Van’s Bakery

OMG, why???
I made a quick stop in a frantic hurry to pick up something yummy for mom’s birthday and Van’s is CLOSED. Not «closed» because it’s after hours but «CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS» type of closed. The display windows are empty and the everything is covered up with paper as if there’s some sort of remodeling going on.
When will the sweet treats come back?

Service wasn’t so great. But it was expected in a Chinese bakery. The cakes looked really good especially the wedding cakes. I bought a durian cake for my bf’s birthday. I’m not a big fan of durian so I’m iffy about trying it. I hope it taste good
Post Durian cake: the cake was really good. Hate the smell but tasted really good. It had chunks of meat and the cake was fluffy. Definitely a go to place for Chinese cakes. One of the best Chinese cakes I’ve ever had.

Went to see about getting a wedding cake our florist recommended and we stood there for 20 min until someone finally helped us. While all along everyone who worked there saw us but never bothered to help or say they would be with us in a minute. Eventually someone came and they asked us to look at the wedding cakes front there books we looked at there cakes and when we found one we liked we were asked to come back around 2 when there cake person is in. Wish they told us that when they saw us waiting for service. We decided we can not let them make our cake. Very unprofessional.

I know the name of this place is Van’s Bakery and the obvious thing they sell are cakes but its the not so obvious items that keeps me coming back. Whenever I visit, its not for their cakes and baked bread, but their chicken pot pies and beef curry pastries. They are these deep fried crispy puff pastry with either chicken or curry filling and they are oh soo delicious. They’re warm and crunchy, juicy and savory and they cost about $ 1.00 each (buy 2 get 1 free).
My only complaint is their service, they can get busy in the morning and like most Asian places, the concept of lining up just doesn’t exist. Instead of trying to force people into a line or helping people as they come, they assist the person that pushes there way to front first. The employees also break under the pressure and can get kind of insolent.

Plenty of parking on the side and in the back. This location is never really that crowded, despite how big the store is.
A big part of their business is wedding cakes and other cakes. This accounts for more than half the store. I haven’t ordered a full cake yet, but the slices of cake they sell are delicious! From your traditional cake to flan based cakes with fruit on top, you’re bound to find something that appeals to your taste buds.
If you aren’t craving anything sweet, you can head over to the left of the store where they sell savory Vietnamese sandwiches, noodles and spring rolls. Plus they have boba!

Drove all the way here from Chino Hills because mom had to buy some items to pray for CNY and she said their «chung» is good there.
Strawberry cake: Grabbed a slice just to try. Tastes like cheap cake. The frosting tasted heavy and the cake itself was not moist.
Coconut jello: Good. I always enjoy this.
I don’t know what their called. I think «chung.» It’s the shape of a log wrapped in leaf and the inside is made of sticky rice and in the center is pork with other ingredients. There’s also a sweet version. My mom bought a few of those.$ 16 each.
Decent prices… tells you the quality of the food.
They also have Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi), drinks, desserts (che), and other quick to eat food items.
Good place to go to if you need a quick bite or for a snack.
Limited parking. Small lot on the side of the establishment or street parking.

In comparison to other Van’s Bakeries, I feel like this one is the biggest. Their parking is atrocious, though. There are only ever a few parking spots here, but that’s all that’s offered.
However, once inside, there are so many things to look at and buy. I know they offer a wedding cake service, but I’ve never used that. They also cater.
They have bakery items, fresh foods, desserts, sandwiches, drinks — everything! Their mocha cake slices are yummy, although they will cost you ~$ 4+. If you feel you need to get a cake, get their fruit tart. It is divine.
Their bakery items, vegetarian options, and breads are good, though. Have their pandan waffle! They will put it in the waffle maker once you order it. It’s the divine smell that hits you once you enter the store, so it’s wise to at least try it! Ask them to make it a bit crispy, or else it will get soggy in the paper bag.
Their strawberry smoothie with boba is surprisingly yummy. I don’t really trust bakeries to make boba good, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they make it just right. AND — it’s warm (most of the time) when they put it in your drink, so you know it’s fresh.
Another thing to have — chicken and pork pâté pastries. Delicious!
*EDITED: December 26^th, 2012 — deleted error in cake price.

