Sunville Bakery
Date and Walnut Mooncake
Lotus with Yolk Puff
Taro Puff
Egg Custard Bun
Pork and Corn Bun
Red Bean with Yolk Puff
Orange Sponge Cake
Having set out several weeks ago to explore the ethnic pastries of Las Vegas it was Friday evening prior to dinner that I approached Sunville Bakery, to the best of my knowledge the final standalone shop on Spring Mountain left to visit, and with a friendly staff despite somewhat depleted shelves at 4:30 the results were not quite a case of “saving the best for last,” though certainly not too far off.
Larger than some and more spacious than most, with clean floors plus a small seating area providing an added perk, it was after a few walks around to explore the goods that the middle-aged woman behind the counter was approached and able to answer a few simple questions about sliced cakes and unlabeled items behind the counter it was with a plastic tray in hand that seven bagged pastries were selected, none but the flaky Lotus puff served warm but each executing well on its intentions with flavors running the gamut from savory to sweet.
Attempting best to sample the products in a progression of light to heavy with a focus on not flooding the palate with sugar too soon it was first to the interesting pork and corn bun that fork and knife were turned, the texture not unlike most Asian buns with the enriched flour base soft and spongy around a creamy mayo emulsion speckled with good pork and what one can only assume to be kernels straight from a can.
Moving onward to a similarly textured bun that saw sweet egg custard replace the previous savory center before delving into a light sponge reminiscent of my childhood favorite orange Hostess cupcake suffice it to say that those looking to experience Sunville at its very best are encouraged to invest in the housemade Moon Cakes, no less than seven versions offered with a $3-$6 range in price.
At this point growing more impressed as the taste of date paste and butter lingered on my lips, it was next to three “puffs” that remaining appetite was invested, both the egg yolk iterations offering plenty of natural sweetness to balance out the salty richness while the dainty pastry surrounding smooth taro was something like a lightly sweetened knish, the sort of thing around which any return visit will be planned.
FOUR STARS: Slightly more limited than other bakeries on Spring Mountain Road, but at the same time executing better with service that tries its best to help, Sunville Bakery is a worthy contender for the best Asian bakery in all of Las Vegas, and to the best of my knowledge the only one offering housemade moon cakes year round.
RECOMMENDED: Taro Puffs, Moon Cakes, Egg Custard Bun.
AVOID: A late arrival as many items were unfortunately already sold out.
TIP: Whole cakes can be preordered while slices apparently change on a rotating basis I was not able to decipher despite the server trying her best to explain.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
