Tao Hong Bakery

Got the egg tarts (2 for $ 1.50). It was good, that’s it. I wasn’t really a fan of the crust — I’m partial to the softer and less flaky crust, but this was the opposite. The egg custard was a tad too sweet for my liking but other than that it was fine. Service was OK, typical of a Chinatown business.

Happy to find this low key bakery. Went in this place by chance because I was nearby and looking for some egg custards. Surprised to find that they still have them in the evening time. Got 2; had them rung up; pulled out my money… Wait, what? 2 egg custards for $ 1.5? What more, even though they were not still hot, they were still good. The is actually flaky and not one of those hard pre-​made shell for pie. I returned the following morning (open at 7) and got another 12 egg custards and 4 bakery items for $ 15. I am definitely coming here next time for my bakery goods. Oh, bbq pork bun is good.

$ 1.50 for 2 egg custard tart! The egg tarts were decent size and the crust is the fluff flaky kind not the pie crust. The owner is very nice and she understood English very well. Everything in this bakery cost less than those found on Grand St. The pork buns were also good and they didnt skimp on the meat filling. We bought several other kind of buns but wish we were in the area longer so we could try the desserts. Oh well there is always next time.

PINEAPPLE BUN RATING: 5 out of 5 stars.
What a gem!
This tiny, unassuming bakery in the «other» side of Chinatown carries one of my all-​time favorite foods of all-​time: the precious BBQ Pork Pineapple Bun (bo luo cha siu bao). Although I haven’t had it straight out of the oven yet, the bun is absolutely incredible once reheated (via oven) back home. The crispy topping is flavorful and the BBQ pork inside is the perfect complement — meaty and not overly stuffed with too-​sweet syrup; in other words, it is one of the best baos I’ve ever had — and I’ve had plenty. The regular Pineapple Bun is also quite delicious and in fact comes close to as what I’d consider the quintessential boluobao — good bread, nicely crisped and sweet topping, and the classic look.
I have yet to try most of their other buns but in terms of the Pineapple Bun, Tao Hong Bakery NAILS it!
Highly recommended!

More like 2.5 stars
Came here after reading a recommendation for their mango mochi. Was sorely disappointed by the results. The mochi was way too massive and seemed to be falling apart (which is problematic considering how sticky mochi should be). They try to mask the lacking mochi with copious coconut flakes, but even that can’t help me overlook the somewhat off consistency. The only saving grace is that the filling inside was actually mango. Probably doesn’t help that I’ve just had some amazing mochi in HK, but even so, I like the mango mochi at Taipan better (except for the fact that it’s a cream filling instead of mango).

I really wanna try this items they sell. Looks so delicious :)

Tao Hong is a tiny bakery tightly packed between bigger restaurants on Christie Street. It’s rather easy to miss if you don’t pay attention. Although it’s small, it offers a decent variety of Chinese bakeries. I have sampled char siu bun (it’s packed with generous amount of meat with flavorful sauce), custard bun (decent), pork flakes (there’s a huge amount of those), and Mexican (surprisingly there’s custard filling in it). All of them are delicious. Their drinks are among the cheapest in Chinatown and the quality is good. PS: the owner is really nice and friendly. She’s always smiling and makes my day better.

I went in for a hot tea with lemon. It was boiling, which made me happy, since it was absolutely frigid today. I was pleased with the amount of sweetness due to the spoonful of sugar heaped in to round out the citrusy sourness of the lemon wedge that stayed afloat in my hot beverage. There are about 2 tables with a handful of chairs, so maybe you might have to take your snack and drinks to go, but actually when I came in there were was no one there. Each person before me and after me on the queue ended up taking their orders to go. It was pretty clean, and each pastry was labeled with name and individual price. I thought it was decent.

