Emperor's Garden Cakes & Bakery
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At first I thought people were lining up for tickets to a club so I decided to check it out. But, it was actually for these egg puffs which were like fluffy doughnuts with custard inside. Delicious! They came out hot and fluffy! Best cheap dessert in Sydney!
Emperor's Garden is a bakery in Chinatown Sydney that is famously known for their Emperor's Puffs. These are custard cream puffs inside small pancakes that remind me of the Danish pancakes, ebelskiver. The bakery is located in Haymarket a few meters away from the Chinatown gate entrance. Emperor's Garden also is a restaurant, but they have a separate storefront for their bakery. If you are looking for Chinese baked goods like egg tarts and buns, enter the store. But if you are here only for the cream puffs, make you way to the back of the line outside which is strictly for this item. I think part of the reason why these cream puffs are so popular is because of the price. Prices start from $.35 each to $5 for 20. The more you buy, the lower the cost per puff is. I came here on a Sunday evening for some dessert and the cream puff line was long. The line moved slowly so I had to wait about 30 minutes before I reached the cream puff window to make my order. I decided to get $3 worth of cream puffs which is a total of 11. As you look into the window, you see a machine producing the cream puffs. It reminded of a similar machine in Seattle at Pike Place Market's Daily Dozen producing fresh doughnuts on the spot as you watch. Once you get your cream puffs, it is best to eat them as soon as possible. Though be careful if you eat them right away as the cream will burn your tongue as it is still hot. I can see why this concoction is popular. The puffs have soft breading and the custard is pleasant. You do need to eat them while they are still warm as they don't taste as good when they are cold. While I thought the cream puffs were good, I am not sure that I would come here again. I don't think they are worth a 30 minute wait. If it was 10 minute or less, I would consider it since it is an inexpensive treat. But if you are short on time, I would skip this place or get something inside the bakery instead.
Fine? Not worth the hype or the line but if you're not in a rush to be elsewhere... why not?
Everyone goes crazy for the fresh custard chestnut-shaped puffs, but the hidden star at Emperor's Garden? the egg tarts located inside the shop! Super flaky crust filled with smooth and creamy egg pudding-like filling. The crust has a nice bite and the best part is the super low price.
(EMPEROR'S CREAM PUFF) Ahgghh! Hoohh!! Hohhhhh!! That's pretty much the sound you make with your mouth when you pop these delicious doughy custard balls of fire into your mouth without waiting a little bit. Fear not, for soon you will taste the sweet custardy goodness after half your tastebuds have been fried to oblivion for the next two days. There's usually a short queue for these and for good reason.: 30 cents a pop or 4 for $1, it's almost too good to be true. Use them to satiate your sweet tooth or use them to punish your tongue (whatever floats your boat) or use them as mini fireballs to chuck at someone you dislike. It burns the tongue. But it burns so good.
Emperor's Puffs You are taking a stroll through China Town, strolling around Harris street, you turn slowly and spy a small window with a huge yellow sign "Nutrition's Snack" 1 for 30c 4 for a dollar Do not delay intrepid adventurer! proceed with conviction! for these are indeed the EMPERORS PUFFS... This is a seriously good treat to be had my fine feathered friend and at 30c for a taste you simply do not put baby in the corner. Be careful though as they are full of the emperors hot cream and trust me, its hot. DAMNEDHOT.
LINE UP FOR THE CREAM PUFFS! This is a must try if you are in Sydney! The custard filling is at the perfect sweetness; it's not too sweet. The cake was soft and buttery. Don't eat the cream puffs right when you get them. They are REALLY hot. However, they taste the best when they're warm/hot. I had some that were cooled down and they didn't taste as great. For $5AUD I got a box of 20!
