i finally redeemed a $20 gift card i'd been carrying around for almost a year at saint germain bakery in cf richmond centre. it's that classic hong kong style self serve setup: bright display cases, neatly wrapped buns lined up in tidy rows, clear labels underneath, trays and tongs stacked at the front. once i pick up a tray, i know i'm not leaving with just one thing, but i kept it under control. six items for $20 felt like a small win. back in the day, the usuals for me were the curry puffs, egg tarts, bbq buns, and coconut buns. this time, i stuck with my all time favourite and used the rest of the tray space to try some of the newer items. the beef curry turnover was still the standout. it was my favourite as a kid, and it still is. i didn't even reheat it and the pastry was still crisp, shattering into delicate flakes with every bite. the curry filling had that signature hk style slightly sweet savoury flavour, comforting, nostalgic, balanced. it tasted exactly the way i remember. the salted yolk pineapple bun was only okay, but i could tell it had potential. the crackly sugar crust had great texture and the salted egg yolk filling was subtly savoury sweet, though i wished the filling was more generous. it really needed heat. warmed up, the bun would've softened, the centre turned slightly molten, and the aroma would've come alive. next time it's going straight into the toaster oven. the black sesame pastry was the miss for me. i was expecting something deeply nutty and fragrant, maybe even a little gooey inside. instead it leaned dry and slightly dense. not bad, just not what i had imagined when i picked it up. honestly, i would've preferred a black sesame mochi, something chewy and intensely sesame forward. the matcha mochi with red bean was a texture win. the chew was satisfying, and the matcha was earthy without tipping too sweet. i'm not a red bean person, so that held it back for me. i would've loved this more with a matcha cream filling inside instead, something smooth and slightly bitter to really lean into the tea flavour. my partner had the bbq chicken turnover and almond croissant and said they were fine, nothing special. overall, it felt like a mix of nostalgia and curiosity, revisiting an old favourite while sampling some of the newer additions. the beef curry turnover remains my number one, and now i know: always warm the pineapple bun. read more

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Got their discounted green tea bun and it was so delicious I loved the buttery matcha filling, it was creamy and delicious.

The last time we came here, we snagged some discount Portuguese egg tarts and they were super rich and yummy. Today, we got the fresh batch and they weren't as good...maybe they didn't t have a chance to "settle" either way, not what I had been anticipating. Not bad but just meh. Also picked up a hot dog and green onion bun, it was okay, the bread wasn't soft and fluffy...little too much mayo too. Overall, it was fine. They were super busy! read more

Saint Germain Bakery - Portuguese egg tarts and hot dog green onion bun - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

The Carrot Cake was too sweet. The Walnut Pound Cake was okay, but the Sponge Cup Cake was actually an egg white cake inside the paper cup. They should not deceive customers. The mango slices on top of the Fresh Mango Cake were tasteless but the mango chunks inside the cakes were sweet. It was odd. The mango chunks on top of the Mango Passion Mousse were overly sweet with too much sugar syrup. The sugar syrup ruined the taste of the mousse. Also, there was sponge cake and jelly inside the mousse cake. That was really unnecessary because this meant there was less mousse. They put two trays of Chestnut Cake that looked different separately inside the fridge (one looked nicer with more chestnut and the other one with less chestnut). Were they trying to confuse customers? Then the server gave us the one with less chestnut when we ordered it (we did not realize this until we got home). Were they saving the nicer ones for regular customers? Furthermore, the server put the cake slice into the box that did not fit and therefore, the cream on top of the cake slice was mashed onto the box. They should avoid damaging the cakes. How would you feel if you see the cake inside the box is ruined after you open the box? Moreover, the chestnut paste looked so dark and it did not taste good with the sponge cake layers that were overly sweet. The Chestnut Cake used to taste good but now it was disappointing. They were tricky to have two trays of the same cake with different amount of ingredients in the fridge to fool customers (one with name tag and one without). read more

My search for the best coconut buns in Vancouver brought me to this bakery in the mall. The stall is at the end of a shorter row of shops and has a reasonable selection of baked goods along with a discounted section at the front. We chose egg tarts, a pineapple bun, an apple and cheese bun, and a few coconut buns. The counter staff were nice, and the egg tarts kept well on the way home. The coconut bun reminded me of the ones from 85 Degrees. Lots of bread around a small amount of coconut filling. My favorite was the apple and cheese bun, but I didn't love it enough to want to go back for another. The egg tarts were actually pretty good, but make sure to eat them fresh or the taste changes and they aren't as good later. read more

