Portland’s Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned bakeries are a point of pride in our city. Despite the fact that Portland’s Asian American population was about 8 percent in 2021 (compare that to 34 percent in San Francisco, 16 percent in Seattle, and 12 percent in Los Angeles), AAPI-owned bakeries constantly make news and show up on best bakeries lists, from the superb croissants and kouign amann at Jinju to the contemporary takes on Vietnamese pastries at Berlu Bakery. Vietnamese bakery An Xuyen provides restaurants all over the city with its banh mi and hot dog buns, while grocery stores across town stock Oyatsupan’s thick-sliced square shokupan. Here’s a guide to our favorites, and the must-order treats at each one.

Allie G’s Pastries

Pop-up baker Alexandria (Allie) Guevara serves a creative, impressive repertoire of constantly changing treats, including chicken adobo pot pies, coconut tres leches cake garnished with cornflakes, Thai tea macarons, tarts with calamansi cream cheese and ginger meringue, and pandan-coffee mamon (a fluffy chiffon cake made with rice flour). Look for Allie G’s at the Hollywood Farmers Market, Montavilla Farmers Market, and other events around town. Various locations

An Xuyen

Foster-Powell

This bakery supplies the city with flaky Vietnamese baguettes, or banh mi, as well as chewy and fluffy hamburger buns—you’ll find them everywhere from Jojo to Expatriate to Kim Jong Grillin’. And while it’s known as one of the most popular spots for banh mi sandwiches in Portland, the shop is loaded with sweet options, too. Try the golden, toasty coconut macaroons, the massive round takes on the mochi donut trend in ube and black sesame flavors, and the bright green pandan sponge cake. 5345 SE Foster Rd

Berlu Bakery

Central Eastside

Every Sunday, Chef Vince Nguyen bakes up a mixture of traditional Vietnamese treats like pandan waffles and banh bo nuong, a pandan-infused, chewy and spongy green cake, plus some treats of his own creation like kumquat-five spice layer cake. Everything is gluten-free, with several vegan options available. 605 SE Belmont St

HeyDay

While we patiently await Heyday’s brick-and-mortar location at the CORE pod’s indoor food hall, follow HeyDay on Instagram to get the latest on their pop-ups, where you’ll find both baked and fried mochi doughnuts, delightfully chewy and lightly sweet. Past flavors have included pistachio, coconut sweet corn, black sesame sugar, matcha strawberry, POG, and baked ube. Various locations

Jinju Patisserie

Boise-Eliot

While Jinju makes the best French-style croissants around, plain butter to chocolate to ham and cheese, its Korea-born owners, Jin Caldwell and Kyurim Lee, occasionally incorporate Asian influences into their pastries and desserts. In the past, we’ve spotted hot dog-topped savory croissants, lime-yuzu bonbons, matcha sable cookies, and matcha kouign amann. 4063 N Williams Ave

Mei Sum

Southeast/Jade District

Come for a selection of classic Chinese pastries, from hot dog buns that kids will love to super-flaky custard tarts and pineapple buns. The barbecue pork buns, available steamed or baked, are fluffy with a hint of sweetness and sizable chunks of meat inside, while the savory green onion bun is loaded with mayo and ham. 8001 SE Powell Blvd

Mikiko Mochi Donuts

Kerns

This former pop-up recently moved into NE 28th’s bustling restaurant row, open daily with dairy-free baked mochi doughnuts that taste oddly buttery with a pleasant chew. Choose from filled options like one with tangy passionfruit curd, one with bitter matcha in the center ringed by strawberry glaze, or a black sesame-iced donut with berry filling reminiscent of peanut butter and jelly. Non-filled options might include ube with tangy li hing powder, beloved in Hawaii, or yuzu funfetti. 300 NE 28th Ave

Oyatsupan

Five Oaks, Beaverton

It’s hard not to order everything in sight at this white-walled Japanese bakery in Beaverton, where melonpan options range from chocolate chip to matcha to double chocolate. Fluffy shokupan comes in several shapes and thicknesses, doughnuts come filled with red bean or honey cake (yup, a cake inside a doughnut!), and jiggly Japanese cheesecake is sold whole or by the slice. It’s not just about sweets, though: savory picks include Japanese egg salad sandwiches and pain epi, or wheat stalk-shaped pull-apart baguette, stuffed with bacon, mayo, and cheese. 16025 SW Regatta Ln, Beaverton

Soro Soro

Kerns

Every afternoon coffee break could use a little cake. Luckily, Soro Soro is flush with personal-sized cakes to accompany their hazelnut lattes or lactose-free lavender milk teas, each dessert adorably decorated. Our favorites are the matcha tiramisu with a squiggle of creamy-bitter tea-infused cream on top of earthy matcha sponge cake, and the fluffy cheesecake complete with eyes, ears, and whiskers that looks like a pensive cat. 2250 E Burnside St

St. Barbra Pinoy Bakery

PSU

This Filipino bakery sits right between PSU and OHSU, offering staple pandesal plus purple-swirled, butter-topped ensaymadas (round baked brioche), beef or chicken empanadas, ube butter mochi, and breakfast burritos stuffed with garlic fried rice, egg, and longanisa. Those looking for a more substantial meal can also grab silogs or chicken adobo. From the dessert case, grab slices or whole cakes of sans rival—a must-try layer cake with rich buttercream and chewy meringue, available plain or ube-flavored, or cheesecake inspired by halo halo, an ube and jelly-loaded shaved ice dessert. 2311 SW 6th Ave