When in Oakland, Ruby King is always on my go-to list. My favorite is the egg tarts and pineapple buns and my fiance's favorite is their curry puffs. You noticed that everything I listed is plural? It's cause one is never enough. Ruby King is the epitome of delicious baked goods that makes you want more. The egg tart is flakey, and light to balance out with the sweetened baked eggs. The pineapple buns are buttery and the savory curry puffs are so flavorful. I typically order a variety of items whenever I am in town, but those are my top three. Whenever I head back to my hometown, I would order 2-4 boxes and my family loves everything, especially the cocktail bun (HK sweet bun with coconut bits). I have never tried their sponge cakes before, but I heard a lot of good things so that'll be on my list. Sometimes I would see the owner hand-beating the sweet cream. The owners are the sweetest and I am so glad that they stayed in business after the pandemic and with all the on-going violence. I hope their business continues to thrive because they deserve everything and Ruby King is the only reason for me to be out and about in the streets of Oakland. read more

Ruby King Bakery - This photo does not do justice to how delicious these freshly baked Dan tats (egg tart) are! - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Cannot believe the news that the owner of Ruby King was pistol-whipped this week. Hope to provide some Yelp love to promote this awesome awesome bakery!!! Listen: THIS IS A SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS PASTRY OPERATION. When you think of the "not too sweet" fruit cake of your dreams, the type that gets you all happy and nostalgic and warm with each bite...this is the place that makes those. I had the great privilege of consuming a Ruby King cake and I wanted to have a slice of cake for every meal for the rest of my life. Highly recommend gorging yourself on Ruby King pastries and cakes, as well as supporting local Asian-owned businesses given what we're seeing lately. #stopasianhate read more

Ruby King Bakery - cake details wahaha - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Excellent Chinese pastries, authentic and friendly service, recommended a hundred percent.

I come here for the egg tarts and cocktail buns! I definitely recommend coming in the morning or on a weekend when they have more business so the pastries come out hot and fresh. They are very fast and if there's a line it moves quickly. I recommend paying in cash. Also, there is space for seating inside. Egg Tart * The best I've had in the Bay Area * Always hot, fresh, crispy and flaky exterior * Only $1.50 compared to some of it more expensive competitors Cocktail Bun * Hot, fresh * Good ratio between bread and filling * Buttery and great texture read more

Ruby King Bakery - Egg Tart - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

I'd say this is the hidden gem bakery in Oakland Chinatown. We got here during the weekend and right after we entered this place it was so loud inside that none of us or the cashier can hear each other clearly . It was hard to make the order especially we had a pretty big order. The cashier was extremely nice. She told me to have the pineapple bun right away because it's freshly made and I actually had the bun right after I got back to the car, it was so good that might be the best pineapple bun I ever had. It was so fresh so soft so delicious. Egg tarts are what they're known for, we brought the whole box to our families and everyone just likes it. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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If I'm in the Oakland area, this is my go to for Chinese egg custard tarts. They are no golden gate bakery, but pretty good and cheaper. It's a normal Chinese bakery otherwise so just grab and go. read more

I was born in Chinatown in NYC, so the pastries here feel very nostalgic to my childhood. The Pineapple Bun was delicious, and I love their mooncakes. The space was bustling, with elders having their pastries and coffee, chatting enthusiastically. Service was great - the person at the counter had a hard time hearing us over the chatter, so just be prepared to speak loudly. read more

Cute little spot. Stone's throw distance from Chinatown we wandered here after dim sum to grab some things for later. Pretty good variety for the shop. One thing we learned, even if it isn't in the glass there's probably egg tarts there. They were on the rack behind the ladies helping us out. I felt quite the noob asking about them and not seeing at least a good three racks full right behind. Glad I had asked though since that's what we were really craving at the time. Quite good and very flaky crust which was nice, and without any crazy lines to wait in which was great. We'll definitely pop in again sometime to grab some to go again when in the area. read more

