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Where to eat mooncakes, pineapple buns, egg tarts, and more
It’s no secret that Chinatown is home to some of the best food in Boston. From dumplings to noodles to hot pot, a diner could eat three meals a day for a month in Chinatown and not scratch the surface of what the neighborhood has to offer. And Chinatown’s offerings don’t end with the savory — the neighborhood is also home to some excellent bakeries.
Here are 10 of the best.
See also:
Read MoreEldo Cake House is best known for its fruit cakes, and that’s what a hungry eater should order. Grab a slice to go, and walk around Chinatown — or to the Boston Common, or to the waterfront — or eat at one of Eldo’s handful of tables. Word to the wise: There’s a $10 credit card minimum.
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This Japanese chain is known for its cream puffs. According to the company lore, the cream puffs are supposed to resemble the beard of the baker in Osaka who developed the recipe. Beard Papa’s also makes mochi ice cream dumplings, where the ice cream acts as the filling and the sweet rice confection acts as the outer skin. Credit cards are cool at Beard Papa’s.
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This spot is very much no-frills (and as such, accepts cash only). The savory order at Mei Sum is the banh mi, which is served on house-baked bread; the sweet order at Mei Sum is the egg tart or the coconut cake.
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The Egg Puff Lady (or Egg Puffs, as the kiosk is also sometimes called) has posted hours, but sometimes she’s not there during those posted hours. Maybe don’t make this the main reason for a Chinatown visit, but if she’s there, definitely get some of these egg puff waffles, which are fluffy and sweet and the perfect way to cap any food crawl through Chinatown. Note: The Egg Puff Lady accepts cash only, and she’s located inside the tiny food hall that also includes Avana Sushi and Hot Eastern.
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Ho Yuen is small and cash only, and it’s packed with various mooncakes (among other pastries), which are typically made with a flaky outer pastry and filled with red bean or lotus seed paste.
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Adjacent to Ho Yuen but a bit more spacious (and with a few tables), 101 Bakery offers eaters a fairly large variety of pastries, including taro pastries, red bean buns, custard buns, and pineapple cake. Wash it all down with some milk tea. Note: 101 Bakery has a $10 credit card minimum.
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Not everything on this map is a sweet treat: The barbecue pork pie is a standout at Great Taste Bakery, which is adjacent to its sister dining spot Great Taste Restaurant. Order one, and eat it at the bakery’s lone table. Cash only.
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Hing Shing Pastry is steps from the iconic Chinatown gate, which is perfect for tourists who want to be particularly touristy in one of Boston’s most touristy locations. The bakery, however, is not a tourist trap: Try the almond cookies, and perhaps throw in a walnut cookie as well.
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Bao Bao Bakery & Cafe is owned by the same folks behind Double Chin (which is next door) and is serving one of the best pineapple buns in the city. Bao Bao’s cakes are also not to be missed (as well as being quite gorgeous).
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May’s Cake House is hidden in a basement a bit outside the main Chinatown drag, but it’s well worth the extra walking. Order the excellent mango mousse cake, and eat it on a park bench in the tiny Tai Tung Park a couple blocks away if both of May’s tables are already taken. If it’s a savory treat you’re after, try a shrimp rice noodle roll — or, for a sweet-and-savory combo, the fried dough rice noodle roll (pictured).
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Eldo Cake House is best known for its fruit cakes, and that’s what a hungry eater should order. Grab a slice to go, and walk around Chinatown — or to the Boston Common, or to the waterfront — or eat at one of Eldo’s handful of tables. Word to the wise: There’s a $10 credit card minimum.
This Japanese chain is known for its cream puffs. According to the company lore, the cream puffs are supposed to resemble the beard of the baker in Osaka who developed the recipe. Beard Papa’s also makes mochi ice cream dumplings, where the ice cream acts as the filling and the sweet rice confection acts as the outer skin. Credit cards are cool at Beard Papa’s.
This spot is very much no-frills (and as such, accepts cash only). The savory order at Mei Sum is the banh mi, which is served on house-baked bread; the sweet order at Mei Sum is the egg tart or the coconut cake.
The Egg Puff Lady (or Egg Puffs, as the kiosk is also sometimes called) has posted hours, but sometimes she’s not there during those posted hours. Maybe don’t make this the main reason for a Chinatown visit, but if she’s there, definitely get some of these egg puff waffles, which are fluffy and sweet and the perfect way to cap any food crawl through Chinatown. Note: The Egg Puff Lady accepts cash only, and she’s located inside the tiny food hall that also includes Avana Sushi and Hot Eastern.
Ho Yuen is small and cash only, and it’s packed with various mooncakes (among other pastries), which are typically made with a flaky outer pastry and filled with red bean or lotus seed paste.
Adjacent to Ho Yuen but a bit more spacious (and with a few tables), 101 Bakery offers eaters a fairly large variety of pastries, including taro pastries, red bean buns, custard buns, and pineapple cake. Wash it all down with some milk tea. Note: 101 Bakery has a $10 credit card minimum.
Not everything on this map is a sweet treat: The barbecue pork pie is a standout at Great Taste Bakery, which is adjacent to its sister dining spot Great Taste Restaurant. Order one, and eat it at the bakery’s lone table. Cash only.
Hing Shing Pastry is steps from the iconic Chinatown gate, which is perfect for tourists who want to be particularly touristy in one of Boston’s most touristy locations. The bakery, however, is not a tourist trap: Try the almond cookies, and perhaps throw in a walnut cookie as well.
Bao Bao Bakery & Cafe is owned by the same folks behind Double Chin (which is next door) and is serving one of the best pineapple buns in the city. Bao Bao’s cakes are also not to be missed (as well as being quite gorgeous).
May’s Cake House is hidden in a basement a bit outside the main Chinatown drag, but it’s well worth the extra walking. Order the excellent mango mousse cake, and eat it on a park bench in the tiny Tai Tung Park a couple blocks away if both of May’s tables are already taken. If it’s a savory treat you’re after, try a shrimp rice noodle roll — or, for a sweet-and-savory combo, the fried dough rice noodle roll (pictured).