This St Germaine is located in Richmond Centre near The Bay, and easy access since it's next to a mall entrance (covered parkade on Minoru side). I like their Pineapple Buns (no actual pineapples in them, they just have a sweet crust that looks like pineapples :P). Their puff pastry on their Beef Curry is also done very well and is a family favorite. In general, their buns/savory pastries are done well. Like all Chinese bakeries, they also make cake. I've found their cakes are a hit or a miss though so I don't normally get whole cakes here. However I was in a last minute need to get a cake in the area recently and was able to order a cake on their new online site in the car, give directions on the customized message I wanted, and the cake was ready when I arrived 10min later. I was able to get in and out quickly since you pay online and just pickup at the counter. Also get 15% off if you order online! In case you're wondering, we got the Mango Passionfruit Mousse cake and the family all liked it. read more

Their pastries are delicious 100%. The only thing is, as me being a minority, I don't ever feel welcomed, and they never say hi or have a good day or any of that type of customer service towards me, but still, I will go back because the pastries are delicious and fresh. read more

Great staff! They were really kind and considerate of us as they had a small narrow space inside the store and some friends were in the way and the staff said it's ok and she can wait. Customer service is fine here. We always get the taro bun and this time I tried the individually wrapped matcha cake. They're okay, really dense, just something I'm not used to. It isn't the fluffy kind but it was a little too sweet for me. I really like browsing through the food they sell. They are appealing. read more

Saint Germain Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

Nicely priced and delicious bakery goods. Of course I'm going to give it 5 stars! I haven't frequented many Asian bakeries, but Saint Germain definitely set the bar high for me. It's set up so you pick up a tray and tongs and pick and choose what you want through the cases. I'm not so sure about how sanitary that is. Hopefully people aren't picking up things and putting them back! I tried the Portuguese tart. It was warm so I couldn't help but eat it right away. I was initially unsure about this one cause I am quite a picky eater and I often don't like creamy, cheesy sorts of things. But this was actually really good. The crust was soft and flaky, while the filling was like a custard or something. Next time I stop by I'll definitely be buying more than one! I also picked up some rolls. With the price of like $1.75 each I couldn't resist. They're a perfect light breakfast or snack. Also pictured next to the rolls is a coconut tart. I bought this for my mom as she loves coconut. The filling was nice a moist and the coconut flavour was subtle, which is the way I prefer it. Overall, I like this bakery and will be returning. This bakery has definitely also peaked my interest in other Asian Bakeries! read more

Saint Germain Bakery - Rolls and coconut tart - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

September, 27, 2019 I bought some fresh pastry to home. It was warm and hot, while I buy it. But I was so disappointed, everything downhill now.. from Richmond center to my mom's house, just only 5 minutes walk. Bbq pork inside the pineapple bun...the bread was extremely hard and chewy .. not much bbq pork inside. 3 pcs of Egg tart.. it's still fine Pizza sausage bun... it's hard and tasteless Sponge cake... not soft as before... too hard for my grandmother to eat.. outside look a bit over baked.. It used to be my favorite bakery.. I buy cake at least 2 times a month.. Even I got VIP discount card, I wont go there buy buns and pastry anymore. read more

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I've tried a handful of Chinese bakery cakes since growing up in a Chinese family and being associated with Asian friends and Saint Germain is one of the higher quality Chinese bakeries, in my opinion. They've opened up inside Richmond Centre where the old McDonald's used to be and still offer bakery discounts in the late evening so if you're in the mall at that time and want some discounted buns for the next day, look no further, Saint Germain has them. They've also got a website currently set up and you can order cakes through their online website as well for your cake to be delivered or picked up at your selected Saint Germain location. The online order accepts cards and paypal as well, you also get 12% off your purchase so if you're not in a rush and know at least a day before that you need a cake, be sure to check out the online store for a small discount. read more

