Van's Bakery has been a original business when Lion Plaza first opened up. A good asian bakery to get some jello cakes, pandan coconut flavored cakes, ube, etc. They also make sugar cane juice. The aunties were helpful and nice. Overall 3.5 stars. Support your local business. read more

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This review is for the hygiene for this establishment. I came in here to purchase a cake for a birthday party. I saw a lady worker behind the counter touched her mouth and picked out her chewing gum. So, I decided to remove the cake from outside refrigerator (you can pick out which cake from the glass front refrigerator) so that the lady did not touch the cake I picked out. I went to the front to pay for the cake. The same lady was about to touch the cake but I pulled the cake away and gently told her to wash her hands. She did so after. I can't imagine how many times she did not wash her hands before handling food and bakery in this establishment. I like this place for their bakery but afraid of their sanitary/hygienic practice here. Amanda P: your staff definitely did chew gum. I was there and saw in person. You were not there to see. Please manage and practice safe hygiene practice for your employees. This is not the first time either. Unsafe food practice can make people sick. read more

The older lady helping us was rude for absolutely no reason. We were polite, ready to pay, and somehow still got treated like we were bothering her. She put the cake in the box but didn't give us a bag, so I asked, and she just put it in a plastic bag and kind of tossed it to us... not gently, no apology, nothing. It was already hot in there, and the service made it worse. I won't be coming back. read more

Great desserts for a party. We usually get our cakes here. They have a lot of flavors and types of cake. My personal favorite flavors are mocha, pandan, and durian. I also really like the cream puffs here! It's $15 for a box. read more

Van's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Highly recommend ordering cakes here for special occasions. They are fluffy, delicious and her team of decorators are experts on cake designs. I have ordered cakes from Amanda for all sorts of occasions, from birthdays, weddings, and other occasions. I do recommend delivery for further distances as their cakes are soft. I do wish they would expand their flavor choices though. From the ones I've tried like their custard with mixed berries/ fresh strawberries and taro cakes. For those looking for gelatin free and non alcoholic cakes, they are capable of working for those dietary restrictions. The inside does not have any seating if you would like to enjoy their pastries. And the parking is sometimes difficult as it's located in a plaza. read more

Van's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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Van's Bakery has been around for over 30 years located in a large plaza right off King and Tully Road. Came by on a Saturday morning light traffic ample parking. Greeted very warmly and the ladies were very attentive their pandan cakes is what I craved for that along with macaron ice cream sandwiches. They have an array of mixed Vietnamese and Chinese delicacies, pastries, desserts and a slice of cake for $5 each comes in taro coconut, guava mousse, mocha hazelnut, pandan coconut along with cream puffs, moon cakes and pate chaud comes in either beef or chicken. The shop is itself has abundant of Vietnamese Lunar New Year 2026 year of the horse prepackaged baskets full of gifts and treats to celebrate cultural festivities tradtional food and family reunion and passing out red envelopes enclosed money for good luck. Would definitely be back best to come by early than later in the day particularly on the weekends. read more

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Feeling indifferent about Vans, and here's why. We often crave for this coconut pandan cake, and would make the drive down to SJ to get it and drive it all the way back to SF. When it's freshly made it's sooooo good! The cake is soft, moist, lots of coconut and you can tell it's freshly made! When it's like this we keep wanting to come back for more! Once in a while we get day old or not so fresh cake where it's dry and crumbly. The cream isn't so fresh either, or it's just overly wet like it's been sitting in the fridge for days. When it's like this we tell ourselves it's not worth the trip. It's such a mixed feeling for this. Like it's so good, and no other place makes it like this, but it's always a gamble. I know we will continue to come back and test our luck. Sooooo try at your own risk. read more

Van's Bakery - Pandan cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Great cakes! Not too sweet and always fresh and yummy -- this will be our new go-to place for birthdays.

Their savory treats!! I had one of each, very tasty. The customer service was friendly I know where to stop at for some snacks! Try the sugar cane drinks!!!!! Thank you read more

