Sumi’s Cakery

I’m agreeing with Laura, I was not expecting the Red Bean Cake to be quite as sweet. It was a little too sweet for my taste, but still delicious.
Sumo is unique, there are lots of baked goods to choose from, some small, plus some larger cakes.
The café area is inviting and comfortable.
So many new things to try, I’m sure to be back again.

I’ve been meaning to check out Sumi’s for a long while, and I finally stopped by on Sun. As a counterpoint to the Chinese bakery across the street, Sumi’s specializes in Korean baked goods, which are more subtly sweet than their American counterparts. The format is similar in that the goods are set out, and you make your selections and bring them up to the register for purchase.
During my visit, I selected a matcha bun ($ 2) and a red bean cake ($ 2). I ate the matcha bun immediately, given that it wasn’t packaged and the red bean cake was. As a fan of matcha flavored sweets, I was pleased with the balance between the slight bitterness and sweetness of the matcha coating. The bun itself was brioche, and was quite fluffy yet substantial.
I tried the red bean cake later and was less pleased with it. Having visited East Asia a few times, I’m quite familiar with red bean desserts. My issue here was that I found the amount of red bean paste overwhelming, making the dessert sweeter than I expected for an Asian dessert. Also, the textures of the cake and the filling were both very similar, and I would have preferred more differentiation (e.g., crispy exterior with soft interior).
Service was friendly, and the interior is much more spacious than it appears from outside, with chairs and tables for those wishing to enjoy their sweets on site. Like the Chinese bakery across the street, I found the price point to be a bit high, but not totally unreasonable. I’d return, but I’d get something different than the red bean cake next time. 3.5 stars.

Their bubble tea is quite good as are their green tea buns. I do wish they had more overall selection, as their items are a bit more limited than some other places. But I do like their stuff.

Fresh baked goods. Tried the blueberry bun, it was light and flavorful.
Bubble tea is a little overpriced ($ 4 for small, $ 5 for large) but taste was decent.

If Sumi’s patbingsu is what all patbingsu tastes like, I don’t know why regular shave ice (or even filipino halo-​halo) still exists. I’m normally not a huge fan of red bean desserts – if you’ve never had red bean, consider trying it in bread before trying a whole red bean bingsu – but this was amazing. And you can easily share this with 3 – 4 people. I’ll be going back to try the other flavors for sure.
Tip from Sumi: Bingsu is meant to be mixed up completely so that you don’t end up with plain shave ice at the bottom.
The bubble tea is nothing special. They use powdered flavoring (as most places do) and the boba is a bit on the hard/​chewy side. You can also tell they don’t soak their boba in sweet syrup which can be good or bad depending on your preference – it’s not that noticeable unless you’re really into bubble tea. Now if they made bubble tea smoothies out of the red bean or matcha ice cream they use in the bingsu, that would be good.

The buns are buttery and delicious. You absolutely have to go around 11:30−12 when the buns come hot out of the oven. They also have the best bubble tea I’ve had in Pittsburgh!

I’ve tried many of the sweet rolls, and I’ve never been disappointed. My favorites are the green tea bun and the larger bun with almonds on top and the cream strip in the middle. everything tastes very fresh and not too sweet.
The bubble tea is also great, my favorites are mango and lavender. The staff is always super friendly, and it’s never too busy.

I got a red velvet cupcake and it was horrible to say the least. The icing tastes like straight margarine… almost to the point where I forgot it was a cup cake. It turned more into a dinner roll experience for me and I’m more so just mad I spend $ 3.00 on a dinner roll. Service was good, that’s about it.

Having a Korean bakery across from a Chinese one can be a nice thing, since here they make some things not found across the street, like the shaved ice. I’ve tried some of their cakes, and these have not failed me. The green tea cheesecake is sweet with a good soft consistency and a strong green tea taste. The rosewater cake is probably one of their more unique ones, and it comes with a strong but sweet floral flavor.
On the other hand, I’ve tried one of their green tea pastries, and that was a bit less memorable. For buns, I do think the ones at Pink Box look a bit more appealing.
I do wish they have longer hours since they do desserts in the form of shaved ice and bubble teas!