We had our wedding cake made and delivered by Van’s Bakery. The first time that my husband and I went in to check out their sample wedding cakes and prices, they told us that we needed to bring in pictures of how we would like our cake to look like. At our 2^nd visit, we brought in pictures but also told them of what changes/​additions we wanted. One of the women that worked there told us that cake we wanted sounded detailed, so we needed to meet with Van to discuss it with her. We were told that she would be there on weekends, so we dropped by, but she was not there. Apparently, she has random schedules and does not stay for long periods of time at the bakery. We left our contact information so that she can call us back to set up a consultation. We also emailed her as well. Communication with the staff there can be sometimes difficult because most of them do not speak fluent English.
About 2 days later, Van called us; and we scheduled an appointment. Our consultation with Van went very well. She was friendly and helpful because she was quick to give suggestions about what she thought would look good and what would look bad. You can also tell that she took pride in her work. She even gave suggestions on how we should tell our florist to do the flower cake topper. She was also thorough in writing out the contract/​receipt (i.e., drawing out the different tiers, layers/​types of fillings, what ribbons and gems to use, etc.). There were no issues with transactions or return of security deposits. The cake came out better than we had hoped for. We would rate our consultation with Van a ⁵⁄₅ but the entire process from trying to book their services was not as smooth as can be so it’s ⁴⁄₅. I would recommend them for wedding cakes and birthday cakes!

Van’s Bakery reminds me of my childhood. Growing up, my parents and I would frequent the one off Brookhurst in the OC. I love the storefront with its rows of dried fruits and jerky, the glass display cases of cakes and pastries, and the huge shelves with boxed cookies and gift packages.
Recently, we were frantically looking for a place to pick up a cake last-​minute. After checking a few places, we ended up here. They had plenty of whole cakes ready to go, in all sorts of sizes and flavors. We selected a small cappuccino cake that turned out to be only $ 16. They will also ice a message onto the cake free of charge!
Surprisingly enough, they do accept credit cards, although it’s a $ 20 minimum purchase. Everyone seemed to enjoy the cake we brought, which was cut into six generous slices. The cake itself was moist and layered lots of delicate coffee-​flavored mousse. A little too much mousse… I ended up scraping off most of it. All in all, a solid cake and if you’re in a hurry and out of cash like we were, it’s the perfect solution!

Wonderful place with lot of junk food and of course yummy bakery. I tried most of the items there and I liked them all. They have Vietnamese bread, boba drinks, frozen yogurt, hot&cold desserts, dried food, cakes, etc…
I get excited every time I stop by van’s Bakery because they are so much items to pick from. I always have to get the vietnamese cured pork and grilled sticky glutinous rice banana with coconut milk. If you have never tried the fermented/​cured pork, I recommend it. I was afraid to eat that before but I’m addicted to it now and crave for it once in a while. lol
p.s I just discovered that they have 2 parking lots and street parking in front of the stores!

This is a huge bakery that has every Asian dessert and pastry that you can think of… and they even have macaroons. These little suckers are $ 1.50 a pop & they have so many flavors to chose from. My favorites are the passion fruit and coffee.
Tip: They give the macaroons to you from the freezer so they can be a little hard. If you let them sit out for half an hour they will soften up and be perfecttttt.

Van’s sell banh mi!
Most people come for the baked goods and bakes, but I’m pretty loyal to the bakeries I’ve grew up eating so don’t really get the bread here. I come here more for the hot food or other Vietnamese items.
The banh mi is pretty solid here. Instead of mayo, they have this buttery, garlicky sauce? Whatever it is, it goes super well with the grilled pork! As expected of a bakery, baguette here is pretty good too. The fried egg banh mi is the perfect breakfast sandwich for me! Fried egg with soft yolk and all the usual goodies.
I’ve also gotten random things at the bakery before. Last time I tried this rice cracker thing and it was awesome. Rice cracker seasoned with fish sauce and seasonings, then topped with pork sung. It’s pretty damn addicting: P
Not as good of a deal as Saigon’s Sandwich down Valley for banh mi, but it’s a solid sandwich and price is good too!