Van's Bakery - Original sugar cane drink - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Mom and I seem to always hit up Van's Bakery after eating at Nha Trang. The bakery has been a convenient stop to pick up some sweets, baked goods, and other Asian specialties. Located at the Lion Plaza on Tully Road in San Jose, not only is there ample parking for patrons, the shopping centre is also home to several other Asian restaurants and a food court, gift shops, jewelers, bakeries, etc. Inside, the shoppe appears fairly clean. The sides of the store are lined with cold storage units and glass cases, all displaying goodies for sale. In the middle of the room, as well as along the clear case counters, are packaged tidbits for easy shopping. Van's has a great inventory of a myriad of snacks. In addition to unique cakes and Chinese and Vietnamese treats, Van's offers some French delights like Macarons and Ice Cream Macarons with interesting flavours. Below are the items that Mom and I purchased during our most recent visit on Saturday evening, July 6, 2024: GUAVA MOUSSE ($5) - Mom really liked this slice of cake. She said that the guava flavour really came through. MOCHA HAZELNUT ($5) - "It's ok," per Mom. MINI PATE CHAUD PORK (HEO NHO, $1.50) - Good! A great price, too. Service is quick and friendly. We will be back, I'm sure. I need to get some regular sized PATE CHAUD PORK (HEO LON, $2.50)! read more

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This is your typical mom and pop Vietnamese bakery that sell traditional Vietnamese snacks, cakes, desserts and drinks. I get my Vietnamese jello cakes from here all the time along with their pandan waffles and sugar cane juice. Vans bakery is a staple in SJ and I hope never closes down. The shop takes cash and card! read more

My husband and I eat the pandan waffles here every time we visit SoCal. They are only $2.50 and made to order. They make them fresh in the waffle maker too, so you know you're getting the best waffle. The flavor is spot on! read more

We've been going to Van's bakery for every occasion for years now. After trying a wide variety of their cakes (the favorite being mocha), their cakes are consistent and delicious. For my grandma's birthday, we got a pre-made mocha cake. We expected the usual high quality cake that we are familiar with. Right before writing happy birthday on the cake, they swapped out our cake for another one with the same design. We gave them the benefit of the doubt hoping that they would give us a newer cake, hence the exchanging. Trusting Van's bakery, we didn't think much of the swapping and disregarded our suspicions until we tried the cake. They switched out the cake we chose for a spoiled and older cake. During our cake cutting, the cake reeked of a horrid smell and had a tough and dry texture. It tasted like alcohol. We didn't eat the rest of cake and wasn't able to buy another one since it was so last minute. Our party guests were shocked and extremely displeased as well. It might have been our fault for thinking they would swap the cake out in our favor as loyal customers. 2/5 stars because we know that Van's bakery has fantastic cakes but after experiencing this service, we are disappointed and won't be returning. read more

I ordered individual slices of cake, strawberry, guava, some coffee cake, coconut and I was not impressed. They were $5 each. I was going in to get their most popular cake and ended up ordering individual. I forget which one was recommended, that's what I get for skipping the recommendation read more

The helped us choose the design and adjust the size of the cake. It was originally 2 tiered, but the accommodated us! Great pricing and tastes great too. Not to sweet! We always try to get our cakes for special occasions and they have a wide variety of baked goods, desserts, and viet snacks. read more

Van's Bakery - Gender reveal cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Moon Cake Central. It is defiantly moon cake season. The place was filled with all different kinds and sizes of moon cakes. It was hard to decide what kind of moon cakes to get. I was on a search for a chocolate moon cake. One of the staff members took their time to ask me if I needed help. I asked if they had a chocolate moon cake, expecting them to look at me crazy and say no. To my surprise she said let me look in back. A short time later a gentleman came out with 2 different types of moon cakes. He said he's doing a speciality order of chocolate moon cakes and said he has one that is chocolate with the traditional center and a second that was like a chocolate lava cake. I opted for the $7 chocolate lava. I left happily with my prized chocolate moon cake. I highly recommend this bakery for all of your moon cake needs. The Chocolate lava moon cake was amazing. I wish I had more. I'd love to eat more and share them with my friends. It was nothing like any moon cake I've ever had. It tasted just like a lava cake with a molten center. If you have a chance to have one it's a must. It's to die for. read more

I had trouble finding a place to do our wedding cake. My mom had recommended Van's Bakery since it's within the Vietnamese community and she had been going there for decades. I went to their store and they showed an entire portfolio of the wedding cakes they had done. My wife and I chose one with flower pedals and gold flakes. They also did delivery for the cake which was great. We had no clue what the cake was going to turn out looking like until the day of, and it exceeded all of our expectations. It was absolutely stunning, and by far the best wedding cake I had ever seen in person. The best part was that they had a huge variety of flavors. We ended picking pandan, but you could make your cake with one or multiple flavors including durian, taro, chocolate, red velvet, and a bunch more. The staff kept great communication with us for many months leading up to our wedding as well. I've been a returning customer ever since, especially since their cakes and sugar cane drinks are really good. 10/10 read more

