Robert WebbAnnyeonghaseyo!
You might have heard of this phrase when entering certain Korean stores, restaurants, or even bakeries. It simply means a formal “hello” in Korean.
That being said, we’re also here to welcome you with sweet delights and savory delicacies as we present our list of the best Korean bakeries in Vancouver.
How much do Korean bread or donuts cost in Vancouver?
Korea is known for its sweet delicacies in the form of bread or donuts. Perhaps the most common flavor out there is the red bean paste.
Here’s a breakdown of different kinds of Korean bread and donuts in Vancouver to help that sweet tooth of yours:
The Best Korean Bakeries in Vancouver
This particular list has a variety of unique restaurants with different items on the menu composed of bread, donuts, cakes, cookies, walnut cakes, among others.
To help you find the top Korean bakeries in Vancouver, here’s our criteria in creating this list:
Without further ado, we present the best Korean bakeries in Vancouver
1. Nam Dae Moon Rice Cake
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Menu variety | ★★☆☆☆ (2/5) |
| Food quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
If you’re a fan of rice cakes and a mochi lover, then Nam Dae San is definitely the go-to place for you.
With so many rising Korean bakeries in Vancouver, this bakery has established itself as one of the authentic shops in the area. In fact, they already have three stores in North York, Richmond, and Burnaby.
We’ll be straightforward and state that Nam Dae San sells its rice cakes and mochis at a relatively expensive price. And though these are the only items they sell, they’re made fresh daily and have different flavors to choose from.
We recommend the classic red bean and Oreo chocolate lava flavors for the rice cakes. For the mochis, we’d like you to try Nam Dae San’s fruity flavors like mango, strawberry, and milky banana.
Since this bakery has limited seating capacity as well, we highly suggest that you take your mini sweet treats to go and enjoy them at home or in the office.
Nam Dae San’s dining areas aren’t as spacious but this is somehow understandable since it only offers two items on its menu.
But if you really want to try dining in, we assure you that Nam Dae San’s staff is friendly and will give you a very warm welcome. They will even give you fun facts on how rice cakes and mochis are made.
Pros
- Specializes in rice cakes and mochi
- Friendly staff
- Recommended for takeouts
- Has multiple branches in the area
Cons
- Limited menu variety
- Limited seating capacity
- Relatively expensive food
Customer Reviews
Friendly reminder
“Came here, got their mango and strawberry mochi. Soft and chewy! Staff was nice to explain all the instructions how to keep the mochi fresh when we bring it home.” – Amy Food Vlogs
For the mochi fans
“Im a huge mochi fan and I really enjoyed all the variety of items they have! I love how everything is the perfect chewy consistency and isn’t too sweet either.” – Angela, Google Reviews
2. Nukid
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Menu variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Food quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
You’ll never run out of options when you visit Nukid. Whether you’re a newcomer or a frequent customer here, its donuts will definitely leave a lasting impression.
Nukid specializes in Korean-style baked goods, offering a wide variety of food. It serves classic donuts, twisted donuts, and even cronuts which are basically half-croissant and half-donut.
Compared to other Korean bakeries, Nukid brings a more diverse selection to choose from. However, they do sell donuts at a relatively higher price if bought per piece.
Nevertheless, the portion sizes are quite decent – two donuts could even amount to a full meal for some people!
If you have a sweet tooth though, we recommend the strawberry cheesecake and custard donuts.
We’d like you to try Nukid’s mint choco, matcha, and earl grey donuts as well since these flavors have a very unique taste.
Now, if you’re someone who can’t easily decide what to pick, then try Nukid’s other goods such as madeleine, tarts, and cakes, to name a few.
Just like most bakeries, Nukid only has a limited seating capacity and doesn’t allow reservations. But it’s open every day and we suggest that you get your goods for takeaway to enjoy at your heart’s content.
Pros
- Wide variety of food
- Specializes in Korean-style baked goods
- Suitable for taking out food
- Open every day
Cons
- Can’t accommodate large groups for dine-in
- No reservations allowed
- Pricey menu
Customer Reviews
Freshly-made
“The dough was perfectly fluffy and soft, the fillings were so fresh and savory. It also weren’t too sweet. So delicious!! And every staff is kind and nice” – Eden, Google Reviews
Simply the best
“Hands down one of the best Korean style bakeries I’ve ever been to! The aesthetic of the shop, the service, and the donuts were all top quality. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone and everyone!!” – JJ Bastida, Google Reviews
3. Hoduya
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Menu variety | ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5) |
| Food quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Hoduya is one of the most unique bakeries in Vancouver.
We find it interesting that it only sells one food item along with hot americano and cappuccino for beverages.
For a bakery that only offers one item, Hoduya has become one of the most renowned bakeries in the area.
Hoduya primarily offers hodu-gwaja. It’s fondly called walnut cakes or walnut cookies which trace their roots from Cheonan, South Korea.
Hoduya gave the hodu-gwaja a different twist by converting it into walnut cake balls. These small goods aren’t only delicious and flavorful but are also sold at an affordable price.
We highly recommend the red bean and white bean paste among the classic selections. This bakery also offers three different custard-based flavors namely custard cream, choco custard, and matcha custard.
We hate to break it to you though that Hoduya is only open on select days. The bakery also welcomes its customers until 5 PM only.
What’s good with Hoduya is that the more you purchase, the cheaper it gets too.
For example, a single walnut cake ball costs $1 while a set of 6 pieces are only $5. So you basically get one piece for free!
