If you have never been to an Asian bakery, you are missing out on one of the tastier perks of living in a melting-pot nation. The solution is to walk through the doors of one, grab a pair of tongs and a tray, choose from a delicious, varied array of baked goods, and leave with a new addiction. Here is the rundown of DFW’s Asian bakery options.
Sweet Hut Bakery & Café
With the largest seating area and a great ambience, Sweet Hut is a fun place to work on homework over the weekend. This Taiwanese-inspired bakery has quickly become popular and rarely will they not have at least one customer looking at pastries with others already sitting at tables. Stop by and order a milk tea with boba and the Hong Kong-style pineapple bun. They also have Japanese cheesecake, croissants, and cream puffs, and popular savory options such as the BBQ Pork Bun. Their options are probably the most wide-ranging of the bakeries in Dallas. What lifts Sweet Hut above the level of 85˚ Bakery Cafe is their possession of a microwave – who would want to eat a cold pastry or drive all the way home to warm it up? 15 seconds in the microwave and voilà: warm and yummy perfection.
85˚C Bakery Café
This bakery, which has its origin and locations in Taiwan, is probably the most well-known of Asian bakeries, though it may not deserve its popularity. Service is not great across the board, but for those who want an outing close by, there are three different locations within the metroplex, Plano, Carrollton, and Richardson. It is seemingly rare for their pastries and breads to be fresh. Unless you are able to visit three days in a row, you cannot crack the code on freshness, as the pastries are thrown out within three days of baking. While their cold pastries are not spectacular, 85˚C’s variety of drinks and teas are worth the visit. Their teas, such as the Iced Grapefruit Green Tea, retain the distinct tea leaf taste while not being too bitter or too sugary. The bakery also has boba and cakes ranging from Black Forest to Chocolate Cookie Crumble.
BF Bakery & Café
This sprawling bakery makes its home inside the Ranch 99 off of Central Expressway. With numerous options including the typical breads and pastries, light and fruity cakes and homemade pineapple shortcakes, BF checks all the normal Taiwanese-bakery boxes. Their regular egg tarts and Portuguese egg tarts are well-made, and their birthday cakes get pretty elaborate. The breads there are usually on the fresh side, and business is always good on the weekends. All in all, BF is a decent bakery to try.
Pullman Bakery & Shigepan
Inside the popular Mitsuwa Marketplace, this Japanese bakery, a father-son partnership resulting from their individual bakery successes in Japan, features tasty savory pastries and a few sweet ones as well. One of the most popular items is the curry bun, with a lightly-fried exterior that contrasts beautifully with the soft filling of Japanese curry and potatoes. It is delicious eaten fresh right after purchase. The bread at this bakery is well-baked; if you happen to take a bite of only bread and no filling, it is not too dry or tasteless. Among the slew of Taiwanese-driven bakeries, this Japanese bakery is unique, and their baked goods reflect that. Some distinct options include the Korokke Bread, filled with fried mashed potatoes and topped with corn mayo, and a bread filled with ramen noodles. Although it is smaller compared to BF, Sweet Hut, and 85˚, Pullman’s has two small tables and is right next to the marketplace’s little dining area, just in case there is not enough space. Like Sweet Hut, they get a bonus point for being able to microwave purchased breads, as the market boasts one that is just across from the bakery.