The sheer variety offered by this large Vietnamese bakery is mind boggling. You can get banh mi on housebaked bread (your choice of the French roll or baguette), drinks (tapioca, fresh sugarcane, juice), deli items, macarons, cookies, cakes, pâté chaud, waffles, che, and elaborate jello cakes. They have tons of huge wedding cakes on display.
* Meatball banh mi ($ 2.75): The baguette was quite thin, fresh, and very soft. It was stuffed with pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, soft/​loose ground pork meatballs, cilantro, jalapeño and not much mayo. The sandwich was soggy inside and lacking in texture overall. I did like the freshness but not the lack of crunch. Even the vegetables weren’t crunchy.
They used to have self-​serve fro-​yo! Two machines, 35 cents an ounce… but they no longer have fro-​yo.

I came to Van’s looking for a replacement go-​to bakery for birthday cakes. But as I walked in, the very first thing I noticed from the door was that they sell macarons along with a bunch of other bakery goodies + Vietnamese sandwiches + drinks. What the?! I was excited, and everything that I thought was pretty, I bought. The red velvet, fruit filled cakes, coffee, taro were all mediocre, but at $ 3 a slice, I really can’t justify coming back here. The birthday cake I bought was strawberry, but I barely found any strawberries in it. Worst of all? The strawberries were incredibly sour! The cake itself was at least not crumbly though.
As for service, I’m a sucker for people who try to up-​sell me. & these ladies wanted me to buy EVERYTHING because they made suggestions left and right. Being me, of course I said YES, so I ended up walking out with bags and bags of goodies although I really just came in for a birthday cake.
This place’s only saving grace would be their macarons! It’s different, but it’s definitely worth a try for the price.

Just a quick update– they sell macarons now!
Woo-​hoo, along with almost every type of banh-​mi, cupcakes, fro-​yo, and fruit tarts/​flans. Personally, I really really really enjoy the fruit flans, they’re not really sweet and obviously filled with fruits on the top.

Best cakes ever!!! Any other questions. I think not.
They have fruit filled cakes, jello cakes in crazy combos, and vietnamese food on the side. They do wedding cakes. They have a bunch of stuff here.
They also have a counter with a bunch of single servings of most everything they make.

Ode to Van’s Bakery… How I love thee, let me count the ways…
You always offer so many beautiful creations that are artfully displayed. You always help me when I am stuck in a jam and not know what to bring as a gift or to a party. You offer so many choices that can please so many palates. You always surprise me with something sweet and savory to try every time I come to visit you. Not only do you make me smile but others who love baked goods. Your wedding cake would have been just perfect for me if I had not already had my wedding venue caterer make one for me for free. I love that you are always so uniform and consistent in your flavors. You are so reliable, I can’t think of any other place to go but here.

I come here mainly for the cream puffs because a) it’s literally down the street from where I grew up at and b) really, who has the time to fight parking at any of the Beard Papa’s for a puff or two?
I love their cream puffs here, not stale, and the cream is actually cream vs. running liquid at *ahem* other spots.
I’ve eaten a banh mi sandwich here… they’re not too bad. I figure if I’m already here getting some Vietnamese sweets that I might as well grab a sandwich along the way since it’s already here.
I’ve debated whether to try an actual boba here. I feel like I can throw a flip flop and hit a spot that sells boba. It’s on my to do list.
Honestly, their selection here is not bad… BUT, walking up and down Valley Blvd, you’ll find many other spots that sells more tasty and fresher options of Vietnamese food and treats.

Van’s is definitely one of my family’s go-​to bakeries in the SGV area. They have a wide variety of snacks, drinks, cakes for any occasion, and omg… banh mi. They do it all! So if you are ever in this area and in a need for fluffy, moist, flavor-​packed cakes, come here and you won’t be disappointed.
One thing that may turn some people off is the price of the cakes. They are definitely on the higher-​end, but definitely worth it if you want to give a very beautiful and special cake to a loved one.

its ok