Kam Boat Bakery & Cafe

Reviews

• Erica K.

  star star star star star 12 June 2026

  I came here as a last minute resort as I was debating on which Portuguese egg tart spot to hit up during the crucial hour before Chinese bakeries close (it's 8pm by the way, so early I know!). Happy Hour or Thirsty Thursdays for millennials is equivalent to elderly people in Chinese bakeries before they close. There was a line to even choose which bakery goods to purchase. Disclaimer: I bought the last Portuguese egg tart, that ironically no one was fighting over. For $1, it was still warm (it was sitting under the heated lamp so I would be skeptical of it was cold) and what stuck out to me the most was the layers on layers of the crust. It was perfectly executed, still intact after hours of time spent under the heat lamp and it didn't disappoint. There's open, communal seating for you to spread out your goodies and decide what to eat first.

• Lingxiao C.

  star star star star star_border 30 May 2026

  Took my friend here and we loved the buns we got:
  1. Lava bun - both our favorites. It's a pineapple bun with runny-yolk filling. Tastes wayyy better than it sounds (if it doesn't sound appetizing that is...)
  2. Custard bun - really good, not too sweet, but could use a bit more filling.
  3. Sponge cake - super light and fluffy! I've tried the alleged "best" sponge cake from Kam Hing Coffee Shop on Baxter street but didn't enjoy theirs as much as it was too dense and sweet. After all, to each their own.
  4. Almond bun - solid.
  5. Pork bun - solid.
  6. Egg tart - nothing special, I'd skip.
  
  I usually grab and go and eat in the park a block east as the place is always filled with Chinatown retirees. Hey, at least that's how you know this place is legit, right?

• Sophia C.

  star star star star star_border 25 May 2026

  I love their "experimental" pastries, as in those different from your typical Chinese bakery pastries and they're still pretty cheap, most under $2.
  
  The pastries I've tried and enjoyed are the:
  -Almond cream pineapple bun: the cream is a lightly sweet almond flavor.
  -Napoleon taro bun: the top coating texture is like a mix between pineapple buns and mexican buns, and the taro filling is perfectly sweet but not too sweet.
  -Almond red bean bun: the almonds and red bean paste are swirls on the outside of the bun.
  -Yogurt sponge cake: feels just a bit denser than your typical sponge cake with a slightly different but good sweet flavor profile.
  -Japanese cheese tart: like a lighter cheesecake in an egg tart shell.
  -Japanese sweet potato twist: lightly sweet sweet potato filling in a braided crispy, flaky pastry bread
  -Green tea Swiss roll: slight bitter taste of matcha present, goes well with the sweet cream.
  -Lemon "danish": it looks like a bun. The lemon filling is yummy.
  
  Disliked:
  -Almond paste croissant: it had the coconut filling texture and tasted like a just slightly sour mix of coconut and almond. There was full stock on a 5pm Sunday, so maybe it hadn't sold and was sitting around for a day or two.
  
  They also serve savory dim sum tydishes in the back.
  
  They have a decent amount of seating, perhaps fitting up to 30-40, and are packed on weekend daytimes.

• Sue V.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 20 May 2026

  I might have stopped by on an "off" day, but I was not impressed by Kam Boat.
  
  Prices were good, about a buck or two per baked item.
  
  The front of the store has seating and the cash register; the baked goods and hot food are closer to the back. I didn't venture past the crowd to try to order menu items, but instead asked for some bakery items. It does not appear to be self serve even if there are trays and tongs.
  
  The egg white tart was ok. Strong egg flavor but if that's not your thing you probably shouldn't be eating egg tarts. The crust was like a shortbread.
  
  My almond milk bun had filling with a weird texture...I almost thought it was raw dough at first. Maybe that's what it was supposed to be like.
  
  I wasn't wowed by anything I tried, so I wouldn't come back unless I was hungry and wanted to try something else like another pastry, the milk tea or hot food.

• Brian L.

  star star star star star_border 17 May 2026

  I wanted to get some egg custards early in the morning and this was one of the few shops open at 7:30. It's only $1 per egg custard so my expectations weren't  too high, but the place does brisk business so I know it will be good. The bakery has a nice variety of baked goods so I'll try them next time I'm in the area.