B Patisserie

10/14/2014

I did not go in. I was the driver in the getaway car.

As is expected in SF, parking is for those who wait...and wait....and wait. So, naturally, you park as illegally legal as you can, and hope no meter maid spots you.  I hung in there, 15 minutes, honking horns paired with SF indifference.

All I can say is this.  If you do not stop here before you leave SF you are doing yourself a great disservice. Bakeries like this are one-of-a-kind.  This is what SF dreams are made of.......

Silly name.....Kouigin Amann.......serious croissant-like pastry.  The butter brings tears to my eyes.  Fillings?  Get the chocolate.  Get the pumpkin.  Come to mamma, you crunchy little crumbs.  

I licked the box, then proceeded to pick the crumbs off my blouse front.  I have no pride, no regrets, just a Cheshire smile you cannot wipe off my face.

10/10/2014

This is the finest bakery in San Francisco that I've visited. Such pleasant service with inimitable decadence.

Kouign ("queen") Amman are so airy and sweet, well worth buying a few extra for the road. The almond cake has that perfect outer firmness with inner moist, softness replete with the richest almond fragrance. I also had the privilege of eating a banana chocolate croissant fresh out the oven, and oh my god it was heavenly.

Truly a gem of bakeries.

10/8/2014

This place rocks when it comes to their Kouign Amann and the seasonal sliced pear croissant.

I have wanted to try Belinda Leong's place since she opened up her patisserie several years ago but the location was not convenient for me to get to along with the tough parking situation in the immediate area.  However, I recently was coming back from an appointment last week and remembered that her shop was close by so I stopped in around 9:30 am. Upon entering, there was a short line which gave me a chance to peruse what the shop had to offer.

When it was time for me to order, I asked the server for her recommendations and ended up ordering what made Belinda known in the patisserie world - the Kouign Amann and was not disappointed. Adjectives can not even begin to describe my first bite into it and ordered some for the family to try as well as the seasonal pear croissant.

Four barrel coffee which is what is served was great and was the perfect pairing for my eats!

Five stars to Belinda and the B Patisserie Team!

10/6/2014

The moment I stepped into B Patisserie, I felt like I was walking into Bottega Louie. Bottega Louie (located in Los Angeles) and B Patisserie both make the same kind of pastries, cakes and macaroons.  

Word on the street is Kouign Amann is a must try here, however I was craving for cake!

This review is solely for the Vanilla Cassis Cake - $7
I love how the cake was really soft and moist. It was not as sweet as I thought it would be. With every bite, I extremely enjoyed the cake. Belinda, you are awesome! The cake is also ranked #5 on the list of San Francisco's 7 Best Cakes.

Link - 7x7.com/eat-drink/san-fr…

I'll definitely be back if I'm ever in the neighborhood to try the Kouign Amann and other cakes.

• 

  Vanilla cake

  Vanilla cake
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  Strawberry lychee

  Strawberry lychee
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  Grande macaron cake

  Grande macaron cake

10/17/2014

This place is no joke.

10/6/2014

Perfection, thy name is B Patisserie. Honestly, just walking in and seeing everything plated and on display, it was hard to just get a few things - it's like, I know I don't have the appetite for everything, but I still want to try it. It's ok, next time!

Highlights include:

KOUIGN AMANN NATURE:
Flaky layers of complete perfection, one of the best kouign amanns that I've had. The center is ridiculous - it doesn't solidify even after sitting out at room temperature for several hours, and remains this fluid mixture of what can only be an ungodly amount of sugar and butter.

KOUIGN AMANN PUMPKIN:
A fun fall treat, similar to the original except for the filling (pumpkin and brown sugar)?. Worth trying!

PASSION FRUIT BOSTOCK:
Oh my god, I didn't even know what a bostock was, just that I should get it - you won't regret it, either. I'm sure this version is more complex, but the gist of it is - day-old brioche topped with almond frangipane. It's almost like a small, dense yet spongey cake, a little dry, but with incredible flavor. Definitely get!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE:
I'm a sucker for the classics, and this is not your average cookie - roughly the size of a saucer, the perfect balance between crunchy and soft, and not overly sweet - a fantastic treat to share, but milk is required.