Thanks Ben for suggesting this establishment on one of my posts. Gave it a go today, and despite a cold, wet, windy day I opted for Chinatown. The whole city felt dark, yet I went into the city today (via a few Sydney suburbs) to get some tasks done. This establishment (although small) is neat and tidy. Food is well presented. It is easy to feel like you're in New York's Chinatown as opposed to Sydney's. CHEAP AS CHIPS HERE. A perfect place to spend your loose change. The custard buns are quite filling, with a beautiful custard filling. Not too keen on the icing, yet its all good. Quick, sharp service. It was kinda funny when I was there earlier: there were a couple of dogs outside.One takes a look at me and wags his hair and grins in excitement. I gave him a little bit - he scoops it up. Nice one. So did I. A great companion as I was heading back to George Street towards the cinemas area. A cute self service bakery worth coming back to. Great if you're around in the area. Maybe a pre-show snack before heading to the nearby entertainment centre...
Cash only here! You have to ask for a receipt. It says cream puffs on the sign but they're custard. We waited about 30 minutes around 9pm for our twenty. They smelled like crepes when we opened the container of 20. Careful when you bite into them, the custard is hot as hell and can spout out of the opposite side of where you bite into the puff. Flavor reminds me of a pancake, with the texture of a crepe, maybe a bit less sugary - or maybe a hot cake with custard in between the cake layers, but in a hot puff. Custard isn't overly sweet. Overall tasty, for the price I'd get them again as long as the line isn't as long as it was tonight (it was past the billboard/ad out to the souvenir shop).
Located in Chinatown off Dixon street in Sydney, this is a must stop if you want a delicious and cheap dessert. Seriously, you HAVE to go! It's just a little window in the wall that you walk up to and they make them right then so they're out of the oven fresh...but it's not really an oven as much as it is a pretty cool setup of cast iron muffin tins going over a cooking flame on a track and then dumping out at the end. There's a sign that states "no photo or video" so I was unable to snap a shot of the operation, dang it. Trust me, it was pretty cool to see. Anyway, you tell the person how many you want and she puts the deliciousness into a bag and hands them over. The line was long but it moved pretty quickly and they were certainly worth the wait. They tasted like sweet pancakes and the piping hot center was just as delicious. Bite slowly so you don't burn your mouth in excitement...ahem, not that I did that or anything. This yummy find gets a double thumbs up from me!
Supposedly, this place is one of the most popular Chinese bakeries in Sydney's Chinatown and it has been around for years. Don't come here in the evening, because the selections are very limited, but come here in the morning and no later than in the "arvo". The typical Chinese bakery dishes such as the baked 叉燒包 (cha siu bau in Cantonese Chinese) roasted pork buns and the 蛋撻 (dan taat) egg tarts are fairly inexpensive and delicious, but definitely not the best versions I had. The 蛋撻 had a nice crustiness with a little crisp with a nice sweet flavour from the custard. If I wanted to compare the 蛋撻 in other cities back in the States, it's definitely better than Boston but probably not as good as the ones in San Francisco. The 叉燒包 was pretty good, it was not really special other than the warm fluffiness. One convenient feature this bakery has is that they serve the baked buns in a nice heating machine. You could get a 叉燒包 and a 蛋撻 for under $5. However, one worthwhile dish to get is the 雞蛋仔 (gai dan jai), also known as the egg puffs. This is probably one of the best sweet food deals you could find in a city like Sydney. They serve it from a little window next to the bakery, and I got 7 of them for $2. You can even get 20 of them for $5! There is a queue in the evenings, but it's not that long. I really loved the creaminess, the very warm fluffiness, and it's definitely tastier when it is nice and warm but not just out of the pan. 7 of them should be great for a good snack in the "arvo". Overall, if you are looking for a decently good Chinese bakery in Sydney, this place is a good choice. I don't think it is the best Chinese bakery in Sydney, or possibly in NSW, but it is pretty good if this bakery was located in a somewhat decent city. It's still a great choice for inexpensive baked goods in a city like Sydney, and I thought I had some of the best 雞蛋仔 so far.
