TLDR
Fresh-baked, theatrical Chinese fusion pastries featuring viral egg tarts and savory pork floss cakes. Affordable treats in the heart of Flushing.
Instagram Posts References
The final stop of the day was to pick up golden yolk pastries, which the reviewer had been craving, to enjoy throughout the week. The pastries were shown being made fresh.
This bakery is praised for its golden Portuguese yolk pastry egg tarts, featuring the creamiest custard center and the flakiest crusts the reviewer has ever seen. They also offer a velvet taro flavor that is a must-try.
Bao's Pastry is a well-known Chinese bakery brand celebrated for its highly affordable pastries and the transparency of an open kitchen where all items are made fresh throughout the day. Its inaugural U.S. branch in Flushing, NYC, has quickly become a local favorite, attracting many customers. Despite the bustling environment and potentially long but fast-moving lines, the quality and freshness of the pastries, particularly the egg tarts, offer excellent value for money. The experience can be overwhelming due to the crowd, but it's considered a worthwhile stop for a quick, fresh, and inexpensive pastry.
Bryan Kim visits Bao’s Pastry in Flushing, a Beijing-born bakery known for its impressive open-kitchen spectacle and must-try treats like tiramisu egg tarts and crispy pork floss cakes.
Details
Originating from Beijing, this bakery has brought its theatrical, open-kitchen production process to Flushing, allowing customers to watch fresh pastries being crafted daily [1]. The menu highlights a fusion of Chinese-inspired treats, ranging from savory meat-floss cakes to delicate egg tarts and butter mochi [2]. While many customers find the items fresh and delicious, opinions are split on whether the viral popularity is fully justified [2], [3].
Food Overview
The bakery specializes in diverse pastries, with high praise for its egg tarts—often compared to Portuguese styles for their creamy custard and flaky crusts—and coffee-flavored pork floss cakes [1], [2], [6]. While many enjoy items like the velvet taro egg tart and butter mochi, some visitors prefer traditional Cantonese-style egg tarts or find the pork floss options to be hit-or-miss [4], [6].
Customer Sentiment
Feedback is largely polarized; many patrons praise the consistent quality and freshness of the goods, while others feel the social media hype makes the experience overpriced and potentially overrated [3], [4]. Most agree that the lines are generally fast-moving, making it a convenient stop for a quick bite [3], [5].
Reddit Opinions & Reviews
Top Reddit Posts About BAO'S PASTRY
Recent Reddit Mentions
From post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author believes the hype around Bao's Pastry is due to FOMO and considers the items decent but overrated, not worth waiting in line for. They find the egg custard too sweet and heavy, preferring the balance of traditional dim sum egg tarts."
NegativeFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author finds the egg tarts good, mentioning a coworker occasionally brings them."
PositiveFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"Having visited both the Flushing location and one in China, the author finds Bao's Pastry just 'ok', noting their 'not too sweet' approach. They prefer some items from 85°C Bakery, especially their mochi tart."
NeutralFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author stated that the line typically takes 5-10 minutes."
NeutralFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author is intrigued by the crab floss cake and wants to know if anyone has tried it."
NeutralFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author commented that the line moves pretty fast."
NeutralFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"A Cantonese commenter finds the egg tarts from Bao's Pastry excellent, noting they are more like Portuguese egg tarts. They also favor the pork floss coffee cake over standard pork floss baos."
PositiveFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"This user commented that the reason the lines aren't long anymore is because the food is overpriced and overrated, hyped up by social media."
NegativeFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author is a fan of the egg tarts and visited on a weekday morning with no line. They expressed hesitation about waiting too long for them, noting Flushing is busy on weekends."
PositiveFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author adds that lines are no longer that long and move quickly."
NeutralFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author enjoys the egg tart with taro/red bean and the butter mochi, recommending warming them up. They also found the coffee pork floss and milk cake buns to be surprisingly good and soft."
PositiveFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"Despite initial skepticism, the author found the food genuinely good, particularly praising the tiramisu egg tart for its creamy texture and cake filling. They acknowledge this is their first experience with trendier, smaller egg tarts compared to older Cantonese styles."
PositiveFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author found the egg tarts and butter mochi to be pretty good but prefers egg tarts from other establishments. They did not enjoy the pork floss desserts and do not plan to return."
NegativeFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author states that both the egg tarts and pork floss items are very good."
PositiveFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author found Bao's Pastry to be pretty good, with egg tarts and almond crisp being highlights. They noted the line moves relatively fast and the prices are reasonable."
PositiveFrom post: Thoughts On Baos Pastry In Flushing Worth The Line
"The author likes the egg tarts and golden yolk pastry. They would only wait if the line is short, as they generally dislike waiting."
Positive