35th St Bakery

The best pineapple buns (bo lo bao) in the city. This includes bakeries in Chinatown, Flushing, Bensonhurst, and Sunset Park. They’re one dollar. People sleep on it because it’s in a tourist area but it’s legit when it comes to pineapple buns.

Super quick service, even with a line. We were served, picked our pastries and paid in under 3 minutes!
The items are not labeled, but don’t be afraid to ask for a quick description.
Most hot drinks are less than $ 1.50! And most pastries are only $ 1!!!
The lady we had helping us was very sweet. They’re not pushy, they just want to help you quickly.
Very reasonably priced and tasty baked goods. No frills, but this place has my heart!

This is one of the handful of Chinese bakeries that still manages to survive the inevitably high rents by the Penn Area. Perhaps this is due to their extremely small space — couple hundred sq. feet maybe? I don’t know…
In terms of the quality of buns and beverages, this bakery has much room for improvement, but their service is praiseworthy and better than many businesses. Strange characters frequent this bakery all day long, but I have witnessed the owner and staffs’ professionalism and friendliness, treating all customers alike. Lines get ridiculously long in the morning, with people screaming for croissants (which are my favorite item from here btw — freshly baked every morning) coffee, ham & egg buns, etc. One can easily lose their patience, but time and time again I see the employees smiling, engaging in brief chats and staying collected. On top of that, they are QUICK! Long line or not, I can see myself in and out the door with my order in less than 1 – 2 minutes. As mentioned, their croissant’s probably their best pastry. They can do better with other buns and their coffee, but I still order them for the affordability. I do like that they serve lemon ginseng tea though!
I have worked by Penn for about 5 years and have seen a couple of bakeries come and go. I really hope this one sticks it through and sticks around to satisfy my occasional cravings for cheap Chinese buns and drinks.

Just stopped in for a quick snack before going to the theater. Very small busy bakery. Staff was serving everyone very quickly and seamed to be making all the drinks to customers requests. I had the pork bun. The bun was okay but the pork filling was on the light side. Many of the baked goods looked really good. They Arr closed on Sunday’s.

Okay, 35^th St Bakery may have an 8^th Ave address, but it’s actually on the south side of 35^th St so just be aware of that.
It’s a small place for people to get to-​go bread: the standard Chinese bakery fare abounds. Hot dog buns, pineapple bolo buns, pork floss buns and the like. I got a $ 1 pork floss bun, which wasn’t too dry and just moist enough. What a good deal too! This is cheaper than Fay Da. The main downside is that this place doesn’t do much in the way of marketing itself or its products, so the place is a little dingy and the buns are not labelled. I guess you should just point and ask if you are in doubt!

Dirt cheap, good quality bakery items. Got two bums (red bean and pepperoni/​cheese) and a red bean ice beverage for $ 5.
Would come again for a very quick snack.

This place is a few doors down from my office and my coworkers and I pop in to grab buns all the time. Everything is $ 1 or less and is freshly baked. I usually get the coconut bun but sometimes go for a fish bun — it’s a big puffy bun sliced in half with a huge piece of deep fried fish inside. Delicious. The only negative is that the buns all hang out in one display case and are not labeled. Most look the same so it ca be a little difficult to figure out what’s inside. Luckily the staff is super friendly.

Price & location: definitely 5 stars!
All the items are less then a $ 1 and up, close to Penn Station is huge+!!
Taste: 3.5
I’m are big bakery fun in general and I like the Chinese bakery cuz the taste & price is matching, have a lots of choices.
This store itself are really small and limited selection but seems like they have a «Chinese bakery basics» (such as roast pork bun and etc.) so it works for me.
But…I can not recommend to you the some items they carried which is Fish sandwich.
Inside fish fry Itself was really oily. I took some batter out cuz I couldn’t eat without doing that!
Other items I got, sausage bun were descent but good and twist donuts was really good. very soft, not too sweet.
I’ll go there if I have a another chance to get close to them. Easy and cheep lunch is always help:)

nice small bakery with a wide choice of freshly baked buns and croissants. Great selection of milk drinks!