I doubt I'll come here often (with the amount of butter and sugar they use, any clean eating attempts would be out the window), but definitely a new SF favorite!

10/17/2014

The B Patisserie is an excellent place for some one on a budget in SFC.A friend and I recently visited CA and on the recommendation of a pal we ate at the B Patisserie for breakfast .we wound up eating there every day for breakfast! The service was excellent, the food delicious, lovely neighborhood atmosphere, and very reasonable prices. Highly recomended.Good food,large menu with lots of choices, nice outdoor seating in season, good portions and good prices. What could be better for a quick or relaxing breakfast, lunch or dinner? If you live or are staying in the area, they deliver.Nice place to watch the world go by given you look out onto the farmers market. Some waitresses better than others but friendly on the whole.

10/7/2014

Okay, I'm a fan.  I tried an assortment of their goodies, and I cannot complain.

The lemon tart was sweet and fragrant.  And I am still thinking of that chocolate banana croissant.  It was yummmm.... I know people love the macarons here, but I wasn't super amazed by them.  I was more impressed with the other baked goods.  I also got a baguette which was good - gets stale quickly though, so you gotta eat it fast.  

And again, SF parking sucks... so be prepared to double park because everyone seems to do it around here during busy hours.  You can find some parking near the residents, but remember to bring change around here for the parking meters.

10/16/2014

Every time I go there I have the baked pasta. Really good and really cheap! Great option when you are around. Make sure you check out the new restaurant at the Jane hotel, which is bigger and nicer than the one in Lolita.

10/14/2014

Pastries are unbelievably good and fresh. The open face sandwiches lathered in cheese look pretty fantastic too. Quaint seating area. May need to queue for a table on a weekend.

10/14/2014

My love for pastries is beyond this world so my expectations for the taste is beyond as well. Their  pastries are amazing hands down. Also very addicting since I work right next door. You haven't lived until you've tried those banana chocolate stuffed almond croissants. I also like that even when they have a line out the door they are still able to keep their smile and great customer service for getting me in and out.

9/18/2014

Please sir, can I have some more?

I indulged in the Kouign Amann (flaky sweet dough) and I hear it's their specialty. Crispy, gooey, and loaded with sugary-buttery goodness. I recommend buying two; one to eat and one to photograph and share... then eat 5 minutes later.

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  Kouign Amann!

  Kouign Amann!

10/1/2014

Their Kouign Amann is amazing. Someone gave me one from this bakery and I had to go buy some for myself.

Parking was easy to find, we parked a couple blocks away and walked. It's metered parking but we came on Sunday, so yay free parking!

So why the 3 stars? Service. We came about 30 mins before closing. I asked if what they had out was all they had. The lady that helped us just looked at us and gave us some attitude and said yes. I asked her if they were gonna have any more come out. No. Keep in mind, when we went in, they only had cookies, croissants, 3 little cakes, and other random pastries that didn't appeal to me. I was looking for Kouign Amann! And ONLY kouign amann. So I told her alright I'll just pick up croissants since we didnt wanna leave empty handed after driving an hour out here. This lady wasn't very friendly. She looked at us like we were annoying or didn't belong there.

We sat down, just when we were about to start on our cake... 3 huge trays of Kouign Amann came out and they put it in the baskets. Really?! I felt so cheated and lied to! I came all the way from SJ looking for Kouign Amann and I had to buy something else because they said they werent making more. So disappointed since we made this trip from SJ just for the kouign amann.

Pastries: 4 Stars
Service: 1 Star

9/29/2014

I generally don't care for sweets or pastries. That was until I had the Kouign Amann. It is one of the best things I've ever had in my life. It has the crispy layered crust of a perfect croissant, the buttery flavor of a puffed pastry and just the right sweetness to make this the most amazing pastry.

Everything they have is great. But definitely get this.