Cream puffs! Sold in a little window off to the left of the bakery. They're made fresh and are usually piping hot. They are small, so go for at least a $1 worth (gets you 3). Each puff is filled with custard that's not too overly sweet. There's a good balance of crispy and fluffy. Line moves quick. Must try, you won't regret it.
1 year ago
In search of a traditional Asian bakery, it appeared that this is essentially the only one in Chinatown, much to our surprise. The other bakeries in the area were more focused on croissants or cakes, so we decided on Emperor's since we wanted some buns! They had exactly the types of pastries we wanted... red bean buns, char sui buns, and the like. Despite being open until 9:00P, they were running low on buns around 5:30P and didn't appear to be refilling their stock, which is understandable. They still had plenty of dim sum in the hot case along with cookies and cakes. We took a tray and piled on nine buns which cost A$40. The woman at the front originally just grabbed a bag to put them all in, but when we asked for a box, she gladly packed them up with care at no extra cost. I tried three different buns. The bread was nice and soft with a bit of a chew, although it was also thick and denser than expected. The filling of each one was just okay and I sadly wasn't wowed by any of them. + BBQ PORK BUN: This contained larger chunks of meat whereas I would have preferred more finely chopped pork. Luckily, it didn't have much fat, but the filling was more salty and savory as opposed to being sweet. + COCKTAIL BUN: This one was filled with a sweet coconut paste, which was somewhat gritty and had an underlying saltiness. After eating the first half, the saltiness became a bit much for me and I couldn't finish the last few bites. + RED BEAN BUN: Rather than a sweet red bean paste, the center had slightly mashed beans with some of them being close to whole. The flavor wasn't bad, just not the sweet red bean paste that we expected. Since there wasn't another bakery nearby with similar buns, we weren't able to compare. Maybe our expectations just differed from what the norm is here, but sadly, we were disappointed with our selection. read more
These "cream puffs" are not the traditional French pastries made with choux. Instead, the dough is more pancake batter/ebelskiver-like with a cream that is not too flavorful. For AUD$4 you can get 7 tiny "cream puffs" or one "cream puff" for AUD 60¢. With the location being in the heart of Haymarket, you can do so much better. Why is there a line to get these"cream puffs"? read more
There is a lot of hype over these cream puffs. They always have a line but it does move relatively fast. They are made fresh and constantly keep making more so it does come hot. When I think of emperor's I think of larger cream puffs but they're pretty small bites. I wish the puff was a little more crispy instead of soggy, but the cream is not overly sweet. It's nice to try but I wouldn't say it's a must try as some people made it out to be. read more
2 years ago
At first I thought people were lining up for tickets to a club so I decided to check it out. But, it was actually for these egg puffs which were like fluffy doughnuts with custard inside. Delicious! They came out hot and fluffy! Best cheap dessert in Sydney! read more
Emperor's Garden is a bakery in Chinatown Sydney that is famously known for their Emperor's Puffs. These are custard cream puffs inside small pancakes that remind me of the Danish pancakes, ebelskiver. The bakery is located in Haymarket a few meters away from the Chinatown gate entrance. Emperor's Garden also is a restaurant, but they have a separate storefront for their bakery. If you are looking for Chinese baked goods like egg tarts and buns, enter the store. But if you are here only for the cream puffs, make you way to the back of the line outside which is strictly for this item. I think part of the reason why these cream puffs are so popular is because of the price. Prices start from $.35 each to $5 for 20. The more you buy, the lower the cost per puff is. I came here on a Sunday evening for some dessert and the cream puff line was long. The line moved slowly so I had to wait about 30 minutes before I reached the cream puff window to make my order. I decided to get $3 worth of cream puffs which is a total of 11. As you look into the window, you see a machine producing the cream puffs. It reminded of a similar machine in Seattle at Pike Place Market's Daily Dozen producing fresh doughnuts on the spot as you watch. Once you get your cream puffs, it is best to eat them as soon as possible. Though be careful if you eat them right away as the cream will burn your tongue as it is still hot. I can see why this concoction is popular. The puffs have soft breading and the custard is pleasant. You do need to eat them while they are still warm as they don't taste as good when they are cold. While I thought the cream puffs were good, I am not sure that I would come here again. I don't think they are worth a 30 minute wait. If it was 10 minute or less, I would consider it since it is an inexpensive treat. But if you are short on time, I would skip this place or get something inside the bakery instead. read more
