where to get good bread in Chengdu?

Posted in: Forums > Food & Drink • 36 posts • Newest

• • husunzi
    September 18, 2009
    3 posts
  • Does anyone have any idea where to get good bread in Chengdu? Gijs bakes some occasionally at Machu Picchu - I've heard it's the best, but haven't been lucky enough to try it yet. I've also heard Metro has some alright bread, but that's so far away from the Sichuan U./ Yulin area. The best I know of around here is at Carrefour, but it's really not that great. Surely there's something better around?

• • hapatofu
    September 18, 2009
    95 posts
  • believe it or not, trust mart has, imo, the best baguettes in town. and at 3.6 to 3.9 kuai (depending on if it's the herby one or not), some of the cheapest too.

    i assume you're talking crusty western style bread. otherwise i like the sweet stuff at madeli/马德利 (think those are the right characters. there's one in yulin, near machu)

• • pepper
    September 21, 2009
    36 posts
  • What qualities are you looking for in bread? I think the bread at the South Carrefour is very good, if you get it fresh enough not to have softened in the plastic. I'm happy enough eating Chinese style bread, actually, not the fake-Western sweet kind, but good quality Xinjiang nan bread is great. And if you go to Yulin market they have excellent northeast style lao mian bing (round flatbread) either sweet, onion, or plain, and fresh corn cakes either sweet or plain.

• • invisible
    October 27, 2009
    494 posts
  • Most international 5 star hotels also have bread in their bakeries, off my mind I remember Sheraton, Sofitel, Intercontinental and Kempinski. However usually it's not cheap and even at a higher price it's not said it's always good or fresh. For whole-grain try Kempi daily, it's not really what they claim but once in a while a nice change. Other than that try to make your own bread, get some flour and an oven, download some recipes. Chengdoo magazine had a page on DIY bread issue 21 "questions" p. 40. You can download it at www.chengdoo-magazine.com

• • ohreally
    October 29, 2009
    2 posts
  • and what about pastry bakeries in town? are there any places sell croissants that are worth trying?

• • invisible
    December 23, 2009
    494 posts
  • also have a look at annie's posts on bread recipes
    http://www.gochengdoo.com/[...]
    http://www.gochengdoo.com/[...]

• • misubi
    December 23, 2009
    20 posts
  • I recommend the Japanese bakery (Yamazaki?) at the basement floor of Isetan for good croissants. Their garlic bread is quite good too.

• • invisible
    February 17, 2010
    494 posts
  • If you are tempted to make your own bread Suning has 3 different machines (at least the bigger stores should have them).
    http://www.suning.cn/[...]

• • jiajia
    February 25, 2010
    1 post
  • The boule at Q's coffee is my weekend indulgence (the desserts are best avoided). 12 yuan. A satisfying, slightly dense texture- not like the lightweight styrofoam things you get at Carrefour. There's one on Tongzilin Dong Lu, just south of Erhuan Lu.

• • Zarah88
    March 3, 2010
    2 posts
  • anderson bakery

• • invisible
    March 21, 2010
    494 posts
  • anderson bakery doesn't qualify as bread imo.:)

• • Max JG
    October 12, 2010
    7 posts
  • As a seasoned foreign student here in Chengdu, I can tell you the best, and arguably the only, place to buy good bread in Chengdu is the Metro in in Qingyang district in the west part of town, on the Southwestern University of Finance and Economic's North gate.

• • Marky
    October 18, 2010
    48 posts
  • I love the bread from the Freemori bakery. I go to the one in Jinsha but I have seen several across Chengdu.

    11 kaui for 8 slices of "Toasting Bread" - maybe bit on the expensive side. The multigrain loaf is the best and actually only contains ingredients you should find in bread back in the UK so pretty much tastes the same.

• • Joseph Zhang
    November 7, 2010
    2 posts
  • Freemori and breadtalk are the two bakeries which I like very much. And breadtalk is on Chunxi road, only one in chengdu, the cheese cake in it is the best cake I have ever tasted.