9/30/2014 Updated review

Best birthday cake, EVER!  Not a single piece left for me to take home. guess I'll have to go to the bakery myself and stock up.  

I've tried so many things here and I still don't have a favorite. There are still more things to try.

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  Triple Chocolate Cake...a BIG one!

  Triple Chocolate Cake...a BIG one!

9/20/2014

We came for the Kouign Amann's, and Kouign Amanns we received. My GF & I arrived probably 30-40 minutes before they were closing on a saturday, but the place was still packed, luckily we were able to find a seat inside to enjoy ourselves. The place was cute and a wonderful place to catch up with friends or anything at all.

Upon ordering, we were told that they were completely out of Kouign Amann's and the girl didn't tell us whether more were being made, or not. We didn't want to leave empty handed so we decided to grab a few croissants, a coffee creme cake, and a mocha. Midway through our stay, we realized that a fresh new batch came out of the oven, and quickly snagged a bunch. They are crisp and light on the outside, but having a syrupy, goey sweet center. They aren't overly sweet which is a bonus. The coffee creme cake was great too, very light and rich in coffee flavor. The mocha was pretty standard, nothing that blew me away, there wasn't a foam leaf or design on it (at least not for mine), so don't expect one. We ate the croissants the following day and toasted them up a little before eating, and it wasn't really that amazing or anything so, we'll stick to our other favorites.

I would definitely recommend a visit to B Patisserie for their Kouign Amann! Absolutely to die for.

10/5/2014

This place is insanely good and even that feels understated.

At the urging of my neighbors who raved about this place, my boyfriend and I decided to go in on a Saturday afternoon. First of all, it is beyond cute. Their marble counters and light, airy space made it the perfect environment for a little lunch date. Second of all, the pastries were all mouth watering. We got a regular croissant, apple tart, kouign amann, and a pumpkin kouign amann. Consider this another review to add to the gajillion other reviews praising the kouign amann for its perfect balance of buttery, sweet, and flaky. It is the PERFECT pastry in that it isn't too sweet and you don't have a bad aftertaste in your mouth like many other sweets leave you with.

My boyfriend loved the pumpkin kouign amann! I had a bite and it had that nice pumpkin spice to it without being overbearing. If you're like me and you're a huge fan of Tartine and are not sure if any other bakery is worth going to, GO TO B. PATISSERIE! it is simply the best and I can't wait to come back every weekend for that kouign amann.

Oh, we also had the ham + gruyere tar tine which was a delicious savory treat as well! :)

10/5/2014

This place is amazing.

Their famous Kougin Amann, it goes without saying, is divine. But what's truly impressive is that each of about a half-dozen other pastries we tried were equally good. They are really operating at a high level here - everything is just perfect and beautiful and delicious.

The space itself is gorgeous, with beautiful marble counters and the feel of what a Parisian bakery should be (the real thing is usually a bit more cramped). I've been a few times on weekends and it does get rather crowded (think line out the door), but they efficiently used the long curve of the counter to manage the line and allow customers to review the offerings and place an order in a relaxed and orderly fashion.

There are about 15-20 seats, which is a nice spot for a weekday breakfast or afternoon treat, but I would steer clear on the weekend just because there's so much retail traffic coming through.

Overall, this is THE place to go for high-quality pastries. The next time you want to impress someone with a nice breakfast spread or dessert selection, this is your spot.

10/11/2014

Fresh off the plane from Paris and already nostalgic for their amazing patisseries I dropped in here and was pleasantly surprised.  I read that the pastry chef here interned with the macaron master Pierre Hermé in Paris.  Loved, loved Pierre Herme in Paris.  The bakery only had one selection of macaron but it was very tasty. However, the star of the show was the kouign amann.  Dare I say I prefer it to croissants?  I do dare say, I do.  My new regular go to spot.

9/17/2014

I bought two items here, Kouign Amann and banana chocolate croissant.

Kouign Amann is good, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. But I am not a big flaky pastry fan, so I prefer the banana croissant, which is more moist and softer inside. You can see the real banana and lots of chocolate spread inside the croissant, and no doubt this is a perfect combination.