5 years ago
Fine? Not worth the hype or the line but if you're not in a rush to be elsewhere... why not? read more
Everyone goes crazy for the fresh custard chestnut-shaped puffs, but the hidden star at Emperor's Garden? the egg tarts located inside the shop! Super flaky crust filled with smooth and creamy egg pudding-like filling. The crust has a nice bite and the best part is the super low price. read more
(EMPEROR'S CREAM PUFF) Ahgghh! Hoohh!! Hohhhhh!! That's pretty much the sound you make with your mouth when you pop these delicious doughy custard balls of fire into your mouth without waiting a little bit. Fear not, for soon you will taste the sweet custardy goodness after half your tastebuds have been fried to oblivion for the next two days. There's usually a short queue for these and for good reason.: 30 cents a pop or 4 for $1, it's almost too good to be true. Use them to satiate your sweet tooth or use them to punish your tongue (whatever floats your boat) or use them as mini fireballs to chuck at someone you dislike. It burns the tongue. But it burns so good. read more
Emperor's Puffs You are taking a stroll through China Town, strolling around Harris street, you turn slowly and spy a small window with a huge yellow sign "Nutrition's Snack" 1 for 30c 4 for a dollar Do not delay intrepid adventurer! proceed with conviction! for these are indeed the EMPERORS PUFFS... This is a seriously good treat to be had my fine feathered friend and at 30c for a taste you simply do not put baby in the corner. Be careful though as they are full of the emperors hot cream and trust me, its hot. DAMNEDHOT. read more
12 years ago
LINE UP FOR THE CREAM PUFFS! This is a must try if you are in Sydney! The custard filling is at the perfect sweetness; it's not too sweet. The cake was soft and buttery. Don't eat the cream puffs right when you get them. They are REALLY hot. However, they taste the best when they're warm/hot. I had some that were cooled down and they didn't taste as great. For $5AUD I got a box of 20! read more
14 years ago
Thanks Ben for suggesting this establishment on one of my posts. Gave it a go today, and despite a cold, wet, windy day I opted for Chinatown. The whole city felt dark, yet I went into the city today (via a few Sydney suburbs) to get some tasks done. This establishment (although small) is neat and tidy. Food is well presented. It is easy to feel like you're in New York's Chinatown as opposed to Sydney's. CHEAP AS CHIPS HERE. A perfect place to spend your loose change. The custard buns are quite filling, with a beautiful custard filling. Not too keen on the icing, yet its all good. Quick, sharp service. It was kinda funny when I was there earlier: there were a couple of dogs outside.One takes a look at me and wags his hair and grins in excitement. I gave him a little bit - he scoops it up. Nice one. So did I. A great companion as I was heading back to George Street towards the cinemas area. A cute self service bakery worth coming back to. Great if you're around in the area. Maybe a pre-show snack before heading to the nearby entertainment centre... read more
10 years ago
Cash only here! You have to ask for a receipt. It says cream puffs on the sign but they're custard. We waited about 30 minutes around 9pm for our twenty. They smelled like crepes when we opened the container of 20. Careful when you bite into them, the custard is hot as hell and can spout out of the opposite side of where you bite into the puff. Flavor reminds me of a pancake, with the texture of a crepe, maybe a bit less sugary - or maybe a hot cake with custard in between the cake layers, but in a hot puff. Custard isn't overly sweet. Overall tasty, for the price I'd get them again as long as the line isn't as long as it was tonight (it was past the billboard/ad out to the souvenir shop). read more
11 years ago