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There was so much good food to be had in a recent trip to Hong Kong, that I did not have room for egg tarts. So on route to my flight, I hastily picked one up from the HK airport. I only got one because they did not look good. Needless to say, I regret not getting more.... The thing that intrigues me the most was the crust. It was not just crispy and flaky, but also fluffy.... A texture we don't often get from pastries here. This had me scouring up and down the bay for fluffy crust tarts, which is why my hubby got me some here. I way prefer other tarts over these on first try. Egg Tart: these are way better than most at this price point, but I find the lard flavor too strong. This is similar in sweetness to their white tarts, with more crust to offset the sweetness. Egg White Tart: the cookie crust is not as good as that of more expensive rivals. I also find the white part too sweet. But after pairing it with savory food (like bamboo fungus and crab), I think it will go well with bird's nest and sea cucumber if you fancy expensive pairings. Curry Beef Puff Pastry - love. Fluffy flaky crust, good flavor filling. Chicken Pie: not my thing. I might like their large sponge cake too. read more

The egg tarts....literally the flakiest one in the bay! The custard is not too sweet and the crust is so well done. We would come and get a few; pop them back in the toaster and they're just incredible. Cash only. We've tried other things and they're ok but there are definitely better places for HK style baked goods (e.g. buns could be fluffier, fillings could be a bit better). But this will definitely be our go-to place for egg tarts. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Egg tarts galore! - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Great HK egg tarts here and pricing is cheaper than the more famous counterparts. It's been a while since I've had GGB, so I can't comment on how it compares, but I enjoyed the flavor of Ruby King's custard and the flaky, buttery layers. If you don't get a fresh one, I recommend reheating in the microwave. Other than the egg tart, my favorite thing here was the curry beef puff! Loved the curry filling and extra flaky pastry. I thought the filling ratio was good - did not feel like they were skimping. BBQ pork bun was also solid. Cash only. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Egg tart, curry beef, and bbq pork puff - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Just another reminder to folks that egg tarts from Ruby King are still my favorite. Hubby took my mom to Chinatown where she picked up a box of six egg tarts for me and six for her. Being nicely boxed up in one box for us to take to the last baseball game this year at the Coliseum we took them right in. They were still slightly warm when I cracked open the box in the 4th inning. Truly my favorite due to the layers of flakey pastry and creamy filling. Support the local businesses!! Oakland Chinatown is hurting like so many other businesses. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Egg tart at the A's game. Still warm! - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Seriously best best Dan Tat in the Bay Area. Have I tried the infamous Golden Gate? Yes. Ruby king is still my favorite. The 1000 layer crust is crispy and flaky. The custard is perfect. Best if eaten warm but if you order a dozen to bring home, stick it in the toaster oven and it'll crispy right back up (if you don't eat it that day). CAKE! Our other favorite. Nothing fancy, just good good stuff! If my mom is free to make a Chinatown run, we get the big round cake for every family birthday celebration. We even ordered it for her 70th bday. The cake is spongey, the cream is not too sweet. Fresh fruits is the way to go, usually strawberry. It bright and happy here. It's a hangout for older Asians here. They seem so happy hanging out and chatting away. #goodvibes read more

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Authentic, inexpensive, and a large variety of Chinese bakery items. Hard to find parking in this area.

Egg custard tart is custardy and soft in the center like the famous Golden Gate Bakery in SF. The pastry is pretty good and buttery. The tart itself is smaller than most places but it is thicker. I enjoyed their egg tart! read more

Here to show my support for this Asian-owned, OG Bay Area bakery! The elderly owner got pistol-whipped and robbed in Oakland just this Tuesday - 7/25. :( Let's try to support and patronize this business to prove that thugs never win. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvNqb6LNn2h/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== read more