This is the best asian bakery in pittsburgh. Pink box is not as good. Her prices are OK. I have high standards coming from the West coast and also East coast experiences. She is also very nice.
Breads: very simple breads, standard. Nothing fancy. Taste is good
Cake: very korean. not too sweet, and unique. I love the sweet potato one. She uses the purple kind. The cake prices were a bit pricey. I got a medium cake for 10 people. Cost 65 dollars.
Boba/​bubble tea: hands down the BEST bubble tea in pittsburgh/​oakland area (vs rose tea, vs. everyday ramen, vs. asian place in schendly park)
She also has interesting flavors including Lavender/​Rose.

I’ve grateful for Sumi’s because sometimes I want my Korean pastries, and not the French or Chinese kind.
Sumi’s offers your traditional Korean buns filled with red bean, but for those accustomed to places like Tour Les Jours or PB, you’ll notice that Sumi’s bread is a lot more sophisticated and she packs the red bean like no other. Sumi’s does similar iterations for other items with the similar bread base with green tea and their cream/​mocha cream buns. The selection is not as large as your typical Korean bakeries, but what they do, they do well.
The atmosphere is nice– few tables, high ceiling, and never any crazy bustling. They offer Korean shaved ice, assortment of drinks, and also cakes that light and tasty.

I love this bakery. I’ve only tried their buns (which are great), but I finally got to try their bingsoo today! Got the green tea one and it was amazing. The portion was big, so it was perfect for sharing. The staff was also very nice, and offered to give us extra matcha powder. I also saw her giving a cup of corn tea to a customer for free. I’ll definitely be coming back for more!

Ahhh, Coming from NYC where Korean and Chinese bakeries are littered on every Asian neighborhood, I was so relieved to find sumi’s Cakery! Their breads are so soft and fluffy and my roommate and I loved everything we bought. I’m a sucker for simple Red Bean buns and they are delicious and have ample amounts of filling. The breads are also very balanced, not overly sweet but hits that accent of comforting. We bought quite a selection and they were still great the next day!
–Chocolate Bun– Not overly sweet despite it’s apperance. Baked chocolate bread and inside is just lovingly soft.
–Condensed Milk Bread– Interesting flavor! Super soft and great with jam!
–Mocha bread– Perfect companion with any hot drink!
We also ate one of their Mango Bingsoo’s! Super refreshing on a hot day and can feed up to 3 people! The Bakery itself was clean and comfortable and at a good temperature and the Customer service was excellent. I highly highly recommend this bakery as a dessert spot after having dinner in the neighborhood.
Since there’s very little competition in pittsburgh it’s still Fantastic quality! I’m dreaming about what the cakes must taste like.

This is a very cute shop that I actually never even noticed until it was recommended by a friend. The girl working was very timid, which made ordering a little difficult. I resulted to speaking some Korean in order to make sure I was ordering exactly what I wanted. I ordered, (Korean shaved ice with vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit). It was very good! I went on an extremely hot day, and this dessert was not overly sweet and very refreshing. I’m glad that I stopped by the shop before Sumi went back to Korea to learn how to make more desserts.