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Van's Bakery has been part of our community for over 30 years, baking not just cakes, but memories. From birthdays to weddings, to everyday sweet treats, their desserts have been woven into so many life's joyful moments. But what they did for our family was truly touching. When my cousin tried to order a multi-tiered cake for her dad's 100th birthday, the owners gently refused payment. They insisted on gifting the cake as their way of honoring his incredible milestone. We were deeply touched. In that moment, we weren't just customers. We felt like family. Van's Bakery runs their business with heart, and their kindness reminds us what community is all about. Thank you for the last 30 year, and cheers to many more to come! read more

Van's Bakery - 100th Birthday cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Love this place. Service have always been excellent and super nice folks that works here. Love their freshly made to order Sugar Cane drink with kumquat. Get the large if you can. So good. They are famous for their Vietnamese style birthday cakes which comes in a gelatin like and sponge. Everybody goes to Vans for special cake occasion. It's the place to go. You can also order ahead and have your cake specially made. They sell a ton of pastries and snacks. My favorite here is their Pandan bread that they make daily. Doing this review during Autumn Moon festival, they also make their very own moo cake. Really good. Lots of parking since it's located in the Lyons supermarket and next door to Nha Trang restaurant. Cheers! read more

Van's Bakery - Sugarcane juice (nước mía) with kumquat. So good. - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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If you're from East Side San Jose and you're Filipino/ Asian, you've probably eaten this cake at least once. It's the go to bakery out here that pleases our parents since all they ask for is a cake that's "not too sweet." It was my mom's birthday and I got her a Pandan Coconut flavored cake ($45). All of these cakes come pre decorated unless you do a custom order. It was last minute for me and they had me choose between red and blue to write "Happy Birthday" on top. Mom's favorite is color is red so of course I had to choose that color. The cake itself was yummm-- moist, light with Strips of coconut filling. If you've never tried Pandan flavor, it's a must. It's described as a "grassy vanilla and mildly sweet. It's one of my favorite flavors for desserts and a little hard to explain until you try it yourself. The icing was a light buttercream. I prefer whipped cream, but couldn't complain because overall the cake itself was great. I didn't get to try the sugar cane juice but after reading so many reviews on it, I'm coming back. read more

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Van's did an amazing job with a last minute order for a half sheet cake. I had originally ordered from another Vietnamese bakery nearby a week in advance of my son's 100 days celebration. I went to make some changes to my cake on Thursday afternoon and found the bakery was closed due to a failed health inspection conducted the day before! I didn't know what was going on and the workers inside were not able to communicate with me (language barrier). I told them I wanted to cancel and they got the message. I immediately went to Van's and asked if they were able to accommodate a cake order for Saturday. Luckily they were able to and they were able to provide me some guidance on the cake. I honestly didn't know what I wanted decoration wise. Found one of their circular cakes with dumplings and asked for it to be similar. Not too busy and simple and they delivered! Other bakery didn't really want to work with me on customizing a cake. They basically told me to choose one of their designs or bring my own. Van's was not like that and worked with me. I ordered the guava mousse flavor and it was a hit. People were asking for seconds. The kids loved the dumplings that were also edible. A nearby table was eyeing the cake and said it was pretty as well. I definitely would come back again and would try some of their other flavors! Highly recommend them for their cakes. I have also gotten their mooncakes as well as their sugarcane drinks. Both were good. Inside of the store is clean and organized as well. read more

Van's Bakery - Guava mousse cake with dumplings! - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

I've gone here a couple times before and the food is great, but yesterday at they sold me a moldy pastry ??? Will not be coming back. edit: I bought it around 4pm. read more

Van's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Fragrantly sweat and pleasing. First thing you notice is the smell of coconut/pandan waffles. You can get them freshly made to order here. From macarons, moon cake and puff pastries (plain custard or durian), to traditional cakes in Asian flavors (pandan, durian, coffee), or jello cakes, you've come to the right place. This is definitely one of the go to places in the Asian community for your pastry needs. Prices have gone up over the years but so has everywhere else. Parking in this plaza can be tight and inconvenient if you come here on a weekend. Service can be a bit underwhelming but besides that a bay area must try . read more

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We bought our father in laws came from Vans and it was such a pleasant experience! They have a variety of options for food including cake, pastries and beverages. The location is in a shopping center so plenty of parking! Overall the service and hospitality was great, we felt very welcomed and they even helped put beautiful touches to our cake. If you're in the area, and looking to try a great bakery, with a beautiful ambiance busy, but not too busy surrounding area then definitely stop by! Below is our Ube cake, which was amazing!! read more

