Day 13 of eating at 100 Asian restaurants in Maryland, and this stop is one of my absolute FAVE bakeries, EDSTUDIO in Gaithersburg. Nomsters, if you haven’t been yet, RUN, don’t walk, because their desserts are genuinely unreal! Tucked into the walkable Kentlands area off Main Street, EDSTUDIO’s a Hong Kong-style bakery and dessert studio, which means gorgeous cream cakes, milk teas, egg tarts, and all sorts of Asian-inspired treats you’ll want to photograph before you devour them.
This isn’t your grocery-store bakery situation, everything’s small-batch and made fresh, and the menu rotates so there’s always something new to try. It’s the kind of spot you go to when you want something a little special, and it’s earned a place among my favorite dessert stops in Gaithersburg. Save room, because you’re going to want more than one thing.
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What Makes EDSTUDIO a Standout Bakery in Gaithersburg
What makes EDSTUDIO special is the level of craft. This is a dessert studio in the truest sense, run by a baker named Ed, turning out small-batch, Hong Kong-style cakes and pastries that are almost too pretty to eat (almost, lol). Hong Kong bakeries are known for being light, not-too-sweet, and a touch fancier than your average pastry case, think delicate cream cakes, silky milk teas, and flaky egg tarts.
Because everything’s made in-house in small batches, the selection changes and popular items sell out. That rotating, made-fresh approach is exactly why regulars keep coming back, you never quite know what new treat you’ll find. It’s a genuine hidden gem in the Kentlands, and honestly one of the more exciting bakeries I’ve come across lately.
What to Order at EDSTUDIO
Since the menu rotates, treat this as a greatest-hits list rather than a guarantee, but these are the kinds of things EDSTUDIO’s known for.
The Cream Cakes
The cakes are the headliner. EDSTUDIO’s known for beautiful, light cream cakes in flavors like pistachio and matcha, that not-too-sweet style Asian bakeries do so well. They also do a soymilk mochi cream cake and a matcha roll cake that regulars rave about. Celebrating something? They do custom cakes too, just order ahead through their site or app.
The Chocolate Lava Bun
One of their signatures is a warm chocolate lava bun stuffed with rich Valrhona chocolate. It’s exactly as indulgent as it sounds, and it’s best eaten warm, right there in the shop.
Egg Tarts and Milk Tea
You can’t do a Hong Kong bakery without the classics. EDSTUDIO does Portuguese-style egg tarts (flaky, custardy, and a classic for a reason) and Hong Kong milk tea, including a black milk tea topped with panna cotta that’s a fan favorite. Other rotating treats to keep an eye out for include cheese snow mountain bread, a soy custard parfait, and pineapple buns.
A Heads Up on Timing
Here’s a real pro tip: a lot of the fresh items aren’t fully out until the early-to-mid afternoon, even though the doors open at 12:30, and the best stuff sells out. So don’t show up right at open expecting everything, and don’t roll in too late either. Mid-afternoon’s the sweet spot.
And if you’re wondering what makes a Hong Kong bakery different, here’s the short version. Hong Kong bakeries blend Chinese and Western influences, so you get things like fluffy milk bread, pineapple buns (fun fact, there’s no actual pineapple, they’re named for the crackly top), egg tarts, and airy sponge cakes. The big signature is that everything tends to be less sweet than American desserts, which lets the actual ingredients shine. So even if you think you don’t have a sweet tooth, this is the style that usually wins people over. EDSTUDIO’s a perfect intro to it.
The Vibe and Experience
EDSTUDIO’s a small, cozy space, more of a grab-your-treats-and-go spot than a lingering cafe, though there are a few seats if you want to eat something warm on the spot. It sits right in the Kentlands, a super walkable neighborhood, so it’s a lovely little stop to fold into an afternoon around Main Street. Right nearby in the Kentlands you’ll find Neko Nook Cafe for Japanese sandos if you want something savory first. The interior’s small and dim in a cozy, well-designed way.
If you’re in the mood for something with heat, Thai Tanium is another Gaithersburg stop worth knowing, with drunken noodles and pad kra pao that make it easy to turn a quick errand into a full food afternoon.
Good to Know
- Location: 📍 360 Main Street, Gaithersburg, MD, in the Kentlands.
- Hours: open Wednesday through Sunday, 12:30 to 8pm (worth a quick double-check before you go).
- Style: Hong Kong-style bakery and dessert studio, small-batch and made fresh.
- Prices: budget-friendly, and the quality’s well worth it.
- Ordering: walk in, or order ahead online or through their app (handy for custom cakes).
- Timing: many fresh items aren’t ready until early-to-mid afternoon, and popular ones sell out, so aim for mid-afternoon.
- Seating: a few seats inside, but it’s mainly a takeout situation.
- Website: full menu and ordering at edstudiomd.us.
Is EDSTUDIO Worth A Visit?
Absolutely, this is one of my favorite bakeries in Maryland for a reason. If you love beautiful, not-too-sweet Asian desserts and you appreciate a spot that genuinely cares about craft, EDSTUDIO’s a must! It’s perfect for grabbing a treat for yourself, picking up a custom cake for a celebration, or just treating your sweet tooth to something a cut above. Go mid-afternoon for the best selection, and don’t be surprised if you leave with way more than you planned. If you want another must-try Asian bakery in Gaithersburg, Pâte à Cake is right up there for me too.
And if you want to add something non-food to the Gaithersburg run, Orange Pocket at RIO Lakefront just opened its first East Coast location, a pop-culture variety shop full of blind boxes, K-beauty, and Korean snacks.
Have you guys been to EDSTUDIO yet? If you have, tell me your go-to order in the comments, Nomsters, and if you haven’t, save this and go treat yourself this weekend. You deserve it!