Located in Chinatown off Dixon street in Sydney, this is a must stop if you want a delicious and cheap dessert. Seriously, you HAVE to go! It's just a little window in the wall that you walk up to and they make them right then so they're out of the oven fresh...but it's not really an oven as much as it is a pretty cool setup of cast iron muffin tins going over a cooking flame on a track and then dumping out at the end. There's a sign that states "no photo or video" so I was unable to snap a shot of the operation, dang it. Trust me, it was pretty cool to see. Anyway, you tell the person how many you want and she puts the deliciousness into a bag and hands them over. The line was long but it moved pretty quickly and they were certainly worth the wait. They tasted like sweet pancakes and the piping hot center was just as delicious. Bite slowly so you don't burn your mouth in excitement...ahem, not that I did that or anything. This yummy find gets a double thumbs up from me! read more
12 years ago
Supposedly, this place is one of the most popular Chinese bakeries in Sydney's Chinatown and it has been around for years. Don't come here in the evening, because the selections are very limited, but come here in the morning and no later than in the "arvo". The typical Chinese bakery dishes such as the baked 叉燒包 (cha siu bau in Cantonese Chinese) roasted pork buns and the 蛋撻 (dan taat) egg tarts are fairly inexpensive and delicious, but definitely not the best versions I had. The 蛋撻 had a nice crustiness with a little crisp with a nice sweet flavour from the custard. If I wanted to compare the 蛋撻 in other cities back in the States, it's definitely better than Boston but probably not as good as the ones in San Francisco. The 叉燒包 was pretty good, it was not really special other than the warm fluffiness. One convenient feature this bakery has is that they serve the baked buns in a nice heating machine. You could get a 叉燒包 and a 蛋撻 for under $5. However, one worthwhile dish to get is the 雞蛋仔 (gai dan jai), also known as the egg puffs. This is probably one of the best sweet food deals you could find in a city like Sydney. They serve it from a little window next to the bakery, and I got 7 of them for $2. You can even get 20 of them for $5! There is a queue in the evenings, but it's not that long. I really loved the creaminess, the very warm fluffiness, and it's definitely tastier when it is nice and warm but not just out of the pan. 7 of them should be great for a good snack in the "arvo". Overall, if you are looking for a decently good Chinese bakery in Sydney, this place is a good choice. I don't think it is the best Chinese bakery in Sydney, or possibly in NSW, but it is pretty good if this bakery was located in a somewhat decent city. It's still a great choice for inexpensive baked goods in a city like Sydney, and I thought I had some of the best 雞蛋仔 so far. read more
Cream puffs! Sold in a little window off to the left of the bakery. They're made fresh and are usually piping hot. They are small, so go for at least a $1 worth (gets you 3). Each puff is filled with custard that's not too overly sweet. There's a good balance of crispy and fluffy. Line moves quick. Must try, you won't regret it. read more
It tastes exactly like the cold dessert cream puff, except it is served HOT. There is always a line but be warned ! Even if the line looks short, be prepared to wait a while. This is because service is extremely slow ! There is only one person operating both the cash register and the cream puff machine. And everyone in line seems to be order a few dozen of cream puffs. *A.R.G.H* Do drop by to try them if you happen to be around Chinatown area. read more
It's very hard to talk about Chinatown in Sydney without mentioning the cream puffs at Emeror's Garden. These little puffs of deliciousness are pure concentrated tastiness. so good that there is a separate line outside just to buy these by the dozen. Inside there is the usual selection of baked treats, the pork steamed bun being another standout. Ambience is much as you'd expect for an establishment of this age, definitely in need of a makeover but serves the purpose of displaying the tasty wares available for purchase. I keep meaning to buy something other than pork buns and cream puffs, but their allure is simply too great to go past hence the review is based entirely on their tastebud enticing delight. No trip to Chinatown is complete with out paying respects to the Emperor's baking! read more