Van's Bakery - Ube cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Flashback to my birthday last year--I was treated to a Jello birthday cake and durian cream puffs from @vansbakerysj! Their jello cakes come in a variety of flavors, some filled with fruit and others just the jello itself. Since durian is my favorite Vietnamese fruit, I couldn't resist the cream puffs--every bite was packed with flavor! They also have vanilla for all my Basics! Oh, and FYI, they offer ice cream-filled macarons too! read more

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Provided us an unacceptable wedding cake. They messed up on the decoration and attempted to hide their mistake and didn't inform us about it. When asked for a discount or refund, they refused. Will not be buying cakes there again. read more

Van's Bakery - Horrible - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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Van's is a staple in my family for parties, specifically for their cakes alone. My family ADORES their durian cakes. It's perfect every time - not too sweet, and very light. They love it more than Paris Baguette / 85c. I generally preorder cakes in advance, but they always have premade cakes in their fridge if you forget! Prices are reasonable, staff is friendly, and they're almost always open. :) read more

Van's Bakery - Cross section of durian cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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Cakes ready for last minute pick up. Durian cream puffs always hit. Pricing is decent and relatively cheaper than chain bakeries. Staple of San Jose. read more

Arghhh!!! You guys are so good! I've been having my mom's birthday cake here the last two years. I emailed them with a design and they got it best every time! I am always thinking about Van's when it's birthday time but I sometime forget to plan, but plan or no plan, the email person accommodate very well! The cake enough for 6-8 people is about $50 which is really good pricing for tasty cake! I also always get their durian cream puff, it's so good!! read more

Van's Bakery - Taro coconut cake love their frosting, filling and the cake, thank you! - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Amanda and her team did a fantastic job bringing our vision to life for our wedding cake this past June 2025. They were incredibly organized and ensured the cake was delivered promptly to our venue. We also appreciated being able to rent their elegant cake stand. It was the perfect finishing touch. Best of all, the cake was absolutely delicious, and we loved having such a wide variety of flavors to choose from. Our guests loved the cake. read more

Van's Bakery - Our wedding cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Van's bakery is such a staple in San Jose. This is my go to spot for green waffles or pandan waffles, but this time around was my first time buying cakes. Came here looking for a small green cake which they had pandan flavor, but I had to get other flavors because they sounded yummy. I ended up getting durian, taro, pineapple and the pandan flavor. The favorite in my house was the durian flavor and pandan. The cakes are so light and airy like a sponge cake and the frosting is lightly sweetened which was a delight because sometimes I find my self scraping of frostings from other bakeries. Something I wish I knew before coming in were their candle selections. I was on a big hunt for buying a small golden number candle and who would have known that Van's Bakery would have it. I was extremely happy and will note for next time. Van's bakery has so much to offer and highly recommend. Service was also great! read more

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I didn't know this place existed until I walked around the plaza! I was so happy to be inside this bakery! I saw beautiful round cakes, amazing price & tons of goodies! I've been here 3x already and it gets better every single time! I was so happy to have bought my daughter's 3rd birthday cake here and I recently bought my mom her birthday cake here! This cake traveled from San Jose to Vacaville and was still in good condition! Highly recommend this bakery. read more

Van's Bakery - Pandan Cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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They're selling moldy bánh tét mặn for $22, even seemingly trying to pass it off as freshly made since it was warm when I picked it. Even the rice that was stuck to the leaf on the inside was a little sour. Totally not the spirit of spreading luck and good health for the lunar new year! I purchased it 4 days after lunar new year day. I should've known something was up when the clerk kept glancing with disdain at the bánh tét I had placed on the counter. She must've known how old it was! I'm really irritated that they took my $22 knowing they're selling such an old product and that it's usually purchased to gift to others! How embarrassing. Instead of storing and selling old product on the counter, they should just store and sell from the freezer if they have excess product at risk of spoiling. I would've bought it frozen. To top it off, the clerk, a ~50-year-old woman w/dark filled eyebrows, was not friendly at all. I don't speak Viet but I was friendly, there were no other customers, and it was only 10am. She didn't even look at me when she walked right by me as I entered the store. All verbal communication was short and without a friendly tone or smile to make up for any language barrier. Go elsewhere for VN foods that are sold on the counter, and look very closely for mold. read more