I scream for egg tarts!!! (That's how the jingle goes, right?) The egg tarts look pretty good here so I decided to make a visit. Got a dozen of them as well as a few items from the display case (egg tarts are behind the display case, gotta ask for them specifically). Egg tart evaluation: flexible, flaky crust of countless layers? Check. Melt-in-your-mouth custard center? Check. Taste? The taste of the lard from the crust was kinda noticeable. Also, some of the egg tarts did have a slight oily scrambled-egg taste; nit-picky point on this one but it's there. Overall, not the best egg tarts that I've had but pretty darn close. As I mentioned earlier, I did get additional treats. They were okay. The cream in/on the bird's nest tasted just salty and the jam on top was too thick. The pork in the BBQ pork puff tasted kinda old. The filling in the curry beef puff was very flavorful.....maybe a bit too flavorful (I enjoyed it a lot when biting on the edge of the puff but heading towards the center the filling became too rich/sweet in a great amount). Still, very much worth a stop here especially if you're craving for some egg tarts! *Cash only!* Was super easy to find parking along 7th Street on a Sunday morning. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Egg tarts - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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Tucked away on Franklin street is this Oakland OG gem. I became a fan ever since I had a slice of my friend's beautiful three tiered sponge cake for her 10th year wedding anniversary from this bakery. We got a box of two freshly baked egg tarts, two sponge cupcakes wrapped in paper, and a scone for only $8-9 bucks. What a deal! The scone was a bit disappointing but it was still tasty, just not as flaky as my husband would've liked it; meanwhile I love the sponge cakes and the egg tarts. They were so gooey so fresh. I forgot cash but luckily they take credit cards. There is a surcharge for purchases under $10. read more

I pass two other bakeries on my way to Ruby King- they're good too but RK can't be beat for red beans & pork puns. Be sure to tack on a curry puff or 2 read more

Great baked goods at great prices, lots of staff to provide quick service. I love dropping by this place every week for a treat :)

Alas, pandemic woes have hit every food business. Price increase, quality decrease. Ruby King was out of egg tarts on Sat 4pm, so went with classic curry beef puffs. Came home and found out it's mostly dough now, the beef's been reduced by half the amount. Tear. Out of curiosity, friends bought the last birds nest in the display case. Turns out it's a mini Chinese style sponge cake, not too sweet. Good deal at $1.50. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Birds nest - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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Same good food! Closed on Tuesday now. They also accept credit cards and apple pay now. Amazing. read more

This is my go to place for egg tarts. It's better than Golden Gate Bakery in SF Chinatown. I also came here to get one of their delicious birthday cakes. It's not too sweet and it's just right. It's way better than the cakes we'll find in Safeway, Costco, etc.. I don't think this place has changed since the 90s. It looked the same as long as I could remember. The ladies behind the counter are very sweet and kind. I always get something new when I'm in the area. Everything here looks delicious! read more

Pretty good prices for custard tarts here and smaller lines without the freshness or quality of what they sell being compromised. Service is prompt and friendly. I only come here for the custard tarts which as of 2/24/2022 cost $1.25/each. Don't be worried about how filthy the block is which surrounds this establishment. The custard tarts are fresh and clean. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

v good egg tarts, would get again in heart beat. my dad who is a egg tart fanatic was beaming the second he took a bite. fyi the tea there is not hk milk tea. read more

Went there an hour before they closed, all the egg tarts were sold out. Got a taro bun instead, the crust on the top wasn't the best I have had but I liked the taro fillings in it, good flavor of taro in it and not too sweet. Cash only. read more

It's hard to find freshly made, good tasting mooncakes in the bay area. The mooncakes in Ruby King come with thin, glowing skin, beautifully stamped with its name on top, very balanced in flavor (not too sweet or oily). The pale yolk seems a bit dry. The bakery offers the typical moon pies but not the exotic ones like the other shop steps away but taste wise there is no comparison. The white lotus paste mooncake seems to offer a more sophisticated taste versus its yellow lotus paste sibling. Price is high but competitive against typical staled mooncakes of similar quality in supermarkets. read more

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The pineapple buns were really good at a good price. I really wanted to try their egg tarts but I went a little late on a Wednesday. Will definitely go earlier next time. read more

Best bakery. Their egg tarts, bread, cakes are all delicious. The price is reasonable. It is such a friendly place here. The place is filled with people every morning. You can tell by all these customers from the community that this place offered the best. I am a customer of this place for over 20 years and they never failed me. I love their egg white tarts too. The owner also love to give back to the community which give me one more reason to be their loyal customer. read more

