Taste: 5 Creativity/Authenticity: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Service: 5 Bang for your buck: 5 IYKYK
Celine M.
Ive been going to this bakery since 2018 and it's nice to see that they've grown a lot since. I personally recommend getting the OG pineapple bun with butter hot and fresh. This is truly the best way to enjoy it. This time I got the pineapple butter sampler to try the different butter options available. I love the cute container and size but it would've been nicer if we got to choose the butter options vs. the preselected options they had. One important tip- make sure you eat these buns warmed up/toasted. It makes a huge difference to the taste and turns it from something bland and cold to a beautiful crispy light fluffy bun.
Tiffany P.
You can find one of SF's best pastries here! Their Pineapple Buns are a beautiful sight just as much as they are delicious. The sight? A *thick* slab of butter tucked into a warm, squishy pineapple bun with a sweet crumbly crust! Guava butter is also available. Besides butter slabs, you can order them stuffed with BBQ pork, red bean, sesame, taro, custard, and so much more. (If you're unfamiliar with pineapple buns, just know that no actual pineapples are involved. The criss-cross shape of the crust resembles a pineapple pattern, hence its name.) Each bite gives instant gratification and joy that leaves you wanting more. Do yourself a favor by saving yourself an extra trip back and just buying a couple the first time! I've luckily never had to wait in line here, but if there was one, it'd be 100% worth the wait! Besides, service is quick, so patrons get in and out in no time. Literally, because it's only takeout and there's no seating. Don't forget to bring cash** I highly recommend their Pineapple Buns to all butter and bread enthusiasts and anyone looking for the perfect, light and portable snack :)
Bonnie C.
The line for this place used to be quick but there's a long line now. Recommend placing an order online for pickup. All are delicious but my go to are pineapple bun w/butter and custard pineapple bun. Must try pineapple bun w/butter. The last time I had it was in Hong Kong. Not a lot of places have this.
Zarifa A.
I heard that this spot has a pretty big following so I knew I had to check it out during my SF trip. I ordered the original pineapple bun with butter, the ube pineapple bun, and an egg tart. From the 3, my favorite was the ube pineapple bun! The breading for the bun itself was so delicious and I absolutely loved the ube filling. I'm a big ube fan and I really appreciated that the ube flavor was pretty prominent. Although the ube pineapple bun was my favorite, the original pineapple bun and egg tart were great as well. I came on a weekday around noon and the wait to order wasn't too bad, however, waiting to get our food did take a while. I heard that this place is super crowded during the weekend though, so be prepared for that. Service is limited as you're only talking to the employees when you order and pickup your food. The store itself is more of a stand and there's no area to sit and eat--this is strictly to go only. Overall, I enjoyed my pastries here, however, I wouldn't say that it's worth the hype it gets or worth waiting in a long line for.
Lisa B.
Did online ordering which is convenient for the speed and pay by card. They are cash only in person. Got the butter, pandan and guava. I found the butter to be underwhelming and personally felt like I was eating a stick of butter on an otherwise very well made pineapple bun. The pandan and guava were absolutely amazing! Highly recommend
Adriana F.
DELICIOUS! We ordered an assortment of pineapple buns and they were all perfectly sweet and soft with a crunchy top. Pineapple King is cash only though, so remember to bring some cash for these tasty buns.
Stephanie B.
The tastiest pineapple buns. Clearly a crowd favorite, lots of people were in line placing huge orders. Can't wait to go back. Yum!
Isabel T.
Came here around 1 ish on sunday. There was a short like but it moves fast after u order. You can order online but if u order in the line its cash only. Parking is street parking so we got lucky bc someone pulled out right as we pulled in. We got the 2 orders of pineapple puffs (mango and matcha), its 3.20 for two pieces but they are smaller, ube (3.60), red bean and custard and sesame (2.40 each), bbq pork (2.25, these were smaller so thats why its cheaper), the matcha mochi pineapple bun (4.20), and the strawberry mousse (4.75). Total was 30.60 i think. Um so overall it was quite mid sadly LOL. Def not the best pineapple buns ive tried. The topping of the baos were nottt sweet and thats usually the best part of pineapple buns so that was sad. Then for most of the baos the filling was not sweet enough, like it was barely sweet tbh. Except for the pineapple puffs, those fillings were pretty good it was like liquidy cream idk how to describe it. The bbq pork ones were nottt that great, the filling was quite small and idk it jus wasnt that flavorful either lol. Also the strob mousse one was interesting, jus got it bc it looked cool but the mousse was interesting, def could taste strob flavor but it was like gelatiny mousse. Matcha mochi was cool, i liked the matcha mochi and red bean combination. It was cool to try it tho, def wouldnt come back again tho.
Cathy Q.