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I always wondered where my parents get their Vietnamese cakes like the jello cake aka rau cau cake. Or even the the regular cake but has like pandas flavor coconut inside. You will find all Vietnamese traditional cakes and pastries. We got the jello cake and a box of the puff pastry with durian. Everything was delicious. They do accept credit cards by the way! Now I know where to go for some Vietnamese cakes and pastries. read more

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I always buy vanilla cream puffs, banh trang tron, cake slices and even recommend Van's bakery to my friends and coworkers because we all love the creampuffs at this store. Buying $5 cake slices here is like playing lottery. Sometimes they are fresh. Sometimes, they are stale and old to the point that the top layer of cream cracks. I remain loyal to their cream puffs. Today, I walked in to purchase some sweet puff to bring them to work. As I walked through the door, I absolutely loved the smell of pandan waffles. So, I asked the lady who was making them if the one on the cooling rack were for sale. I simply thought she made and sold packaged waffles once they were cool down. The lady looked annoyed, quickly shoving the waffles in a brown paper bag and said rudely, " They aren't for sell. Someone ordered them. Go to the front counter and pay for the order first!" ( Cái này không có bán. Khách đặt rồi. Muốn ăn thì tới quầy tính tiền mà đặt rồi mới làm.) Meanwhile, another lady kept asking loudly from behind the counter," how many waffles? how many waffles? ( Bao nhiêu cái? Muốn mua bao nhiêu cái?) Like, bro, chillax, stop rushing me as if I'm a stupid kid who doesn't understand verbal cue. Mind you, I didn't force her to sell them to me nor having the intention of purchasing ones. I politely asked. I didn't beg for free foods. They look amazing, but this store is not the only store that makes and sells pandan waffles. Imagine getting snapped at by a store employee and other employees started whispering to each other after they see you in a bad mood. Whose fault was that? The cream puffs were supposed to be dessert sample for our company's Thanksgiving party. We will bring our business elsewhere. Don't tell customers to support local business if they get horrible treatment like that. read more

The ladies at Vans Bakery are so kind and efficient! I was in and out in less than 10 minutes with my mom's birthday cake order! I was running around prepping for her bday party, so lots to do. I told the lady,owner, I'm not sure, she suggested a half sheet, and let me pick 2 flavors ( pandan and strawberry)since I couldn't decide, and they could do half and half. And she knew it was for mom, so she said she'll make it pretty with flowers . That's all I needed, someone decisive. She definitely knows what she's doing. The cake turned out beautiful, tasty, and everyone enjoyed it! read more

Van's Bakery - Half sheet for our party, 80 ppl! - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Great mooncakes, love the hột sen (lotus seed) here! Cake here has been a little hit and miss for us -- sometimes its great, other times bland or dry. The inconsistency is a little frustrating, even when ordering the same flavor. read more

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Super bummed out to write this review. I rarely drive out to Van's Bakery despite living in the South Bay. When I'm in the area I typically come and support them by purchasing the Vietnamese jello dessert, pandan waffles etc. Grabbed their mini jello platter from their fridgeand I should have inspected it before I left the store. By the time I got home and was snacking on one of them... I realized there were two with mold on them. I had to ask my boyfriend to double check for me just in case if I was wrong and he could confirm the web-like textures on the jellos were mold. You could tell by the picture I posted that the pandan jello color seems off. Super gross that they don't check their inventory... especially ones sitting in the fridge. Who knows how long it's been sitting there, along with other pastries they sell such as cakes too. Will not be coming back for a long time. read more

Van's Bakery - Mold on the green jello. :( - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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It was a hot day in San Jose and I was craving a sugar cane juice so bad and you know what I did...I went and got my sugar cane juice!!! I searched up "sugar cane juice" on Yelp and decided to go there but the funny thing was I saw that Van's Bakery had a sign that said sugar cane juice so I went there instead because I didn't want to go inside the plaza LOL. Van's Bakery is known for their pandan cakes and just cakes in general. They had many other Vietnamese pastries and snacks for sale. I ordered a coconut sugar cane juice and a mini pate chaud. This place is cash only so luckily I had just enough cash to buy both items. The sugar cane juice was so refreshing and it was really not too sweet. They make it fresh in front of you so that was nice to see. The pate chaud was yummy but I felt as if I didn't get enough pate flavor; still a great snack though. read more

My brother in law purchased a jelly cake from here for our niece's birthday. The flower decoration was so pretty, almost lifelike. Each layer's flavor was obvious. The coconut and taro were subtle, pandan and coffee were prominent. The cake is light, no guilty feeling for having a slice. It's a nice change from the usual dense, flour, birthday cakes. read more

Van's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California