I really want to try their desserts but I came here before 9 AM, too early so the desserts are not prepared yet. So make sure you don't come before 9 if you want to have some desserts.

9/8/2014

It's just a bakery... but no it's not.
These days, there's a wise variety of pastry choices ranging from Chinatown cheapy spots to trendy hip chains like 85°, not to mention old school places like La Boulange or the popular Tartine made famous by Julia Child.  
Well, this one is in a class of its own.  Think of it as the Bentley of bakeries!  After a failed attempt on a random Monday, I returned with a friend a few days later and tried the following:

1) Chocolate almond banana croissant (yelp.com/user_local_phot…) - A regular item on the menu, the three flavors mesh very well.  Definitely a meal in itself.

2) Stone fruit almond croissant (yelp.com/user_local_phot…) - A seasonal summer item, the flavors were less intense than the banana one.

3) 10 hour apple tart (yelp.com/user_local_phot…) - The BOMB!  Brought back those childhood flavors in a deceiving plain looking tart.

Walking into the store, the displays are well organized and designed as the shopper snakes along the counter to choose from the wide variety of offerings.  Not wanting to overdo it, I only tried the above and saved the Kouign Amman for another trip.  
Now, that apple tart... Belinda, I do not know whether you are old enough to have enjoyed the apple pie at a Chinatown mainstay named Sun Wah Kue ... but your apple filling flavors seemed identical to their staple dish.  
When you bite into the above desserts, you immediately will notice that these weren't production line made and, fulfilling her reputation, a pastry chef's hands created these delicious morsels.  
Hope to come again sometime soon and venture deeper into your menu!

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  Chocolate kouign aman

  Chocolate kouign aman
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  10 hour apple tart

  10 hour apple tart
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  Stone fruit almond croissant

  Stone fruit almond croissant
• See all photos from Mike C.

9/17/2014

The famous K. A. is like flaky donuts.  The almond croissant tasted pretty much like Shee Kim's.  Apple tart is not much to try again.

The four different items we had are between average to good.  Nothing wrong with any of them.  It's just that, based on all the good reviews, I was expecting a "wow" but didn't get it here.

9/9/2014

A few months back when I went to the Big Eats 7x7 event in AT&T park, there was one tent which I kept going back to, both because it had virtually no line (because they simply handed out their dish with no cook time) and because it paired perfectly with every other dessert item I had there. That tent was B Patisserie and the items they were handing out were mini Kouign Amanns.

Two months later, I finally make the trek out to Pacific Heights where their storefront is located on California Street. Inside, the line is consistently long and the seating disappears quickly. Along the counter you can see all of the delectable pastries available, along with a display case of tarts, mousse and cake options. I ordered a huge amount of pastries to take home, and while I thought I went overboard at the time, by the end of the night along with our friends we devoured the entirety of the box.

Lychee Strawberry Mousse - This is the item I ordered to eat at the store along with my coffee. It looked amazing. Red, white and cream with a decoration of sesame seeds and sesame crackers, this mousse was tantalizing. Unfortunately it was all looks and did not have much substance to it. It was very plain and was certainly not greater than the sum of its parts. Pass on this. Perhaps the coffee chocolate toffee mousse might fare better.

Passion Fruit Bostock - I thought this was good, although I preferred some of the other items over this one. It had a nice light consistency to it, and the flavor also felt delicate with just the right amount of passion fruit in it. Everyone else thought this was great though, so I will concede that this was an all around winner.

Chocolate Banana Almond Croissant - This pastry seems like it tries to accomplish a lot by melding together four distinctly different flavors. For the most part, I think it pulls it off and balances the various flavors together. In some sections though, the chocolate filling is laid on a bit too thick and ends up overpowering the others. In total though, this is a good option and I can see why many reviews make note of it.