Pros
- Specializes in walnut cake balls
- Affordable desserts
- Larger quantities sold at a cheaper price compared when bought per piece
Cons
- Has a very lean menu
- Only open for select days
- Operation hours aren’t that extensive
Customer Reviews
‘Hidden gem’
“Very Nice hidden gem in Vancouver, great dessert with good flavours, staff are friendly and the kitchen is clean. The desserts were too good that we actually finished all of them before I remembered to cook any photo🤣. All the walnut cakes are freshly made and good balance between the sweetness and the original flavour. Love this place.” Leo Poon, Google Reviews
Made fresh to order
“OH MY OH MY WOW!!! I ordered 6 walnut cake balls (2 Red bean paste/2 White bean paste/2 Custard cream) & 1 Pastry red bean (out of curiosity). They were made to order and came out hot and crunch. There was a nice and big toasted walnut inside the ball also. My favorites were red bean paste and custard cream. <3 I think the pastry one was more buttery which was nice. You must try here!” J Y, Google Reviews
4. Unni Pastries
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Menu variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Food quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Unni Pastries is a bakery in Vancouver founded by husband and wife Garrett and Esther Lee.
This pastry shop is popularly known for creating Korean donuts and pastries. What we also liked about Unni Pastries is its specialty in making customized wedding cakes.
It’s also great that Unni Pastries has already established its “Most Popular” products on its website namely Chocolate Cream Brioche, Maldon Salt Brioche, 12 Classic Donut Mix, and Fresh Cream Loaf Bread.
But what we’d suggest is for you to get its 12 Classic Donut Mix. Four different products can be bought in one and the proportion and taste justify its price.
You’ll also get to taste Korea’s signature flavors because the 12 Classic Donut Mix includes 3 red beans and 3 mochi red beans. The two other products are 3 cinnamon twists and 3 croquettes.
Unni Pastries is also a great option if you’re looking for a bakery that offers wedding cakes customization. Look no further as this pastry shop also provides cake tastings packages.
We’re here to remind you though that its menu is only available for pre-order. It also has limited opening days so make sure to book your orders as early as possible.
On the bright side, scheduling an order online is less hassle since you can just input the desired pickup and delivery locations.
You might want to try purchasing gift cards from Unni Pastries too. Its gift cards, in our opinion, could be a good gift idea for a friend or a loved one.
Pros
- Plenty of bread, donuts, and pastries to choose from
- Specializes in Korean donuts and pastries
- Offers wedding cakes customization
- Gift cards available for purchase
Cons
- Menu available for pre-order only
- Limited opening days
Customer Reviews
‘Off the charts’
“Unni’s pastries are off the chart! I would give 10 stars if I could! They are amazingly delicious! Unni’s pastries are definitely must-try food in Vancouver!!!!” – Yoonie B, Google Reviews
Fast and easy transaction
“Love their online ordering system and fast delivery! Ordered on Wednesday night and got our orders on Friday before noon (this is dependent on your location). They texted me the confirmation, texted me again on day of delivery as well. Delivery was free for over $30 purchase. Ordered the rainbow donuts and cake jars – great for picnics!!” – Mountain Mom, Google Reviews
5. Stuffies Pastries
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| Criteria | Ratings |
| Menu variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Food quality | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Stuffies Pastries surely brought the classic Korean delicacy here in Vancouver. This bakery specializes in making its signature bungeoppang, Korea’s famous fish-shaped pastries.
It continued to thrive to be one of the go-to pastry shops in Vancouver. This wouldn’t be possible if Stuffies Pastries didn’t earn the right to bring and use automatic baking machines from a company called DeliManjoo.
Since then, its main product “Stuffies” made a name of its own in the area.
Stuffies are basically waffle-like baked pastries shaped like cute animals. These are filled with its signature Crème Patisserie (custard) fillings and are best paired with its Belgian hot choco or specialty coffee.
Aside from its originality, what we liked about Stuffies is the innovation of its products. One product that we also find interesting is the crotai.
Crotai is a combination of croissant and taiyaki. Taiyaki is the Japanese counterpart of Korea’s bunggeoppang.
We highly recommend the crotai option for lunch! Different savory flavors await you such as pizza, Thai chicken, tuna salad, and ham & cheese.
While this bakery is a good option for desserts, it’s not recommended for those who are looking for heavy meals. Stuffies Pastries, however, offers set meals at an affordable price.
Some diners, however, expressed disappointment with the quality control and consistency of the Stuffies.
While it remains tasty and flavorful, other customers find it “too sweet” and this is something that this pastry shop should discuss in the future.
We haven’t mentioned it yet but it’s also good that Stuffies Pastries’ soft-serves and sandwiches are also available in vegan and gluten-free versions.
Stuffies Pastries also has multiple branches to choose from. It’s also a major plus that these Korean delights are freshly-made every day.
Pros
- Has its own unique and signature product
- Also offers savory snacks for light meals
- Other menu offered in vegan and gluten-free versions
- Has multiple branches to choose from
Cons
- Not recommended for diners looking for heavy meal
- Issues on quality control
Customer Reviews
Worth the stop
“We stopped here between switching busses, and it was a great decision. We each had a crotai. I found the pastry breading to be delicious even on its own, and there were so many filling types to choose from. The coffee was great too. If you’re not in a rush to get to your destination, it’s worth hopping off here to grab some food and get the next bus instead!” – Stefanie Kischak, Google Reviews
Gift idea
“Really cute gift option!! I would definitely recommend eating them fresh if possible. And I would also suggest trying the Cherry flavour before you buy multiple, they are not everyone’s cup of tea. The vanilla and chocolate are great and I would love to try their bigger baked goods soon too.” – Nofar Zaidie, Google Reviews
FAQs about Korean Bakeries
If you’re looking for more Asian cuisine the next time you’re in the area, then read our article on the best Japanese restaurants in Vancouver.
