texture on the outside. As with most pineapple buns, the outer layers of the pineapple buns will crumble a bit when you eat them, so be careful if you don't want crumbs on yourself. I thought they were pretty good and I'd come back because I love large selections to choose from, but I don't think all items had prices marked. read more

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It's a charming place. Very canto bakery. I think unlimited milk tea for 3.50. As pineapple bun dry custard connoisseur, this it the wettest dry custard bun I've ever had. Though I think the bread is all wrong for the curry bun, the filling was pretty delicious. 1.75 seems a reasonable price for those buns, compared to over $2 at other places. read more

SO good! Randomly stopped in here and picked up a pork floss bun and a chive twist bun - still warm and absolutely delicious. Bring cash to avoid credit card fee read more

After meeting Chef Martin Yan at Hon's Wun Tun, he sent me to AA Bakery for dessert. It had a line and what seemed like regulars hanging out in back tables. The egg tarts are more eggy and less vanilla flavored than typical. I found myself liking the eggy flavor. I ate it so quickly, i forgot to take pic. Watch out for the nice old ladies cutting in line. They old and quick at ordering so it is all good! read more

You can find the best egg tarts here than at any other bakery in Chinatown. I bought a few from various bakeries in the area and AA Bakery's come out on top! They are super custardy and is so smooth on the tongue. The crust is so buttery and flakey. And most importantly, not DRY! We had some leftover to take home and PRO TIP: heat them up in the air fryer (or toaster oven) for a few minutes and your house will smell like heaven!! ahhhh just thinking about this makes me wish I had some more. Cash only and service is fast. I actually asked for 2 boxes of 6 egg tarts (12 total) but the lady packed 3 boxes. I didn't really mind buying extra, but just a note about the language/communication barrier. I want to try their pineapple buns (or any of their buns) next time since they have assorted fillings. The pineapple custard bun sounds amazing! read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Egg Tarts - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

We came across AA bakery on our search for something sweet. I'm glad we found this place! It is a bit small but they have so much to offer. The back wall is lined with packaged baked goods and the counter has a variety of pastries, cakes, and breads. I opted for a slice of the fruit cake which consisted of white sheet cake layered with white frosting and fruit. The bread and the frosting were not very sweet which allowed the flavors of the fruit to stand out. The cake contained honeydew which I haven't had on a cake before but it was delicious!! My only critique is that the cake does run a bit on the dry side, but the frosting and fruit make up for it. The women working the counter were super sweet and helpful, I will definitely visit again! read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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One of the three top bakeries in Chinatown of San Francisco you should visit. I'm sure I don't have to say a million times that their egg tart is sooooooo good! I actually did not know about until I've been googling around to plan a food trip. Luckily my fiancé and I stayed very close to central city area so I had so many egg tarts during our trip. Bring your cash because the line moves real fast :) super thumbs up! read more

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This may be one of my top egg tart places. I loved the flaky nature of the egg tart! It had a perfectly sweet custard and the pastry was just so flaky and delicious. I wanted to have more of these. :) The line can be long. They have a wide selection of other breads and desserts. I definitely recommend checking this out after a meal! read more

Omg when I say this is the best Chinese Bakery in all of Northern California, the best and freshest pork buns i personally have ever tried, the cashier was so sweet and helpful and understanding that I had to park in a quick parking and she helped me right away the price is very affordable and the shop even has a little seating area to enjoy your coffee and enjoy your food, the love the authentic ambiance of not only the restaurant but the location in whole, I love them can't wait till i have time cause trust me I'm coming back read more

Amazing, beyond amazing. Whenever we go to Chinatown we always visit. My husband had the egg tart and I had the mango bomb. Delicious and fresh. read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

The BEST egg tarts!! At $2 a piece, they were such a great deal considering their size (bigger than other ones I've had) and quality. It had the perfect soft and flaky crust, which was paired with the most smooth and tender filling. Also got the curry beef bun, which was ok - flavor was on the milder side; and the pineapple custard bun, which was solid - liked that it wasn't overly sweet. Both were very affordable, under $2 each. This place also accepts card payments (with a $5 minimum and a small (I think ~4%) fee)! read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Top: Pineapple Custard Bun Bottom: Curry Beef Bun - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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One of my favorite bakeries in Chinatown! Whether you like cakes, breads, baos, sesame balls, hot dog buns and more - this spot is it! What we enjoy ordering here include: - Sesame Balls (fried and delicious, great filling inside that's not too sweet) - BBQ Pork Buns - Pineapple Buns - Egg Tarts - Pineapple Custard Buns - TARO BUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!! are a MUST!!! - Hot Dog Buns (my kids love it) - Scallion Buns - Moon cakes Get in line - the queue can be a bit long during rush hour - but the ladies try to be fast! read more