Kouign Amann - Some of the other items were good, some not so good, and some were great. None of them were perfect though. That is where B Patisserie's Kouign Amann comes in. Almost every coffee shop and bakery in the city sells their own version of Kouign Amann, but none of them hold a candle to these guys. This pastry is so delicious that I simply will not be able to do it justice. It is perfect and I strongly encourage you to try it. All of the versions of this are fantastic, plain, chocolate, figs, whatever. Just get it.

Overall, B Patisserie does one thing better than every other bakery in the city and I will definitely be revisiting this place time and again for their Kouign Amanns.

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  Kouign Amann (left) + Passion Fruit Bostock (top right) + Chocolate Almond Banana Croissant (bottom right)

  Kouign Amann (left) + Passion Fruit Bostock (top right) + Chocolate Almond Banana Croissant (bottom right)
• 

  Lychee strawberry pudding

  Lychee strawberry pudding
• 
• See all photos from Mark O.

10/10/2014

I honestly dont even know the names of what we got besides the almond pear croissant but they were are so delicious I wanna cry. We got this other thing that was kind of like a croissant with a sweet center and also this hazelnut creme thing which was AMAZINGGGG we got the last one! Just wish it was a TAD bit cheaper but I understand why

9/17/2014

Their pastries are super good. Highly recommend: Banana Chocolate Crossant and Apple
Tart.

10/9/2014

The pastries, macaroons, everything we picked was delicious and fresh. It's like fairy feet dancing on my tongue! *giggles like Asian schoolgirl*

9/6/2014

My fellow foodie friend invited me on a petite adventure which sounded like fun despite not knowing where we might end up.

Our first stop, B Patisserie! I've been wanting to check out her store front for some time now so clearly my friend knew me all too well!

Kouign Amann was just as amazing as I had recalled only this time I got to try a chocolate version! They pour the chocolate to order so by the time you get it the chocolate has set just enough where its not to runny nor too chalky

Quiche-delicious, light and airy, well seasoned, ours that day reminded me of huevos ranchos flavor profile

Hazelnut Napoleon-can't recall the exact name but basically it was layers of caramel, hazelnut filling and thin layers of puff pastry. If you like hazelnut and caramel this is the slice for you

Forgot the other two we tried but still thought they were solid even if I they weren't my favorite. I really like the fact that everything we had wasn't overly sweet or salty, just the right balance and didn't leave me craving water afterwards

Overall Thoughts

Charming little bakery store front producing amazing pastries and desserts!

9/14/2014

I finally made it to this place before they closed for the day. I had the 10 hour apple tart. It was just okay. I don't think I'll be ordering it again.

I really enjoyed the Amann

9/30/2014

The pastries ain't too sweet here, but that's how I like it.  What I don't like is paying $5 per item, but it ain't everyday I come around here so I gotta do what I gotta do.

10/15/2014

Overrated and seemingly rude staff. Live right by here and would never go back...even if I was starving.

10/8/2014

Probably one of the best croissants in the city. I haven't tasted the rest of the desserts -  they look like heaven... Coffee was good, but since the place sets such a high standard I could have hoped for just a bit more expertise when it comes to the coffee. This place have certainly been placed under my bookmarks for when I return to SF...

9/23/2014

Come for a Kouign Amann and stay for everything else. It's all amazing- definitely gives Tartine a run for their money. Plus the staff is super friendly!

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  Chocolate Banana Scone

  Chocolate Banana Scone
• 

  Chocolate Chip Cookie

  Chocolate Chip Cookie

9/18/2014

The ooey gooey center of the Kouigin Amann? I'd move in and never leave.

8/12/2014

Their Kouign Amanns and macarons are to DIE for!
You will not regret any calorie that is consumed here.
Have a cup of coffee with your pastries and sweets too- their Iced Americano hit the spot.

Line moves fast and service is friendly. Grab a table as those fill up quickly if you plan on dining in.

8/7/2014

I loved this place so much that I went two days in a row during my 5 day visit to San Francisco. It's a perfect meeting spot if you don't feel like a huge heavy brunch, and don't want to wait forever. Even though there can be long lines at popular times, it moves very quickly because the bakers behind the counter have got it down to a tee!