Lessons learned: 1. Don't come on the weekends because parking is impossible and some meters are maxed at 30 mins. 2. Bring cash!!! Cash only for walk-ins. Ordering online takes at least 40 minutes. First time visited today and got the pineapple buns with butter, pineapple buns with strawberry mousse, regular pineapple puffs and mango pineapple puffs. The ones with butter were pretty amazing, and so did the mango ones. Strawberry mousse is a no for me. This place is only for pick ups. No seatings nor did it have an area for you to hang around. Overall, do the buns worth the wait and coming all the way for, perhaps not for me. But you can be the judge.
PINEAPPLE BUNS: 5/5 My table after the box of pineapple buns: -2938475/5. -packaging of the buns(0/5) - see image- Buns are great, super solid pineapple buns; not much to say there. However, their box entirely messed up our glass kitchen table! We set the box on the dining room table and it stuck to it; not just from moisture type of deal; entirely fully GLUED! The side flaps also stuck to the sides of the box so we basically ripped the entire box to re-open it when we got home, and when we lifted the box to move it so we could eat dinner, the paper appeared to be GLUED to our table like the sides did. We had to tear the box off and were stuck with the residue on our table. Hence, we had to transfer all our buns onto a plate. Now I'm not sure why our box seemed to have this glue-like substance that happened after it settled but whatever it was, I for sure absolutely will not order it in the box again. -ordering system(0/5) Now onto their ordering system; I chose to utilize their online ordering system. I placed my order for 4:45pm at 8am same day, and went over to their store around 4:50pm. I told them I got there, left my name, and they told me to wait for my order. I received my order at 5:30pm, FOURTY FIVE MINUTES after my set time. Other people who ordered online were also very delayed, yet they kept taking in person orders over and over again. What is the purpose of having an online ordering system if nobody get's their orders by the set time? Not to mention they ran out of 2 of the buns I had ordered and offered a replacement which was nice. What wasn't nice was the guy giving me a look when I was looking over their menu deciding what to replace it with. A star for their buns; although their buns are great, this experience itself was incredibly frustrating and I don't think I will be back anytime soon.
Supar K.
Food it's Ok Service Very Bad My number 22 Waiting almost 40 minutes order only 7 pcs and Sales person call number 28 He SKIP my number. That why a lot customers waiting and SKIP some customers Number.
Mike C.
Startling discovery that I've never written anything about this popular bakery in the Irving Street Asian foods corridor. This was always a 2nd stop after going to the Taiwanese bakery down the block. I stopped in and picked up a variety of their varying versions of this classic Hong Kong pastry to try myself and share with my family. Fast forward more than fifteen years later and a thoughtful friend from the island brought me a box in a Nike shopping bag on a rainy Friday afternoon. When I brought it home, I was anticipating a Hawaiian pastry like malasadas, poi donuts, or the like. To my surprise, this was what it was ( Because I got home late that evening, I did not try anything until the next morning. I reheated the strawberry mousse pineapple bun ( in the toaster oven which resulted in this. I enjoyed this and did not know the filling was a mousse which obviously melted over. The flavors were still good though not aesthetic to the eye. It's always better to eat pastries warm. Later that day, I decided to eat a half of the pineapple bun with butter ( needing to watch my gorgeous figure and eyeing my sugar levels. This one, I chose to reheat and here's what it looked like after spreading the butter ( Having this with a glass of iced tea. I alternated sips with bites of this. Now... I get why this is so popular in HK, particularly with coffee drinkers there or perhaps even milk tea drinkers. The richness of the butter with the slight saltiness pairs well with this crusty, sweet, crumbly bun. I reheated the others for my family and they seemed to enjoy them though I didn't really get any opinion or comments on what they tried. Trying this showed me how much this business has evolved. They definitely didn't have the number of flavors that they offer now back then. I haven't been here likely due to the difficulty in finding parking though I do stop by sometimes for dinners when it's a little less busy. I will try to come here again, likely an early weekend morning, to try some of their other flavors. Thanks to my 808 friend for reintroducing me to this neighborhood staple.
Joshua Yuan
After years of eyeing this bakery I finally visited. There just so happened to be no line when I got there at 4pm Tuesday but immediately after me there were a few parties. I didn't wait too long for my order of around 5 buns. It is cash only so be ready for that.And let me say, they were a lot more delicious than I even expected. I'll be honest I'm generally not the biggest fan of pineapple buns but these here have fillings and toppings and I think that made it really nice especially because they were also baked fresh.Even my parents really liked them! The mango custard was quite good, and the salted egg one too. But in general I don't think you'll go wrong if you pick flavors you enjoy. Thanks!
EM H.
Long line, better to order online ahead! Tbh, it's worthy to try Once only. But it's not as tasty as expected, I would say nothing special. They do have different varieties but the original would be the best! The taste of the HK milk tea wasn't as good as it costs, but acceptable. Overall, so-so...