Cute bakery shop with lots of yummy pastries. Friendly staff and good atmosphere. I enjoyed the coconut cream puff and the giant walnut cookies read more

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Have come here for their buns before and this time came for an egg tart. I thought the egg tart was pretty good compared to other Chinese bakeries in Chinatown. The flavors were robust with the right amount of sweetness and savoriness. The crust was on the thicker side and felt more like a crumb which is interesting. Still prefer the egg tarts at Stockton Bakery. read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Egg tart - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of the best Chinese bakeries in SF Chinatown. A little more expensive than other bakeries in Chinatown but well worth it. We ordered: - "Bau La Char Siu Bau" which translates to pineapple (more like flaky sweet crust topping) BBQ pork bun, addictive, just microwave for 20 seconds - "Hot Dog Bun" which translates to an open faced Hot Dog Bun with a bit of mayo, no Chinese translation as Hot Dog is an American thingy... - "Gai Mee Bau" which is an almost custard-like Foyt all shaped bun - "Green Onion Bau" which is what it is - "Pork Sung Bau" that is a shredded fried pork bun - decadent "Coconut Creme Bun" mostly Creme with shredded flaky coconut - "Sat Ki Ma" which is like a BIG rice krispy treat Probably not good for the Carb challenged but we don't get out much under the COVID rules, thus went hog wild or carb wild. Plenty of parking on side streets but not much parking on busy Stockton Street which happens to be the life blood of SF Chinatown. Plenty of produce stores, butcher shops, herbalists, delis, and bakeries on this 4-5 block stretch in Chinatown. Well worth the visit for the pineapple crusted Char Siu Baus. read more

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Of course, with the New 2023 Lunar Year, we had to pick up and sample delicious baked goods at AA bakery. Very busy bakery since it was a holiday. I'm glad we got in line when we did. I appreciated the reviews on the crust of egg tarts made here at AA Bakery. The crust lived up to the reviews! Definitely flaky and crisp that just melts in your mouth. In addition, picked up pineapple red bean bun and also the custard bun. Lastly, because of the new year, had to enjoy the sesame balls and prosperity cupcakes. The buns were both delicious. The prosperity cupcakes seemed a bit dry but eats really good with your tea or coffee. The sesame balls were good yet filling. We'll return for egg tarts and the buns again. Have a great new year! read more

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So many delicious baked goods, the challenge is figuring out what to order. I went with 8 items (4 savory, 4 sweet) and it only cost me $12.70. Some items rival the fancy expensive bakeries in North Beach, like that mango cake here. But generally speaking, everything was quite tasty. BBQ Pork Bun: A classic. This was taken from the metal bread warmer rather than the glass case, so it tasted especially fresh. A golden brown orb with a lot of filing. And it was all high quality thin sticks of BBQ pork meat, not fat or gristle like some lesser bakeries try to pawn off. And lots of BBQ sauce too so there was never a dry bite. Bacon Onion Roll: Bacon, cheese, green onion, what's there not to love? Like a meal by itself, this is really satisfying. Though I kinda wish the bread was cooked a little more brown like the pork bun. Ham Corn Mayo Bread: Looks like a danish, but the center is ham cubes, corn niblets and mayonnaise. Actually a pretty nice combination, though a tad too heavy on the mayo for my tastes. Dried Pork Bun: It's like they make pork jerky and shaved it into airy wisps. It rested on top of a regular old solid bun and was "glued" on with some sweet creamy paste. It reminded me a little of the maple bacon donut craze. Good if you like sweet and savory together, but not for everyone. Egg Tart: With Golden Gate Bakery always on vacation, it's good to have a backup. Not quite fresh out of the oven, but warm-ish. The pastry shell was still nice and flaky. The custard was a bit firmer than when right out of the oven, but still tasty. Coconut Tart: Pretty dense and only mildly sweet. I feel like I should really have this tea or coffee to appreciate it. Mango Cake Slice: I really look forward to cakes like these when visiting a Chinatown. Fluffy sponge cake, light whipped cream and tons of fresh fruit. It almost makes you feel good about eating dessert! Really liked how they had both mango chunks in the middle and thin mango slices as a "frosting" covering. Probably my favorite item here (though the BBQ Pork Bun is really close). Custard Filled Pineapple Bun: When I tried my first pineapple bun ages ago, I was disappointed to learn there was no pineapple inside, just a lot of bread. But then came the innovation of filling it with custard! Now we're talking, I can enjoy the crunchy top and get my filling fill. read more

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Very solid full service bakery with pastries and whole cakes. They also have banana mochi, milk tarts, and coconut cream buns which are my go-to's. Worth a stop! read more