They're most famous for their fantastic Kouign Amann, which definitely lives up to the hype. Perfectly flaky, not too sweet, with a delectable center. They also often offer chocolate or fruit filled ones.

Everything else I tried there was also beautiful. It's so hard to choose when you're looking through the glass at so many gorgeous scones, croissants, breads, and other treats!

If you're not into the sweet stuff, they have a very tasty savory pastry as well as quiche. They also offer tartines, which I definitely want to try next time!

• 

  Carb heaven!

  Carb heaven!

9/9/2014

This place is amazing.

I work about two buildings away so it's not-so-great because I have the itch to come here every day! It's a bit pricey but it's totally worth it.

Service:
The staff is very friendly, but a bit slow moving so if there's even a couple of people in front of you, don't expect to be checked out very quickly. I'd like to see an "express lane" if you're only getting 1-2 items.

Pastries:
My favorite ones are the chocolate raspberry scones and the chocolate almond banana croissants.

8/15/2014

There's nothing like having breakfast with fresh baked French-inspired (from the French keltic region) pastries in a pastry shop and watching them hustle and bustle to keep up.

*Kouign Amann (pronounced keen) - croissant-like texture in a round shape with a caramelized light filling. Flaky pastry, filling was not heavy. It was divine.
*Passion fruit bostogk (pronounced bistock) - it looks like just a mini cake, but it was a twice-baked passion fruit pastry goodness (I can't even repeat the steps she said were taken to make these things because it just sounded so intensive).
*Banana chocolate almond croissant - the
*3 Cheese scone- (personally was up there with the kouign Amann as my fav).  It was light, fluffy, moist, flavored perfectly, and absolutely amazing.

Clean and friendly staff.  When we were there on a Friday morning, there was plenty of seating.  Worth every bite.

• 

  Making fresh goods!

  Making fresh goods!

8/20/2014

This is a really great bakery and cafe. The pastries and desserts are equally amazing -- though the desserts are a bit pricey -- but they are also worth it and very beautiful. I usually go for the scones, the croissants, the little coffee cakes, and other breakfast-type pastries.

I especially like the cookies and the pastries. The coffee is also great. And their open-face sandwiches are also nice.

The only thing I don't like -- and I wish they would change -- is that the chef puts chocolate chunks in many of the fruit scones. This place makes an fantastic scone, but in my opinion, chocolate doesn't really belong in a scone. For instance, in the chocolate and raspberry scone, the chocolate chunks kind of take over the whole taste. And they put chocolate in nearly every kind of scone, such that it's hard to find a scone without chocolate in it.

8/17/2014

The kougin amann is like a gift from the unseeable world for being a good person. It's good karma incarnate. Or at least, it's so good that you should have to be a good person to be allowed to eat it.

Dominique Ansel in New York, of cronut fame, was previously famous for his kougin amann, which is a nice pastry, but is no where near as beautiful as Belinda Leong's.

Be a good person, do something good, then come have one of these and feel fulfilled.

8/12/2014

This place surprised me out of nowhere! Allow me to explain. I came on a Saturday morning and selected 3 pastries: the cheese scone because I like to start my day with something savory, the chocolate, banana and almond croissant and the chocolate Kouign Amann since it was the bakery's specialty. I also got a latte.

I settled in at a table and started with the cheese scone and latte. The scone wasn't bad...but not particularly great. Many bakeries do savory better. I also had a bite of the Kouign Amann and it was great but more on that later.

The next day I had the chocolate, banana and almond croissant and to my surprise, it was DELICIOUS. I thought it might be too busy with three flavors but it was perfectly flaky and the flavors were a great combination and just enough. I especially love the banana pudding-esque stuff within the croissant!

The day after that, I finished the Kouign Amann. You'd think after 2 days, this wouldn't be so great but it was fantastic! It was crispy, pastry, flaky and had a lovely chocolate in the the middle.  It was like the bakery got better and better with each pastry I had!

While B Patisserie has a few savory pastries, I recommend you skip them and go straight for the sweet- you'll get a taste of heaven!