I loved living by this place. Once we discovered it we went frequently. I can’t explain why but Chinese bakeries have the best croissants! That’s my go to here. We also get buns and an occasional sweet. We always get milk tea. They put it in the bag FYI so keep that in mind and you also have to be ready to tell them how much milk and sugar you want I say something generic like a little sugar and medium milk. I have no idea the true increments. So the run down: cheap, cheap, cheap! Yummy bread breakfast foods. A long line in the morning that goes fast. Cash only. It’s not fancy at all in fact if you are NOT into yummy food with a scary outside don’t go, but this place is legit. Four stars because sometimes the croissants and other treats are dry and not as flavorful. Right around the corner from Starbucks who’s sweats usually leave something to be desired so hit this place up and don’t judge it’s shabby exterior, that’s how we keep the tourists out. A midtown hallmark, go and be ready to order, they move fast.

Love cheap Chinese bakeries in Midtown. Seriously a hole in the wall, I walked by a few times without even realizing it was a Chinese bakery. There’s always a crowd though, Asians and non-​Asians. I love how even though they’re right next to a Starbucks yet this place is always more packed than them.
I would skip their drinks, their milk tea is pure milk and sugar. Buns okay. But, their baked fluffy cakes and huge almond cookies are SO GOOD! Comparable and even better than some places in Chinatown.
The ladies behind the counter are well mannered and I’ve never had an issue with them.

Got apple turnover for 1.25
Not too sweet, but it could’ve definitely been sweeter. Definitely more dough and apples inside– not enough. My colleague got cookie crusted bread — $.75– meh, not bad.
Overall review– meh, not bad. Honestly, go back for their apple turnover? Nah. Not worth it for the price. McDonald’s apple tie tastes better. or Arby’s apple turnover about the same cost.

Hard to find good Chinese baked goods in midtown. Fuji Bakery is below average. The one on 38^th has a C rating. But this AM I went by and the Health rating is gone. It was an A… fishy or scotch tape fell off. Not sure. Hope it was latter.

You might not care about this review if you’re not trans/​genderqueer/​gender non-​conforming, et cetera, but:
I’ve been coming here for the decent, cheap coffee ($ 1 for a large) and the occasional pastry for a few months, as it’s across the street from my office. A couple of weeks ago, I came out to my workplace as trans, and started presenting as female at the office. Everyone was totally cool with it – except, apparently, the employees of this bakery.
The woman who takes my order gave me the weirdest look the first time I came in dressed as a lady. No big deal — I’m early in my transition, and she probably recognized me as the «guy» who used to come in and order the same thing. It’s jolting, I get it. But then she whispered to the other woman behind the counter and gestured towards me and giggled. Not cool.
The next time I came in, I was expecting this grown woman to have gotten over her middle school behavior. Instead, she whispered to the other woman again, and to the guy pouring the coffee, and all of them straight-​up STARED at me as I walked out.
Look, I’m trans, I get weird looks all the time, and it doesn’t really phase me any more. But I expect more than stares, whispers, and giggles from a business I’m patronizing in NYC in 2011.

My girlfriend told me about this bakery and I found myself surprised that an old skool Chinese bakery existed in this area. As much as I appreciate it, I don’t count the nearby Fay Da as «old skool». I found myself chuckling as I saw the sign that quite simply said «Bakery» and the place’s address and phone number. Talk about getting straight to the point! The sign looks like it was put up only a few years ago, but it’s a bit worn down. Still, I’ve generally taken this as a good sign so in I stepped.
The interior of th is place looks ancient. The walls are yellowed, the menu display on the wall is totally worn down and faded. There is no place to sit. The place is basically a hallway with a display case for the various buns the place sells. I saw a wide variety including hot dog buns, egg custards, roast pork buns and more. I purchased a roast pork bun and an almond topped bun to munch on the way home.
Keeping in mind that this was towards the end of the day, the roast pork bun wasn’t quite as moist on the inside as I would have liked, but all the flavors were there and the bread itself was soft. The almond topped bun on the other hand was fantastic! Generally I prefer mine with the custard inside because the bun itself overwhelms the almond crust on top. This bun however had a good balance between the two. I was quite happy with my purchase. The best part? Only 65 cents a bun. Truth be told, I can’t remember the last time I paid that little for a bun, even in Chinatown!
What I also found heartening were several people ahead of me who purchased entire bag fulls of buns (apparently pre ordered). Always a good sign to see a loyal following.
This place isn’t classy, hip or particularly pretty to look at, but it is definitely a good place to get cheap, old Chinatown buns.