Time capsule of classic Chinatown. Walk in early in the morning and elderly patrons are sitting at the tables inside reading newspapers and speaking Cantonese filling the air with authentic vibe. Ruby King looks like it was transplanted directly from Hong Kong and the good news is they bring the taste and baking skills to back it up. Much thanks to Harvey K. who posted about their puffed pastries because every single savory one we got was exceptional, that's the reason for 5 stars. We had the chicken, curry beef, and bbq pork. They are fully stuffed with fillings and the puffed pastry layers are pleasingly flaky and crunchy. Our biggest regret was only getting 1 each since they were all gone by lunch time. My favorite was the curry beef pastry, it tasted amazing and has interesting historical origins from HK's past ties with the British and their past ties with India. A once-upon-a-time "fusion" pastry that has earned its place as a HK staple. The one thing we did not enjoy as much was their egg tart, it had something added to it we aren't used to, still tasted much better than normal ones. We liked the ones at Napoleon better and it's just a block away. read more

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Pretty much a staple for Oakland Chinatown. Your only gripe will be standing in the occasional line. Can't go wrong with the BBQ Pork Buns, Pork Puffs and their Egg Tarts. I haven't dwelled too much in the menu other than that. But based off those three, it's a safe bet to say everything is good on the menu. Please note, this establishment is CASH ONLY. But not too expensive and you can easily walk out with one good pastry under $2. read more

Ruby King Bakery - BBQ Pork Buns - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Love love love their egg tarts. For $1.50 each, I've been getting a dozen each weekend. The price is amazing and the flaky crust is amazing. I've been going here since a little girl and my father used to take me. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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*****Customer Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic***** Walking into Ruby King Bakery Cafe is like being in a scene of an 80s Wayne Wang movie. From the decors to the clientele to the old bundling machine, everything here oozes nostalgia. This Oakland Chinatown institution has been around for decades and is still my favorite place to get freshly made egg tarts on this side of the Bay. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been here several times getting baked good. For safety measures, they have installed plexiglass shields at the display and counter area, as well as providing hand sanitizer for customer use. Staffers all have masks and gloves on. For the most part, people respect the social distancing rule. But every now and then an elderly uncle or auntie would forget about it. Although prices have gone up a couple of times in the last two years, they are still very reasonable. Egg tart ($1), curry beef puff, ($1.40), and chicken puff ($1.40) are my absolute favorites here. The egg tarts have a flaky shell and smooth filling that is not too sweet. The fillings of the meat puffs are savory and delicious and the shells are flaky as well. Think of them as Chinese empanadas! If you are looking forward delicious Chinese baked goods, come check this place out! Remember to bring cash since they don't accept credit cards. read more

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Boichik Bagels, Rotha, Bouchon Bakery. Places I wished were opened closer to me in San Francisco. Right along that list is Ruby King in Oakland Chinatown. The egg tarts here are top notch! Grab a cup of milk tea, a cocktail bun, a ham and egg pastry and you have yourself a great breakfast! Add a white egg tart for a morning or afternoon treat! Lots of variety of other Chinese pastries for consuming as well. Usually lots of people. The staff is wearing masks and hand sanitizers available. Parking here is very difficult. read more

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Read that this place has the (second) best egg tarts in the bay so had to check it out! Only after Golden Gate bakery, but we all know how hard it is to catch them open. I got a few items to try, and my favorites were the curry beef bun, mini apple pie, and of course the dan tart. - Dan tart: though I usually opt for Portuguese egg tart, this was one of the best Dan tarts I've had for sure. My sis loved it. I also dropped some off for my friend, and it was so good his uncle demanded the name of the bakery! - mini apple pie: the crust and filling were both good. It wasn't too sweet either, would recommend. - pineapple bun: a little bland. - BBQ pork bun: meat was good but skimpy. I like the steamed ones more but doesn't look like they have it. - curry beef puff: loved this one! Flaky and packed with flavor. Kind of oily though. - bbq pork puff: didn't enjoy this one as much, not very flavorful. The store is very clean looking. Meter parking in front. The lady who helped me speaks English pretty well so didn't have trouble communicating. Cash only!! Overall, solid bakery for some Asian baked goodies. Perfect for breakfast or as a snack. Check Ruby King out!! read more