This place has always been on my radar but since I’m not a huge sweets person I never rushed to try. Had a friend mention that Sunmi’s had patbingsu and needless to say I was all over that.
ATMOSPHERE;;
Atmosphere is great. Very quaint and quiet with two window tables and a larger table in the back. The breads are arranged in the left wall and the counter situated to the right with a small cake display in front of their menus. I went in on a Sunday afternoon so it was quiet except for the owners or managers? When I walked in the door I was greeted by a gleaming baby and I’m a sucker for babies. He was so adorable. I love the family bakery feel it makes the place way more cozy and inviting.
FOOD HIGHLIGHTS;;
GREENTEA CAKE —
I’ve never tried any of their breads, but I have had their matcha cake and it is amazing. The flavored are so good, not too sweet and the green tea flavoring is not overpowering. The cake is also a kind of cream based, and it’s…I dare to say… perfect. I’m dying to try their other cakes as well as their breads. Reading the other reviews it doesn’t seem like I’ll be disappointed at all.
PATBINGSU —
I will say I was disappointed that my shaved ice came out to $ 14…but I understand why. The fruit shaved ice is typically served with what I’m guessing is vanilla ice cream perhaps? But me trying to be a major FA and be all fancy, decided that I wanted the red bean and fruit combined… thus $ 14. The size was really good with 2 scoops of ice cream a nice serving of the pat, fresh… yes fresh… strawberries, kiwis, mangos, mochi and more! Not sure of it was worth $ 14, but I didn’t leave complaining at all. If I will say one thing it is that I wish the red bean ice cream was slightly softened a bit. I waited a few minutes before I dug in so that the ice cream would be easier to eat. The fruits were a bit on the sour side as well, but let’s face it it is not primo fruit season just quite yet. All in all I’m happy I found a place with Korean shaved ice. I will not be fancy next time and ask them to combine two different types. Let’s not fix something that ain’t broke.
OVERALL;;
A promising little bakery nestled on a busy and bustling street. Their selection of breads seemed a bit more expansive than other local Asian bakeries. They keep it very simple and they seem to do what they do very well. I recommend this little bakery. I will be back to try more and give an updated review.

I decided to check out Sumi’s on Easter Sunday, and I was shocked to find them open. Every time I come here they seem to be closed so it was the perfect opportunity to test the store out!
After seeing pictures on Unilocal,I knew i needed a fruit tart, and I ordered a blackberry and raspberry fruit tart ($ 4). Sumi’s makes a whipped cream based fruit tart, which is typically not my favorite type. However, the whipped cream was light and amazing, probably the best I have ever eaten. The berries were delicious as well. The price, though, is even higher than Pink Box across the street.
I have never been to a Korean bakery so I decided to also test out a mocha bun ($ 1.50). It tastes almost like a dinner roll filled with mocha flavored whipped cream. It was different but delicious. The bread was good, and the filling was very strongly mocha flavored. I am really looking forward to testing out other kinds of Korean desserts.
I don’t know if this was a holiday thing, but the selection was very very small. There were only two kinds of fruit tarts when I went it, which was fine but smaller than I thought. Just fyi!

Sometimes, I get really odd cravings for specific things. A few weeks ago it was adzuki bean paste. So, naturally, I Unilocaled for «red beans» in Pittsburgh. And that’s how I found myself at Sumi’s ordering a red bean bingsu. If you’ve never had bingsu before (I hadn’t), it’s shaved ice with condensed milk, topped with ice cream, mochi, and red bean in this instance. I paid 8 dollars for it and, upon seeing it, understood why. It could easily be split among 3 people. I’ll be back next time I’m craving red beans or a cold treat.
My friend also recommends the red bean bread. She was impressed with the bean paste to bread ratio.

Korean bakery
I really like the fresh red Ben bread, butter cream bread, and cake!
Mocha and strawberry cake are really creamy and soft!
You must try it*

I came here while visiting a friend in Pittsburgh, the place is delightful! The owner and her daughters were super friendly and super helpful.
They helped me pick out a few buns and also helped me pick out their version of a strawberry short cake. The butter cream that they use is AMAZING and everything was so fresh. It wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet like most places and it was light and fluffy, which is hard to come by.
I’ll definitely be back on my next trip to Pittsburgh. This place is simply AMAZING!

I’m not a huge fan of sweets, but I’m a huge fan of Sumi’s! I love all of her dessert buns and pastries! The dessert buns are reasonably priced and so many varieties to choose from. I personally love the butter cream, mocha cream and crumbs buns. The fillings aren’t too sweet – exactly how I like it.
I also ordered a small whipped cream strawberry cake from here and it was perfect. I’m usually really reluctant to try cakes because most of the time they tend to be too sweet and sugary. However, the cake from Sumi’s is so creamy with the right amount of sweetness – just enough to leave you wanting more.
I highly recommend Sumi’s Cakery for your sweets cravings. If you do decide to buy a cake though, make sure you let her know a few days in advance so she’ll reserve one for you. The ones on display are sold fast.