Andersen Bakery

Let them eat cake!!! Good cakes and fast service.
1. Cakes
You can get good quality, similar to authentic Asian cakes here. As you know they’re very different from sugar infused nightmare you find in every grocery store. Not all items are good here, but definitely better than most cakes.
2. Service
It’s fast and on point. Not necessarily the nicest but not rude at all.
3. Seating
This place is usually always packed, and they have only 3 tables inside, so it’s hard to find any seat. They provide free cup of water, but make sure you check the glasses before drinking. One time it wasn’t clean.
All in all, pretty good cakes sold here compared to most places.

I got a anpan from here over the weekend. Filled with red bean paste, it was flavorful. But I found the bread to be a bit stale in taste. Not bad, but for the quality of the anpan in Jtown, it was not what I would have expected. Maybe the other sweets are better… but that will require another visit.

The pastries here looked beautiful – I wish I had tried more! I went with the kouign amann and was sorely unimpressed. However, the only other one I’ve had was at B. Patisserie, which is so well known for them that I do not want to unfairly compare. My one recommendation is that if you get one of these, eat it there or quickly turn the box upside down. The crunchy, sticky bottom that is the best part got stuck to the bottom of the box so that when I got home, it separated from the pastry and wasn’t as crunchy.
That being said though, I don’t want to rate them unfairly. I see that others have tried other things and raved about them. In addition, the staff was SO friendly and nice, I really appreciated that considering most other stores in that mall had staff that didn’t even look up or acknowledge us as we walked in. Plus, I only had a credit card on me and they graciously took it without any problem. This surprised me because I typically expect an Asian establishment to have a lot of restrictions around credit card use. Additionally, the atmosphere of the store was clean and there was even some seating.

There is no universe in which the pressed deli meat they served me can be called «chicken breast.» This is the most disgusting sandwich I’ve ever thrown away.

Date: 11/​25/​2015 Time: 1:20 PM 55° Cold and clear
Normally I go to the Andersen at 525 Market Street, SF, for their palmier, almond croissant and the tropical flan before I head back across the bay to get home. However, I was in Japan Town to pick up my favorite cake (coffee crunch) from Yasukochi’s for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dessert and my birthday.
As a favor to my oldest sister, I stopped in at this Andersen to get her a palmier. Unfortunately, they were out of almond croissant. Those are the two items that she likes, so I opted instead for an apple cinnamon muffin.
It really does not matter which Andersen Bakery I go to, as the employees are courteous and helpful. The baked goods that I have tried are fresh and delicious. I can never leave without getting a tropical flan.
This Andersen Bakery is smaller than the one on Market Street. It’s more like an order to go (on the run) with just a few benches nearby. It is also hidden away in a building housed with several storefronts and kiosks. Get in line, order the baked goodies and/​or cakes, pastries, etc., pay the cashier and you’re on your merry way.
I will only return to this Andersen when I happen to be in the area of Japan Town. Otherwise, it will be the one near the Powell Street BART Station for my tropical flan.

If you’re in Japantown, a stop by Andersen Bakery is quite essential — especially if you’re a fan of bread and pastries. With all the positive reviews I found on Unilocal,I knew that I had to give it a try myself.
Andersen Bakery itself is a small little store inside the West end of Japan Center. There are a few tables and chairs off to one side, but it seems like most people just stop by to pick up some bread before moving on.
There was a pretty large selection of bread when I came by. All of it was located behind the glass window — and they all looked and smelled heavenly! I’m quite used to the more Asian-​styled bakeries where you basically self-​serve the bread that you want onto a tray, so I wasn’t prepared to tell the worker what I wanted when she saw me hovering over the bread and taking photos. Croissants, Danishes, elephant ears, all sorts of baked breads — I decided to try their popular Creamy French. They’re able to help you cut it up into slices, which is nice, and pack it into a waxed bag so the oil doesn’t seep out.
I was tempted to try a slice of cake or a dessert item from their refrigerated section, but opted against it. The Creamy French and its many slices was enough to last me until the next day. The baguette is freshly baked and contains a layer of sweet mayonnaise on the inside. I thought it was tasty, but I wasn’t expecting the sweetness of the mayonnaise (or whatever was in the middle). I can definitely see why it’s popular — the bread is soft on the inside and crackly on the outside. Imagine that scene from Ratatouille when Colette is describing the fresh bread making that crackly sound to let you know its freshness. Yeah, that’s pretty much the bread that they have here.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty nice bakery to stop by. It’s definitely a change from the bakeries I frequent, and I did enjoy the Creamy French, although I probably wouldn’t try it again, just because it was a bit too sweet for my liking. When I eat baguettes, I prefer it to be on the savory side.

First of all they had Palmiers! Flaky, crunchy delicious ones!
Very pleasant staff behind the corner, quick and simple, what more could I ask for?

The almond croissants were full of air and a thin sliver of almond paste. The texture was lacking and the best part was the powdered sugar on top. Other than the appearance, the croissant was a complete disappointment. My friend complained that his raisin bread was too dry. Not recommended!