Taste: 5 Creativity/Authenticity: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Service: 5 Bang for your buck: 5 IYKYK
Ive been going to this bakery since 2018 and it's nice to see that they've grown a lot since. I personally recommend getting the OG pineapple bun with butter hot and fresh. This is truly the best way to enjoy it. This time I got the pineapple butter sampler to try the different butter options available. I love the cute container and size but it would've been nicer if we got to choose the butter options vs. the preselected options they had. One important tip- make sure you eat these buns warmed up/toasted. It makes a huge difference to the taste and turns it from something bland and cold to a beautiful crispy light fluffy bun.
You can find one of SF's best pastries here! Their Pineapple Buns are a beautiful sight just as much as they are delicious. The sight? A *thick* slab of butter tucked into a warm, squishy pineapple bun with a sweet crumbly crust! Guava butter is also available. Besides butter slabs, you can order them stuffed with BBQ pork, red bean, sesame, taro, custard, and so much more. (If you're unfamiliar with pineapple buns, just know that no actual pineapples are involved. The criss-cross shape of the crust resembles a pineapple pattern, hence its name.) Each bite gives instant gratification and joy that leaves you wanting more. Do yourself a favor by saving yourself an extra trip back and just buying a couple the first time! I've luckily never had to wait in line here, but if there was one, it'd be 100% worth the wait! Besides, service is quick, so patrons get in and out in no time. Literally, because it's only takeout and there's no seating. Don't forget to bring cash** I highly recommend their Pineapple Buns to all butter and bread enthusiasts and anyone looking for the perfect, light and portable snack :)
The line for this place used to be quick but there's a long line now. Recommend placing an order online for pickup. All are delicious but my go to are pineapple bun w/butter and custard pineapple bun. Must try pineapple bun w/butter. The last time I had it was in Hong Kong. Not a lot of places have this.
I heard that this spot has a pretty big following so I knew I had to check it out during my SF trip. I ordered the original pineapple bun with butter, the ube pineapple bun, and an egg tart. From the 3, my favorite was the ube pineapple bun! The breading for the bun itself was so delicious and I absolutely loved the ube filling. I'm a big ube fan and I really appreciated that the ube flavor was pretty prominent. Although the ube pineapple bun was my favorite, the original pineapple bun and egg tart were great as well. I came on a weekday around noon and the wait to order wasn't too bad, however, waiting to get our food did take a while. I heard that this place is super crowded during the weekend though, so be prepared for that. Service is limited as you're only talking to the employees when you order and pickup your food. The store itself is more of a stand and there's no area to sit and eat--this is strictly to go only. Overall, I enjoyed my pastries here, however, I wouldn't say that it's worth the hype it gets or worth waiting in a long line for.
Did online ordering which is convenient for the speed and pay by card. They are cash only in person. Got the butter, pandan and guava. I found the butter to be underwhelming and personally felt like I was eating a stick of butter on an otherwise very well made pineapple bun. The pandan and guava were absolutely amazing! Highly recommend
DELICIOUS! We ordered an assortment of pineapple buns and they were all perfectly sweet and soft with a crunchy top. Pineapple King is cash only though, so remember to bring some cash for these tasty buns.
The tastiest pineapple buns. Clearly a crowd favorite, lots of people were in line placing huge orders. Can't wait to go back. Yum!
Came here around 1 ish on sunday. There was a short like but it moves fast after u order. You can order online but if u order in the line its cash only. Parking is street parking so we got lucky bc someone pulled out right as we pulled in. We got the 2 orders of pineapple puffs (mango and matcha), its 3.20 for two pieces but they are smaller, ube (3.60), red bean and custard and sesame (2.40 each), bbq pork (2.25, these were smaller so thats why its cheaper), the matcha mochi pineapple bun (4.20), and the strawberry mousse (4.75). Total was 30.60 i think. Um so overall it was quite mid sadly LOL. Def not the best pineapple buns ive tried. The topping of the baos were nottt sweet and thats usually the best part of pineapple buns so that was sad. Then for most of the baos the filling was not sweet enough, like it was barely sweet tbh. Except for the pineapple puffs, those fillings were pretty good it was like liquidy cream idk how to describe it. The bbq pork ones were nottt that great, the filling was quite small and idk it jus wasnt that flavorful either lol. Also the strob mousse one was interesting, jus got it bc it looked cool but the mousse was interesting, def could taste strob flavor but it was like gelatiny mousse. Matcha mochi was cool, i liked the matcha mochi and red bean combination. It was cool to try it tho, def wouldnt come back again tho.
