Need a guide to Chinatown bakeries

[galka]

Can somebody please give me a little guidance to Chinatown bakeries: I can never find ones mentioned on this board. Especially in the dark, Chinatown gets confusing, so street names would be very much appreciated! Maybe they just all close in the evening -and this is the reason I have a hard time finding them?
Thank you!

[y2000k]

Piggyback to OP's question. How about best egg tarts in Boston? Are there any bakeries here that make egg tarts with the "western-style" cake crusts instead of the flaky lard crusts?

[sheila]

It is hard to miss if you are on Beach Street, which is one of the main street that runs through Chinatown. If you are there after six, they may be closed already.

I can show you around if I happen to be in Chinatown.

[dlee388]

I'm cantonese and my preference is the Baked cha siu bao's is Eldo Cake House. Their steamed cha siu bao's are just so-so. I was just at Eldo on Saturday buying a dozen bao's and then going to my favorite Chinese bbq place for roast duck and bbq pork. Every bakery is slightly different and you'll have your own preferences. I mainly go to the bakeries for bao's. I suggest just going to a bunch of different ones and buying one of whatever it is you're looking for and then figuring out which bakery works best for you. That's what I did in my search for the best cha siu bao in Boston's chinatown and the baked cha siu bao at Eldo Cake House was the best result for my tastes. I also found a very good steamed cha siu bao at the bakery over near C Mart, but they weren't very reliable in terms of having them.

[Taralli]

dlee, what is your favorite Chinese bbq place for roast duck and bbq pork?

[dlee388]

For chinese bbq, my favorite place is Vinh-Sun on Beach Street. I go to this place because I've always gone to this one guy for chinese bbq in the 10+ years that I've been in this area. He used to own a small take out only bbq place across the street. It was just this small place with him and one other person that was always doing the chopping. And it was the main place to buy roast duck and roast pork in Chinatown. So it's great to see that he's been able to grow from this small business into a restaurant. Now whenever I see him in the restaurant, he's wearing nice clothes instead of working behind the chopping block. Whenever I go in, I'm always getting roast duck, cha siu (roast pork) and bbq pork (with the crispy skin). Just note that take out is cash only. There are now quite a few chinese bbq places in the area, but I haven't bothered to check them out. The most notable is that China Pearl has opened a bbq place downstairs. I'll still stick with Vinh-Sun because he's been making it for a long time and I like what he produces.

If you like chinese roast duck, try real chinese plum sauce (duck sauce) with it. My recommendation - get Koon Chun brand plum sauce (blue and yellow label, on a glass jar, in the chinese grocery store you'll have to rotate the jars to see the english because they always stick the chinese words facing out).

[9lives]

Was the little place across the street named Bo Shek? I used to go in there quite a bit.

I hadn't realized that he opened Vinh Sun.

[sox_foodie]

Yes, he used to own Bo Shek. They had some Board of Health issues....but nothing that's killed us yet. I mean, it IS Chinatown.

Vinh Sun is pretty good, although now that you mention it, I haven't been there in quite a while. The owner is an extremely nice and will try to choose his best stuff to give you if he likes you and you're not fussy. He hates fussy people. I'm glad he's doing well over there now.

[neposter]

what is the chinese word for the BBQ pork? I am always having a hard time ordering this item, usually getting char siu instead of the crispy skin pork

[ysb]

Char Siu is the red colored BBQ pork. Siu Yok is the crispy skin pork

[barleywino]

i find the baked cha siu bao at Eldo to have way too much cornstarch-y sauce for my tastes. Winsor (weekends only for baked cha siu bao) is better in this regard but CHina Pearl's version seems to have the least sauce and is nice and light.

[fredid]

I also enjoy the black bean paste sesame balls at Hing Shing - greasy but good!

Addresses for OP: 54 (Ho Yuen) and 67 (Hing Shing) Beach St. Hing Shing is almost to the gate, across from the Imperial Tea House.

[three of us]

Maybe we caught them on a bad day or got the wrong stuff but when we went to Hing Sing, in September, the three of us ditched our purchases (can't remember what all we got). They were blah and dry. The place was mobbed, though. Still an Eldo's fan.

[givemefoodnow]

I definitely agree with Hing Shing...the pork and beef buns are both fabulous, as are the custards and custard buns...incredibly inexpensive and are always spot-on with flavor

[bachslunch]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I find Eldo's a tad westernized for my taste.

My favorite Boston Chinatown bakery is Hing Shing, followed by Ho Yuen. Both are on Beach Street.

[hargau]

yea im not a fan either. I dont know the names but my favorite at the moment is the one next to the beach street garage also the one right on the end of beach st towards the gate, across from imperial tea house. Probally the same two you mention.

Used to also go to the one around the side of the block from heilamoon, was good for a pineapple bun and bubble tea after dimsum.

[Bob Dobalina]

Hargau, the one on Beach next to the garage I think is Mei Sum Bakery. Have been there on a number of occasions - good stuff, but do not buy the pre-packaged plastic container of ginger cookies - they are only suitable substitutes for skeet shooting - really gross. On the other hand, the almond cookies are light, crunchy and perfect with a cup of coffee.

The one on the corner of Beach Street, toward the gate, I think is Hing Shing.

[hargau]

LOL I DID buy that container of ginger cookies and your right! Also i dont recommend the western type chocolate cakes and various mouse like cakes. Stick with the Chinese stuff.

[9lives]

I'm a fan of Hing Shing. I don't eat a lot of sweets but I like their spring rolls and taro dumplings. Their egg custards are very good too.

[Infomaniac]

I've enjoyed like the sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf from Eldo's, but overall my favorite bakery would be Hing Shing. I also like Mary's on Harrison near Oak.
About a year ago I had an obsession with places to get wrapped sticky rices. Must be the time of year because the urge came back.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/451462

[Taralli]

Eldo Cake House, love the beef curry turnovers: http://maps.yahoo.com/map?q1=36+Harri...

[three of us]

Eldo's sponge cake is my favorite of any bakery in Chinatown.
I have no idea what street it is on. We just wander around and recognize where it would be. Sorry!

[Kenji]

It's on Harrison.