Vanarin Kuch opened Koffeteria in November 2019 in a bright EaDo storefront, and it quickly became the bakery other bakers talk about. His pastry case reads like a map of Houston: a kolache stuffed with brisket and seasoned like a bowl of pho, Cambodian elote cornbread, a pistachio baklava croissant, and breakfast tacos with egg and Chinese sausage that former Chronicle critic Alison Cook called hall of fame material. Sweet or savory, the technique is precise, with shatter on the croissants and real salt in the lime tarts. Wash it down with a Cambodian iced coffee. The James Beard Foundation named it an Outstanding Bakery semifinalist in 2024 and again in 2025, and The New York Times put it on its 2024 list of America's best bakeries.
What to expect
- Order at a crowded front counter, then sit in armchairs inside or at picnic tables out.
- It is cashless: cards and phone payments only.
- Street parking on Hutchins St and the blocks around it, free on Sundays.
- Leashed dogs are welcome on the patio but not inside the shop.
- Preorder online; the next day's menu posts around 5pm.
What to order
- Beef pho kolache
- Pistachio baklava croissant
- Cambodian elote cornbread
- Cambodian iced coffee
- 2019Since
- Vanarin KuchChef-owner
- Lil' Koffeteria, 1410 Brittmoore RdSecond shop