Ruby King Bakery - BBQ pork bun, pineapple bun, curry beef puff, and egg tart - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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The birthday cakes are the best! My dad loved his 90th B-day cake. Called in for a cake in the morning. Was able to pick up in the afternoon. Made great memories with my family. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Very fresh and tasty. My dad love his 90 birthday cake! - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

COVID review They only open till 4:30 pm, if you want egg tart, go there early. They have plexiglas installed and cash only. Arrived at 12:30 and walking into the shop I could smell the fresh egg tart through my mask. The egg tarts are piping hot, very lovely for winter. Excellent value, &1 each. Gave it a bite and the warm soft egg filling and flaky shell are great! Love that it's not too sweet and light texture. Most importantly there's no line to wait for. So if you are not a Napoleons die hard fans, come here to get your egg tart. The only thing is they don't have much bread choices, so maybe that's why more people are going to Napoleons. read more

Ruby King Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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One of the best Chinese pastries you can find in the Bay Area. They're known for their dan tats (egg tarts), but I enjoyed their cocktail buns a lot more. Located in Oakland Chinatown, watch out for parking on Saturday morning. We didn't know it's commercial only parking on most spots Sat morning, and made that mistake. Watch out for signs! We came here around 9am on Saturday and there was no line, a few old customers hanging in the corner drinking coffee and talking. Tons of pastries available on display, and even more in the back (dan tats, cocktail buns, sponge cakes, etc). There's a plexiglass to ensure safety of the workers. Cash only. We got 10 dan tats, 10 cocktail buns, a couple sponge cakes, some sort of cookie, duck egg bun, and I forgot what else. We were charged $44, which I thought was okay priced... but when I looked at the reviews I noticed we may have been overcharged if dan tats are only $1... and I'm assuming cocktail buns are close to $1. Anyways, it was partially our fault for not paying attention to the price. Still decent priced with all the baked goodness we received. The workers were super kind and alerted us when our car was getting ticketed. The cocktail buns were so good! Delicious breading, not too sweet filling, and loved the texture on the outside. I had the egg tarts later in the day and they were still crispy! Not too sweet filling and perfectly crispy crust. We gave some away to our family members and everybody enjoyed them. Love how they still come in the pink boxes with red strings. read more

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I'm sorry to report that my review isn't as glowing as that of others. On the positive side, the bakery is well lit and appears to be reasonably clean. The items on the shelves are labeled in English and Chinese with pricing. On the negative side, the order taker asked what I wanted. I told her, expecting her to start pulling the order. Apparently she wants the entire order first so she knows what size box to use. When I was done, she got a box and started loading it. At one point, I asked if i could please get one of each of the Birds Nests. The dirty look that I got could have melted icebergs. Fortunately, I'm not an iceberg. It should have been simple enough to just put the two add-on items into a paperbag separately, which would have been preferable than to put chilled items in the same box as warm Egg Tarts. I realized this afternoon that she had missed giving me a couple of Melon Cakes. Hopefully, I didn't pay for them. The best items were the Birds Nests and the Coconut Tarts. The Don Tot were okay but not as flakey or eggy as I like. The large BBQ Pork Puff was scant on filling and the Chicken Puff was salty. There was only one cake in the cake display case so they may only make them to order. Chinese Whipped Cream and Fruit Cakes used to be my favorite as a kid because of the fresh fruit and that the cream isn't as sweet as buttercream. Of course, it doesn't hold up well on hot days! read more

Ruby King Bakery - Main display case in Ruby King - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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This little hidden gem is where I go to get my Pineapple buns, BBQ Pork buns, Cocktail buns, all things warm and bready. The prices are the best in the area. They don't take credit cards so make sure to bring cash in hand or hit up the Chase across the street. There are tables inside but most all are taken by the locals hanging for what seems the whole day. It's easy in and easy out for me. Go forth and get your yummy pink boxes! read more

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