AA Bakery's buns are top notch. Today I had their ham & egg bun $1.50 and a pork bun $1.50. The ham & egg bun is made with an actual fried egg. Most bakeries will use a steamed egg slice made with beaten eggs and water. Both buns tasted great with slight hint of sweetness. I got here after 6pm and was surprised they were still open. Good job staff at AA Bakery. read more

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What a find! We stopped by after we picked up some dim sum from Good Mang Kok since they didn't have custard buns, which is a must have for my husband and daughter. To our surprise the lady behind the counter was extremely friendly unlike Mang Kok. She was very helpful as well. We ordered: 6 custard buns - large buns with a thick custard. Not the creamy kind. They put a lot of custard. 2 curry flaky pastries - these are so good. The curry moist and flavorful unlike some bakeries. This was my husband's favorite item of the day. 1 chicken flaky pasty - chicken was moist and I believe they added mushrooms. Pretty good, but not as good as the curry one. 3 egg tarts - flaky crust. Custard was baked to perfection. It's not as good as Golden Gate Bakery, but who is? 2 pineapple buns - didn't try yet. All for just $20. Can't get quality pastries with that kind of price where we live! We will definitely be back! read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Chicken pot pie (3.5 stars): pastry is buttery and has a tender crumb but a tad too sweet for me which overwhelmed the savory chicken flavor Pineapple custard bun (4): good crisp crust on top and fluffy milk bun with a not too sweet custard Hot dog & pork floss bun (5): a real winner for me, super soft and fluffy milk bread with plenty of pork floss and hot dog Big preference for CASH or the credit card surcharge is $5. Line moves fast but if you're making a big order we sometimes get pressured by other seemingly rushing older Chinese lady customers lol read more

Pit stop on the way home on a Monday afternoon. Sponge cake was "ok"... the coconut party and char siu bao were on top !

Delicious! The milk tea (large $3.75) and pineapple bun ($1) makes a great, affordable breakfast. If you're a visitor to the area like me, skip the overpriced bland hotel breakfasts and hit up AA for traditional Hong Kong-style bakery treats. They open early, so early birds can enjoy the breads still warm from the oven. Their cookies and puffs seem popular too, can't wait to come by later to pickup an afternoon snack! read more

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Very authentic Asian bakery. They have very large egg custards and pineapple BBQ pork bun, both done very well and reasonably priced. Highly recommend this place if you're ever in SF Chinatown. read more

This is my absolute favorite Canton bakery in the entire city. The owners have held this place in their family for as long as I can remember. The egg tarts, mooncakes, jiggly cheesecake, and red bean/coconut twists are essential items to get. You get so much value for your dollar and the owners are very kind. I had the unique opportunity to actually bake mooncakes here and it was really interesting to learn the painstaking process. They cut back on sugar and oil without sacrificing flavor making these some of the more healthy mooncake alternatives. If you ask, you can also get classic Hong Kong milk tea. It is so strong and flavorful and some of the best. It definitely beats out any boba shop when it comes to classic HK milk tea. Tip: pay in cash Price: $ Overall: 10/10 Must Get: jiggly cheesecake, raisin coconut twist, crispy cha siu bao, mooncakes read more

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My personal favorite in the city. AA used to be a lot more popular before the pandemic, now there's rarely a line (and if there is, it usually moves really fast). They specialize in Chinese pastries rather than dim sum / steamed goods (like buns). The selection is huge, with some that I've never heard of before. They also usually have an overnight section on the right, where pastries from the previous day are bagged and sold at a large discount (but honestly tasted similar). Some of my favorite items are: red bean pastries, turnovers, milk tarts. My only complaint is that it's a little pricey imo, but overall I love the place and will keep coming back and recommending it to others! read more

This review is for November 2023. My favorite is their plain pineapple buns. Compared to the last time I bought from here, the buns are smaller in size now. read more

AA Bakery & Cafe - November 2023 - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love Chinese bakery and AA Bakery & Cafe is one of the many good Chinese bakeries in San Francisco Chinatown that offer not only the normal Hong Kong style buns and cakes. They have traditional Chinese baked goods for marriages or festive too. Most of the bakeries in Chinatown are very busy. AA Bakery & Cafe is no exception. They're having so many customers in their bakery all the time. The front counter area is always very crowded even though they are one of the biggest bakeries in San Francisco Chinatown. They have many Hong Kong-style buns and cakes constantly coming from the kitchen. The fresh-baked bread is so delicious. The ladies behind the counter are very busy taking orders and packing up the yummy baked goods for customers. They are friendly and fast hard-working employees in the bakery to taking care of their customers every days! read more

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