One of the true gems of the San Francisco baking community is b. Patisserie. This French-American shop showcases the combination of Belinda Leong’s talent with Michel Suas’ knowledge and expertise. Suas, who established the San Francisco Baking Institute – a renowned leader in artisan bread and pastry education – in 1996, briefly met Leong in 2005 when she took a class at SFBI. Leong’s culinary journey would take her all over Europe, before she eventually settled back in the Bay Area.

While working as a pastry chef at Manresa Restaurant, Leong decided to introduce her pastries to the public through pop-ups and partnerships with select coffee shops.

The success of her pop-ups encouraged her to focus solely on b. Patisserie. She kept in close contact with Suas and soon after the two decided to become partners. For well over a decade now, the Lower Pacific Heights-based shop has been known for its delectable pastries – especially its kouign amann, which is perfectly flaky on the outside and soft on the inside.

The kouign amann is just one of the many reasons b. Patisserie has been widely recognized on a national level. In 2018, Leong and Suas were awarded the James Beard Foundation’s coveted Outstanding Baker award.

B. Patisserie is approaching one of its biggest annual business days, Kouign Amann Day in June. On that day, it will produce about 5,000 of the pastry, as opposed to 1,200 on an average day. At the time of this interview, the shop had just gone through its other busiest period, Lunar New Year, which it celebrated from January 29 to February 9. During those times of the year, it showcases several flavors, including its incredibly popular black sesame version. Leong says that Lunar New Year is even busier than the Christmas season.

In addition to the kouign amann, other best sellers include the chocolate banana almond croissant and the Bostock (brioche dipped in passion fruit syrup and topped with almond cream). While breakfast is its big time of the day, b. Patisserie also offers something for the lunch crowd, with a variety of unique tartines (open-faced sandwiches).

Leong’s time in Europe, specifically Paris, had a heavy influence on her culinary style. As an Asian American, she has been able to merge those styles into something exceptional.

“For the whole Asian menu, I incorporate all the desserts I grew up with, but we’re using our recipes, which is a little different than what I grew up with,” she says. “It’s more refined, more modern.”

B. Patisserie has stayed true to its original vision over the past decade-plus. Despite her and Suas’ backgrounds in fine dining, Leong says that they have always wanted to make their pastries approachable and cater to everybody.