Lessons learned: 1. Don't come on the weekends because parking is impossible and some meters are maxed at 30 mins. 2. Bring cash!!! Cash only for walk-ins. Ordering online takes at least 40 minutes. First time visited today and got the pineapple buns with butter, pineapple buns with strawberry mousse, regular pineapple puffs and mango pineapple puffs. The ones with butter were pretty amazing, and so did the mango ones. Strawberry mousse is a no for me. This place is only for pick ups. No seatings nor did it have an area for you to hang around. Overall, do the buns worth the wait and coming all the way for, perhaps not for me. But you can be the judge.
Restaurantji Recommends
PINEAPPLE BUNS: 5/5 My table after the box of pineapple buns: -2938475/5. -packaging of the buns(0/5) - see image- Buns are great, super solid pineapple buns; not much to say there. However, their box entirely messed up our glass kitchen table! We set the box on the dining room table and it stuck to it; not just from moisture type of deal; entirely fully GLUED! The side flaps also stuck to the sides of the box so we basically ripped the entire box to re-open it when we got home, and when we lifted the box to move it so we could eat dinner, the paper appeared to be GLUED to our table like the sides did. We had to tear the box off and were stuck with the residue on our table. Hence, we had to transfer all our buns onto a plate. Now I'm not sure why our box seemed to have this glue-like substance that happened after it settled but whatever it was, I for sure absolutely will not order it in the box again. -ordering system(0/5) Now onto their ordering system; I chose to utilize their online ordering system. I placed my order for 4:45pm at 8am same day, and went over to their store around 4:50pm. I told them I got there, left my name, and they told me to wait for my order. I received my order at 5:30pm, FOURTY FIVE MINUTES after my set time. Other people who ordered online were also very delayed, yet they kept taking in person orders over and over again. What is the purpose of having an online ordering system if nobody get's their orders by the set time? Not to mention they ran out of 2 of the buns I had ordered and offered a replacement which was nice. What wasn't nice was the guy giving me a look when I was looking over their menu deciding what to replace it with. A star for their buns; although their buns are great, this experience itself was incredibly frustrating and I don't think I will be back anytime soon.
Food it's Ok Service Very Bad My number 22 Waiting almost 40 minutes order only 7 pcs and Sales person call number 28 He SKIP my number. That why a lot customers waiting and SKIP some customers Number.
Startling discovery that I've never written anything about this popular bakery in the Irving Street Asian foods corridor. This was always a 2nd stop after going to the Taiwanese bakery down the block. I stopped in and picked up a variety of their varying versions of this classic Hong Kong pastry to try myself and share with my family. Fast forward more than fifteen years later and a thoughtful friend from the island brought me a box in a Nike shopping bag on a rainy Friday afternoon. When I brought it home, I was anticipating a Hawaiian pastry like malasadas, poi donuts, or the like. To my surprise, this was what it was ( Because I got home late that evening, I did not try anything until the next morning. I reheated the strawberry mousse pineapple bun ( in the toaster oven which resulted in this. I enjoyed this and did not know the filling was a mousse which obviously melted over. The flavors were still good though not aesthetic to the eye. It's always better to eat pastries warm. Later that day, I decided to eat a half of the pineapple bun with butter ( needing to watch my gorgeous figure and eyeing my sugar levels. This one, I chose to reheat and here's what it looked like after spreading the butter ( Having this with a glass of iced tea. I alternated sips with bites of this. Now... I get why this is so popular in HK, particularly with coffee drinkers there or perhaps even milk tea drinkers. The richness of the butter with the slight saltiness pairs well with this crusty, sweet, crumbly bun. I reheated the others for my family and they seemed to enjoy them though I didn't really get any opinion or comments on what they tried. Trying this showed me how much this business has evolved. They definitely didn't have the number of flavors that they offer now back then. I haven't been here likely due to the difficulty in finding parking though I do stop by sometimes for dinners when it's a little less busy. I will try to come here again, likely an early weekend morning, to try some of their other flavors. Thanks to my 808 friend for reintroducing me to this neighborhood staple.
After years of eyeing this bakery I finally visited. There just so happened to be no line when I got there at 4pm Tuesday but immediately after me there were a few parties. I didn't wait too long for my order of around 5 buns. It is cash only so be ready for that.And let me say, they were a lot more delicious than I even expected. I'll be honest I'm generally not the biggest fan of pineapple buns but these here have fillings and toppings and I think that made it really nice especially because they were also baked fresh.Even my parents really liked them! The mango custard was quite good, and the salted egg one too. But in general I don't think you'll go wrong if you pick flavors you enjoy. Thanks!
Long line, better to order online ahead! Tbh, it's worthy to try Once only. But it's not as tasty as expected, I would say nothing special. They do have different varieties but the original would be the best! The taste of the HK milk tea wasn't as good as it costs, but acceptable. Overall, so-so...