An ultra-​convenient, no-​frills «Bakery» located on the SE corner entrance of the A/​C/​E train station. With cheaper buns than Fay Da Bakery on 34^th and better tasting and better presentation than the ones at Fuji Bakery on the same block (closer to 7^th Ave), this was a primary breakfast destination for two years while living on 35^th and 8^th right before hopping onto the E train to work.
The line is quite long in the morning, but it goes quick. They normally have you out of there within 3 – 5 minutes. Pointing at the display window can be annoying as the pastries are not labeled with names (ala Fuji and Fay Da). Cantonese is spoken by the staff behind the counter, so I take full advantage when shouting out my choice buns and tea (w/​milk) to expedite the process.
My favorite has to be the bun with red bean paste and the coconut bun. The roast pork bun is hit or miss, but it is often served cold, which makes it seem less fresh. Nonetheless, none of the buns are as over-​baked as they are at Fuji. Of course, another awesome reason to visit this bakery is because they actually sell the soybean drink that is only found in Chinatown. The price is not unreasonable either at $ 1.50 per bottle.
It is quite cool to have two Chinese bakeries on the block. While this one does not offer Chinese breakfast/​lunch takeout food like Fuji does, it is a far better choice in terms of taste and price if buns and baked goods are the main items you are looking for. This is more like 3.5 stars instead of just 3.

Not a bad place to grab food on the run, just around the corner from Penn Station. Don’t let the queue put you off — the staff here are frighteningly efficient. They seem to assume all the customers are late for their train, and even if you’re not, before you know it you’ll be ordering at the same hurried, clipped pace everyone else does.
The pastries aren’t identified with labels, so you have to just point or ask (It helps if you speak Cantonese, or bring someone who does.)
We had a hot malted Horlicks, a garlicky bun, and some sort of twisty crunchy sugary pastry. All tasted fresh and good.

The factual name of this place is a mystery since, indeed, it is a nondescript storefront «BAKERY». Nevertheless, when you find yourself in this neighborhood, early in the morning (on a weekend!), you’re not exactly spoiled for choice. There’s Starbucks, there’s McDonald’s, and there’s this weird little Chinese bakery.
Dunkin’ Donuts, it ain’t … let’s just get that out of the way. The sugar twists (is that what they’re officially called? who knows!) resemble glazed donut twists you find at traditional bakeries. I found these to be virtually inedible, with a strong taste of frying oil and a tough, almost bagel-​like texture. I regretted buying even one of them. The other item I tried was a large bun with an eggy yellow topping, which I ordered out of pure curiosity without knowing what it was. It turned out to be one of the bean-​paste buns. The exterior proved delicious and flaky, while the inside was a mealy semi-​sweet paste that I didn’t care for. I simply nibbled around it.

If you’re a connoisseur of Chinese sweets, then you’d know what you were doing there; you could scan the trays quickly. On a Saturday morning, the place was PACKED, therefore I didn’t have much time to choose. It’s a very popular bakery, oddly — it’s obvious that working people in the area like their offerings. Personally, I wasn’t impressed with my first «BAKERY» experience.
On the plus side, it’s dirt cheap. I bought 3 nice-​sized pastries for under $ 2.00. You can’t do that at Dunkin’ Donuts!

I’m so glad someone else reviewed this place first, because the only name you’ll find on the outside of the store is «BAKERY». Unless, of course, you think the phone number and address are part of the name. The more I think about it, though, the more I think they have a name… if you can read Chinese.
But on to the food…
I’ve only tried one thing from here, which is the sesame balls. But they’re so cheap (60 cents each) and good that I keep going back. They are a bit greasy, but what do you except from a ball of fried dough? Inside you’ll find a red bean paste which isn’t too sweet. I just wish they were warm! By the time I get there they’re never fresh.
If you go around lunchtime the place WILL be packed. The only reason I noticed it the first time was because of the crush of people trying to get through the doors. The inside only holds about 10 people, if you don’t mind being packed in like sardines. Definitely not a place to have tea, as Larry said.
Maybe one day I’ll branch out and try something else. Until then, it’s all sesame balls for me!