Tao Hong is a hole in the wall recommended to me by my sister and fellow Unilocaler and it’s been one of my fave places to stop for an Ovaltine and some coconut custard after dinner or lunch. Are the pastries here so exceptional and different than other bakeries? Not at all. Yes the baked goods here are certainly are fresh and tasty, with a marvelous coconut pudding and a red bean pudding and a very good egg custard bread. I just had an egg custard bread with the pineapple topping and it was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and not at all greasy like the sweet breads from some other shops. I bought another just for good measure. For it’s the friendly service that keeps me coming back. The proprietor is this nice lady who actually smiles at you as you come through the door. She also speaks English for those who can’t speak Chinese and is helpful. I speak Chinese and will walk the extra two blocks whenever I want a Chinese bun to buy from them. This place only has two tables but such good energy you want to patronize it and keep it flourishing.

Tao Hong is a tiny bakery on Chrystie Street closer to Grand St. They have your regular Chinese breads/​buns and drinks to include honey and lemon water, ovaltine, coffee, and tea. The ladies here are nice and they even speak and understand English very well.
There are only 2 small round tables that have 2 chairs each. I found this place by accident, and was looking for the Carriage House Bakery that used to be here.
The pastries behind the counter are where the more interesting items are. You can get a honeydew or coconut pudding cup and the squares of coconut pudding and red bean coconut pudding. The square of coconut pudding tastes creamy and has a clear layer on the bottom. It tastes like agar was used or gelatin, unlike some of the other coconut puddings which incorporate whipped egg whites. I like both versions and sometimes like having this smooth, creamy version and this version has been hard to find. One of the better ones, I’ve had in a long time. The red bean coconut pudding square was delicious as well. The consistency of the pudding was flan-​like.
They have also slices of Chinese sponge cakes and various packaged cookies. If you can get a table, like I did, this is a good place to go. You definitely don’t have to compete with the noise of other diners.
Will be back to get my coconut pudding fix and test out more pastries.

After reading other Unilocaler’s reviews I checked out this place during my quarterly Chinatown craving trek. I got the steamed pork buns (fresh ones not available) so I took a refrigerated box ($ 5.00/6pcs). There was only 2 of the baked pork buns left (90 cents/​ea). The friendly woman/​owner suggested I get the egg custard mini pies ($ 1.20/2pc) that just came out of the oven so I said sure! Cheap and delicious! Unilocalers were right about this place, inexpensive and tasty. About three small tables to eat on, and it was also clean inside. Very close to the subway (B, D). Recommended!

Bbq pork bun
Ham and egg bun
Sweet rolls
tiny Chinatown bakery
excellent prices
nice workers explain baked goods
since i’m not chinese
or well versed in chinatown yums.

Literally a closet with a counter, this hole in the wall Chinese bakery is definitely a Chinatown hidden gem.
The service is great, the owner is friendly and is willing to explain what different pastries she has in great detail. She’s enthusiastic and even let me sample one of her proudest pastries for free.
The ambience is nothing spectacular. The bakery is literally the size of a closet and the fact that they have two small tables and chairs amazes me.
I tried the honey cake and the honey and dates tea. The honey cake was unusually scrumptous. The honey cake had a pound cake like texture and was stuffed with tiny bits of fresh carrots, chestnut, and their homemade cream. Surprisingly, the combination of those three ingredients made for a delicious dessert after a day spent sampling the best of Chinatown.
The honey and dates tea was probably one of the best teas i’ve ever had in my life, if not the best. It’s basically green tea with a huge hint of honey and at the bottom of the cup there are diced dates which give it an exotic taste and aroma as well. The taste of honey and dates go really well with the honey cake and that combination was the perfect topping to my dinner.
The owner then asked me to sample one of her personal favorites– the mango rice ball. The mango rice ball is basically a raw dough texture (made up of rice) stuffed with frozen custard and freshly sliced pieces of mango. The ball is then sprinkled with sugar and served chilled. I thought it was fresh, unique, and the flavor of mango and custard proved to be a huge hit with my taste buds.
After a trip to the Banh Mi Saigon, I strongly recommend you try Tao Hong Bakery. It’s the perfect pit stop on your back to the train!