Mmm… fresh bread. After having watched the entirety of Yakitate! Japan recently, I decided that it’s important to have fresh bread. The selection here is always great, and the best part is that you can order loaves and get them cut into slices. For those who are interested in portion control, this is an excellent way to do it.
I purchased half a loaf of multigrain English bread, cut thick. I love how they have this option, because it means I don’t have to buy the $ 6 non-​fresh-​thick-​sliced-​bread at Nijiya. Half a loaf is $ 4.50 here and it’s just about right for the two-​person household I’m in, especially when I’m the only one eating the bread.
Bread, sliced and fresh, tastes amazingly different from the bread that is pre-​packaged. I could still taste a bit of the crunch from the crust and the softness of the bread was incredible. I never had this experience with regular wheat bread. Since Japantown is so close to me, there’s no reason for me to ever buy non-​fresh bread again.

An odd place for a european bakery, in the middle of Japantown, but they have a couple of items I really like, so it works for me.

Courtesy or manner is a problem.
I order steam milk and get at least 30% up to 40% froth on top.
I order chocolate croissant and get one that tastes not fresh and after half way through, I didn’t see chocolate ingredient in there.
I order a lot of food, they don’t do the minimal table service at all. I have to carry all food to the table.
I cry for the waitress worked there before.
Don’t go there.

I recently purchased a 6″ Strawberry Shortcake for my boyfriend’s Birthday from Anderson and it was delicious! It wasn’t overly sweet and the softness was just perfect. The strawberry were fresh too! Everyone complimented how good the cake was! I would definitely say the portion is more for six people than for eight people (best for a small group of party) but, other than that it was an amazing cake and I would definitely come back for more!

Where are all the kashi pans? Andersen’s was one of my favorite bread stores in Japan. The bakery here in SF= horrible. Where did all of their amazing breads go? They have zero selection. The breads that I did try did not meet my expectations. If you’ve had Andersen’s in Japan don’t expect the breads here to taste like that.

Cream cheese walnut loaf. That’s where it’s at. Super yummy and very friendly staff one of the few perks of being in JTown for the hubster. Nice and fresh and fast!

Review for what they claim to be, «Crème Brulee».
If anyone is going to Japantown in SF today, please do not get their Crème Brulee! JUST got a Crème Brulee from their store and this is how it turned out as. Just check my pic. I was able to pick up the entire glob with my fork and the consistency is super thick and yucky! Condensation happened and caused the Crème Brulee to be super watery. Tossed it away right after.
If you didn’t know, Crème Brulee should be creamy with the right Consistency. The burned caramel on top should crack into the nice creamy custard and not like a net where it eats your spoon and water squirts out.

Andersen Bakery looked small. not sure where the bread/​pastry is made. must be baked premade dough. so skipped.
drink: honest tea (1.95 or was it 2.15?)
–price very reasonable.
-«organic» coffee (1.85) also available
didn’t see labeling
take outs:
–good location for cheap eats in pricey J-​town
–fast, friendly service.
–should be 4 stars for cheapstakes (not me, i’m value oriented).
–table seating available.

Tried their cheese danish and taste was good, and you can asked them to cut it into slices too.
The place just a small place and you can just sit on the table inside or outside. Price wasn’t bad at all

Nice open bakery in the middle of Japantown
This place has been here for as long as I can remember. The open cake counter is always a sight to see, with a large array of colorful cakes and pastries. Passer-​bys always seem to stop and stare, which goes to show how visually appealing the food is.
The thing I like about this place is that they use great ingredients (e.g. they serve organic coffee, and put a lot of effort into making the pastries perfect), but they are not in any way hipster or pretentious – they charge very little compared to the quality of food they offer, and you can tell the folks who work there work long hours and have been dedicated to their craft for long time.
Hats off to you, Andersen folks.

Why haven’t I been coming here every single weekend?
I stopped by Andersen on a Thursday after work because I was feeling like indulging in something sweet. I chose the espresso cream layer cake ($ 3) and raced back home so I could eat it slowly and savor every bite. But… when I took the first bite it took all my willpower to eat it slowly because it was DELICIOUS! It was even a bit hard to offer my boyfriend some because I wanted to hog the entire thing to myself lol The cream was super light and tasty and the cake layers were moist and perfect. It also really tasted like espresso which was awesome! Sometimes you get a cake or a sweet that is supposed to be one flavor but it doesn’t really taste like it. but Andersen totally hit the nail on the head here, this was the real thing =)
I’m so coming back here as soon as possible to eat more cake. It’s super delicious, affordable, and if you ask for your cake slice to go they will put it in a cute little box. Yay for Andersen Bakery! =D

I can’t leave Japantown without making a stop here for their Anpan (pastry filled with sweetened red beans) to bring home for my mom.
I don’t really care for them but my mom swears that the Anpan that’s made here are the best around. For her, it reminds her of the Anpan that she grew up with growing up in post-​war Okinawa. Having «sweets,» like Anpan was a luxury and so it’s a «bittersweet treat» for her. Sure, we have a Japanese bakery in SacTown but, I think it’s the «An» (red beans) that definitively stands them apart from the rest. For $ 1.75 each, it’s quite a deal.
We’ve been coming here for many years and it’s high time I wrote a review.