This non-​descript storefront holds a Chinese bakery, one I’ve walked past countless times over the years without ever noticing. While the address reads 494 Eighth, the entrance is actually on 35^th St, on the southeast corner of 35^th St and Eighth, next to Starbucks and the A/​C/​E train entrance.
This bakery is somehow related to the 38^th St Restaurant and Bakery — the man who runs the cash register at 38^th St Restaurant during lunch is behind the register here in the evening. Maybe he just has two jobs, but I think it stands to reason that this is the source of 38^th St’s afternoon buns, but for some inexplicable reason I forgot to ask. Anyway, on to the food.
I am not an expert on Chinese baked goods. I don’t frequent Chinese bakeries, mostly because they’re inconvenient to wherever I am and because when I do go the selection is downright daunting.
When you walk in you’ll find a no-​frills interior lit by harsh flourescent lights. You’ll find a broad selection of goods crammed into this little store, of which I tried to sample as many as possible. You don’t stay for a spot of afternoon tea. You’re in, you’re out, it’s over. A menu board is posted up on the wall, but instead of finding pictures of General Tso’s chicken and «Triple Delight» you will find pictures of cakes.
Adjust your focus downward and you’ll see several display cases showing anywhere from 15 – 20 different selections. Look towards the back of the shop and you’ll see rectangular loaves of sandwich bread and baked roulades. I did not try these or the cakes. I don’t think they sell cake by the slice.
Your best bet is to come before evening rush hour, before the most popular items sell out. One day I arrived at 7 PM to find only five selections. At least it wasn’t hard to decide what to get.
The filled buns are satisfying, amongst which the coconut bun stands out. Flaky on the outside, soft on the inside, plenty of mildly sweet filling. Red bean and red bean paste buns are also available, depending on how you like the consistency of your beans. The red bean buns were always sold out.
The crystallized sugar on the surface of the sugar twists provides all of the sweetness. The dough was almost savory, not my personal preference. The raisin twist looks like a mini challah loaf with plump raisins peeking out between the folds. Soft and not too sweet, it would be good for breakfast. The cheese danish was nothing to write home about. Then again, most cheese danishes are unexciting and yet I’ll always try one given the opportunity.
There is an assortment of flat, filled cookies. I’m sure they have a name, but I don’t know it. When I asked, I was told they were cookies. When I pressed, one was called «fruit,» which turned out to be some sort of sugar-​preserved fruit, like a gummy fruit slice. Again, not too sweet, and enjoyable. Another had black sesame sprinkled on top for a smokey aroma.
Speaking of cookies, there was one particularly dry item that looked like Princess Leia’s hair buns. It was puff pastry and brushed with something like apricot jam. The idea was interesting in theory. Maybe it’s because I bought it at the end of the day, but all it seemed to do was sap the moisture out of my mouth.
Many of the buns and cookies are based on something resembling puff pastry. The quality of the puff pastry is not stellar, but when you can get 3 buns for $ 2 you’re operating at a completely different level. According to my fiancée, the buns are «twice the size and half the cost compared to Koryodang.» Now when we take a train from Penn Station it’s my obligation to make a pit stop here. If you find yourself in the Garment District and need a snack, walk past that Starbucks and come in here instead.
3÷25÷06 update
I thought this was a sleepy little bakery because I was always going there around 6:30 PM. I stopped in here today around 4:45 PM and it was just like the lunchtime mob at 38^th St Restaurant. You can see more of their savory offerings like the «square chicken sandwich» or the dried pork bun.
The coconut cream buns are good if the regular coconut buns are not available. The (whole) red bean buns are jam packed with bean goodness. The bakery isn’t stingy on the filling, and the beans are not overly sweet.