• • iraglassismyhero
    November 8, 2010
    74 posts
  • Actually, there are Bread Talks all over Chengdu. There is one at Chunxilu, one inside the Shuangnan Ito Yokado complex (maybe Wanda Ito too? ), and a brand new one in the Constellations mall on the second ring road across from the Jianshe Lu Ito Yokado. Pretty much, wherever there's an Ito, there's a Bread Talk. Talk about piggybacking! There might be others, not sure. And I've never tried their sliced bread, but they do have loads of yummy pastries. I'm especially impressed with the savoury ones. Not just rou song at Bread Talk! :)

• • invisible
    November 17, 2010
    494 posts
  • @Marky @joseph zhang
    What kind of bread and how much is it?

    So since I already spotted some laowai in my favorite hide out I can as well push the place, it's a little bakery without a sign outside as it's delivering 5-star hotels, chains and cafes etc.

    They have different kinds of breads (including baguette) and Chengdu's best cheese cake (RMB8)!

    Ruishengnanjie - 瑞升南街 in Yulin. Good luck finding it!

• • Paulie
    December 8, 2010
    27 posts
  • I've always found the unsliced bread in carrefour to be acceptable.

    Just ask them to slice it for you.

• • clayuk
    December 14, 2010
    75 posts
  • Trust Mart has the best french wholemeal bread....

• • berlydallas
    December 16, 2010
    20 posts
  • The best bread in town, (and I hate to share it in case flocks of people come and there is not bread for me) is at Q's coffee. They have nice sandwich bread and their baugette's are nice too. It is located on tong zi lin dong lu in the south part of town right off 2nd ring road. Also, the bakery in Isetan has amazing bread too!

• • invisible
    December 17, 2010
    494 posts
  • The following might sound a bit harsh, but I think most Asians or mixed Asians do have different standards for bread (they don't mind it to be airy and sweet), so their judgements aren't really helpfull when it comes to find the real deal.

    Don't get me wrong: the parallel would be me advising Chinese on buying mooncakes.

    I agree with clayUK best taste and value for baguette is def trust mart, they sometimes have that one with the spices, really good at RMB3.50. The only way to get it cheaper and better is DIY.

    If you want really good rich dark bread try the cafe z buffet.

• • pepper
    December 17, 2010
    36 posts
  • yep, in China the bread is cake. And the cake is bread. That said, your previous tip on the unmarked bakery by the walking street is gold. Thank you.

• • MARC X
    December 24, 2010
    13 posts
  • I get my bread at ISETAN & the Andersen bakeries around town. Holiland as some ok bread on occasion. Besides that, i just go to Tex Mex and get them to sell me theirs :) Like burger bread!

• • Amour
    December 26, 2010
    5 posts
  • Kempinski bakery in the South Carrefour has authentic German bread. THE best in town.

• • Hammy
    December 28, 2010
    12 posts
  • Anderson Bakery has a brown loaf and Carrefour has real German pumpanickle

• • invisible
    December 29, 2010
    494 posts
  • @pepper

    psss keep it a secret:)

    @Amour
    Kempinski bakery in Carrefour has German bread? Don't believe just any company's claim, yes they charge the same money like in Germany, but it's nowhere near German bread. Big Rip-off.

    If it comes to really dark bread try the cafe z lunch, then you know what a real dark bread is (you might even call it German).

• • invisible
    August 14, 2011
    494 posts
  • Le Sud also has bread for takeaway, pretty nice baguette & white breads & rolls..

    http://www.gochengdoo.com/[...]

• • Skins
    September 21, 2011
    5 posts
  • bread talk 85℃ 罗莎蛋糕 安德鲁森 浮力森林

• • coryg
    October 28, 2011
    14 posts
  • The shangra-la has the best bread in Chengdu. It is obviously expensive but it is included in the buffet. You can get the buffet for lunch for 78 RMB if you choose only 1 section of the buffet instead of the whole thing which includes fruit and bread. Andersons bakery also has an excellent bread as it doesn't have any milk or preservatives in it. I have an allergy to milk products so I have check everything. 90% of all the "Western" style bread has milk powder in it. I don't know why they put it in as they do not do that in the US. Trust Mart's baguettes also do not have any milk in them in case anyone was wondering.