This review only for the cream puff. Finally were able to get this cream puff from Emperor's Garden Cakes & Bakery in Chinatown Sydney. Although It is very popular, recommend on sites, and considerably cheap, $3 for 11, I wasn't wow nor impressed by it. I think people are lining up here because: 1. They are cheap 2. They are tourists like me. I will get them once to get over my curiosity but that's it. Cash only! read more
There shop is tiny and one ancient machine busts out these bite size cream puffs. They are small and extremely hot so please be careful so you will not burn your mouth like I did. The puffs are good but just that, nothing special. The shop is super cute and the puffs are inexpensive but the bakery next door peeled more of my interest. read more
14 years ago
Well if Chinese Emperor Qianlong didn't create these himself, then I don't know who was behind these bite size and sizzling puffs of joy! If one finds joy in FOUR FOR A DOLLAR, yes, four for a dollar, love bundles of flaming goodness, then the cream puffs sold out of the drive-through-like window of Emperor's Garden Cake and Bakery are yours to behold! The puff balls are always fresh out of the oven.. Meaning they're ON FIRE! I know, I know ... After waiting in line for fifteen minutes for what looks like little fried dough morsels of god knows what, and smelling something delectable the entire time, the moment you get your hands on them you're going to want nothing more then to discover what it is you actually just bought .... But lovers of the unknown sweets, beware; you WILL be burned! My suggestion: Wait at least a minute and let this sweet sensation cool down a bit.... then mosey on over and get back in line because you WILL want more! read more
8 years ago
Best place in Chinatown to get a sweet cream puff dessert. I come to this place anytime I'm in Chinatown. 18 for $5 is not a bad deal either. read more
We arrived too late. We were still served some cold cream puffs. They are perfectly bite sized. I can only imagine what it would be if it was fresh and warm. Not too bad for a last minute taste. The service out of a quaint little window in this busy alley was an experience it itself. read more
13 years ago
The cream / custard puffs were so delish! Straight off the oven ... Be careful to take a slow bite, to prevent scalding your tongue (which was what happened to the careless me)! The cream puffs are sold in a 'hole-in-the-wall' on the left of the bakery's main entrance! read more
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This bakery is located next door to the Emperor Puffs where is there is an endless queue of people. It was late at night and there was not a great choice of items left but my cousin wanted to get some buns to take home as she doesn't have this much selection back at home. She bought a packet of Chicken Buns as well as some fresh BBQ Pork Buns. The buns were a nice late night treat and are always tasty. read more
Sydney doesn't have many things over Melbourne. I know there is a funky harbor and the weather tends to be warmer. I will be honest none of these things bother me, what I do miss and get bothered by is that Sydney has piping hot fresh cream puffs and we do not. I crave these delicious desserts and have hunted everywhere in Melbourne but no luck. Served from a hole in the wall in Dixon Street China town these piping hot puffs filled with cream custard are amazing. read more
Cute little bao shaped custard puffs they weren't as sweet as i was hoping they would be. The puff was fresh but it tasted like it was undercooked and doughy. It's still nice to get but it doesn't have punch you in the mouth flavours. I'd come again since it's cheap. You can get 3 for $1, 7 for $2 and so on. Great to share with friends. It's a little store window in chinatown and there is always a line full of people. I do recommend this place if you're looking for a light snack read more
10 years ago
10 years ago
Didn't know what this line was for, so I stood in line to see what the hype was all about. This place have one of the best cream puff and they freshly made. If you're ever in Chinatown, this little shop is worth the wait. I think it was 3 cream puffs for less than $1. read more
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More info about Emperor's Garden Cakes & Bakery
96-100 Hay St
Haymarket New South Wales 2000
Australia
Haymarket
Directions
(02) 9211 2268
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http://www.emperorsgarden.com.au/
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2 years ago
Emperor's Garden Cakes & Bakery - bakeries - Updated August 2026
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