The Richmond Center Saint Germain is not up to standard. Their cakes and services are different from the Saint Germain in Aberdeen Center. I had a Chestnut Cake from Aberdeen store in Nov.2019, it was really good. So I purchased another one in Dec. but from Richmond Center store this time, and it tasted totally different and the making of the cake is also different. It's a total disappointment ! Also, when I purchased some bakery from the Richmond Center store a few days ago, they forgot to give me an egg tart. I had to phone them right after I found out when open the box at home. And I had to make a special trip to go back for the one egg tart the next day. Plus they didn't even apologize !! If you like Saint Germain cakes, better go to Aberdeen Center ! read more

a After frequenting Maxim's Bakery for years, we recently switched our allegience to Kam Do Bakery (both conveniently located in the Richmond Centre area). Kam Do's chicken buns are, in my humble opinion, the best chicken buns I've ever tasted. But I wanted to give Saint Germain a chance to win me over, so my mother and I headed to Richmond Centre on a sunny Thursday morning. I've heard good things about Saint Germain (which locals refer to as, "the upscale Asian bakery experince"). The Richmond Centre location opened just this year, and the entire store is bright, spacious and fastidiously clean. If you've ever been to an Asian bakery (and if you live in Richmond, this is a non-negotiable part of being a Richmondite) you know the drill: you grab a plastic tray and a pair of tongs as you navigate row upon row of delicious baked goods. We bought a little bit of everything: croissants, a chicken bun, the beef curry bun, sweet corn bun, mango swiss roll, coffee swiss roll, a banana loaf slice, one walnut cake slice and a chocolate swiss roll. The swiss rolls all tasted comparable to the ones we've had from other Asian Bakeries: soft, fluffy and not excessively sweet. The size of each roll, and the amount of filling in each sluce, was also the same as at Kam Do or Maxim's. The big difference here is that they cost way more at Saint Germain (you pay for the upscale feel). The chicken bun was noticeably smaller, and less tasty then the ones at Kam Do. Although there was more chicken filing than at Maxim's, there was a slight burnt taste to the bun that I didn't like. The croissants, which looked beautiful and flaky in store, tasted too sweet for my liking. The bottom was also slightly burnt, and I could barely taste any butter! I think the problem with Saint Germain in general is that their savoury items are too sweet. I prefer the heartier, saltier flavour of Maxim's or Kam Do's beef or chicken buns. I was expecting not to have to pay tax (because I bought 6 or more items) which is standard practice at most Asian bakeries in Metro Vancouver. However, this was not the case at Saint Germain. The good news is that, unlike most Asian Bakeries, this one accepts credit cards! So if you desperately want some baked goods (but have no cash on you), you can still pop in to Saint Germain's and shop to your heart's content. Although I enjoyed trying a new bakery, I don't think I'll be coming back. Compared with Kam Do and Maxim's, Saint Germain seems overpriced. If the items were unique and hard-to-find elsewhere, I'd consider coming back. But almost every item of similar or better quality can be found at Kam Do or Maxim's (and at a fraction of the cost!) read more

St. Germain Bakery just opened this January 2018 and is doing a Grand Opening promotional launch. If you purchase a pastry or cake from their bakery, they give you a VIP form to fill out and you will receive a free VIP card on the spot. The VIP card grants you 10% discount on every purchase. They also are giving out samples of their cakes. The samples I tried were the Chestnut Cake and Mango Pudding cake. The new bakery is right across from Pearl Castle restaurant inside the Richmond Centre mall. It's bright and clean, and easier to navigate to choose products than the one in Aberdeen Centre. Th older one at Aberdeen is often pretty crowded, but I'm sure this one will eventually get busy as word of mouth passes on that there is a new bakery in the Richmond downtown area. I got so sidetracked by the VIP card that I forgot to take photos of the store and the yummy samples. I give it 5 stars since I have been a regular customer at St. Germain at their other locations for over a decade. Their pastries and cakes are always consistently good, fresh, and the taste remains the same over these 10 years that I have been buying their bread, cakes, and buns at their various locations. read more

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Staff too busy so in shop services cannot consider good. They tried to put people to do on line order for cakes but their on line system are even worse! I tried two times, the fact is after I waited two days for their electronic receipts, I still need to call fore and back, to make things straight. (since their lines are always busy. ) Mind you, their on line account was not up-to-date! Don't waste time to register! read more

Nice egg tarts. They have a good variety of baked goods to choose from, and they have discount for some before closing.