• • invisible
    October 28, 2011
    494 posts
  • @coryg

    RMB78? Really? Since when? Is that official? Yummmmmmmmm

• • coryg
    October 28, 2011
    14 posts
  • Yes, that is official. I was just there on Wednesday. Actually if you order off of the menu it is quite cheap. Each entre is about 38 - 5x RMB and they have the best Western food in Chengdu. I have been to almost every hotel buffet except the Kempinski and the Shangra-la is by far the best. The 78 RMB buffet is only for 1 section such as salad bar, sushi bar, Sichuan food, Indian food, Pizza station or the noodle bar. Most of the fruit is fresh and many of the vegetable items are organic. They don't advertise the single section buffet which is a shame as more people would probably consider going there. The full buffet costs about 150 RMB.

• • alterego
    October 28, 2011
    7 posts
  • Sorry to disagree but IMHO cafe z's bread (and all of their other food) is abysmal. If you really want decent bread, Sofitel (their "cafe z counterpart" on the 2nd floor) is WAY better (actually tastes like French bread); not to mention that they have delicious butter and sometimes some pretty decent cheese. Re; the so-called "bakeries" in chengdu...Andersen, Rosa, Tillen, Gigi or Holiand...they all taste like processed food to me (a la pepperidge farm or what not).

• • invisible
    November 2, 2011
    494 posts
  • @alterego

    i think you have to clarify, the dark bread at cafe z is simply good (and for me so far impossible to find better).

    I think you might refer to sofitel's croissants or french baguette, not dark bread. I started making my own french bread at home and i'd say i can compete with most places, however can't beat le sud's most time (as they have a better oven).

    @coryg
    merci

• • berlydallas
    November 3, 2011
    20 posts
  • There is a new baker at Q's coffee. They started selling his goods yesterday. I was there today and had a pain au chocolate, black cherry danish, a real French baguette. I also tested their snow and English bread and they were all fantastic. They had this bread with bacon inside and it is supposed to be delicious. This stuff is not like you get in Andersen Bakery or Cafe Z or anywhere else in Chengdu. The new baker is Japanese and has lived in Thailand for quite sometime. I highly recommend getting over there and buying their goods. I think it is the best I have tried in Chengdu, even better than they had before.

• • alterego
    November 4, 2011
    7 posts
  • @invisible: I was indeed talking (primarily) about the baguette (which is thoroughly enjoyed with Sof's delicious butter and sometimes awesome cheese offering not to mention some grapes, wine...). I have not eaten the dark bread at either place so will trust you and others if you say that CfeZ's dark bread is acceptable. Kudos to you for baking your own; you probably can more than hold your own against what's available here (i just baked an amazing pecan pie...felt like i was back in the southern U.S.).

    @berly: Thanks for the tip. I would be happy to try it...I wanna believe that sooner or later Chengdu will attract some foreigners that will set up shop here and bring some creative Western tastes to this city (sichuan food is fantastic but IMO has too much oil to be eaten every day).

• • invisible
    April 21, 2012
    494 posts
  • The Ito Yokado at Chunxi is another location for good baguettes, however they are smaller than, bit more compact and not cheap: RMB6 (from my own experience I assume the actual food cost to be RMB1-2), crusty on the outside, soft, but not mushy inside.

    I recommend to start making your own bread. You need an oven, even a toaster oven for 300 kuai will do. Flour, salt, yeast, sugar. Watch a DIY vid on dough kneading and get started. The biggest mafan is to wash your hands if your dough is too wet and cleaning your place/ bowl (some use plastic bags for kneading).

    There is nothing better than fresh bread with slice of butter melting on top.

• • SadeqAmeenAbed
    April 22, 2012
    6 posts
  • I would say chunxi lu in the same building as carefour there is a bakery but not inside carefour...it is beside starbucks and have quite a collection of bread..I usually take the french bread for 3 kuai and it would be fresh and very good for that price

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