Yue Lai Bakery

This review is for the bubble tea only — I have a feeling I’d have had a much more positive impression if I’d ordered the pastries instead.
I came here on a whim after visiting the noodle shop across the street. They seem to offer a deal for bubble tea (2 for $ 4), but I was alone so I paid $ 2.50 for one. The iced black tea itself was delicious and refreshing, but the tapioca balls themselves were soggy and old. I’m almost certain they don’t get a lot of turnover for the tapioca balls.
That said, I’m planning to come back for the pastries next time, because the prices were good. For example, $ 1 for a gigantic angel cake (usually 80 cents for a smaller one in the main part of Chinatown). Or $ 6 for 6 small moon cakes ($ 6 for 4 small moon cakes in the main part of Chinatown).

Mediocre with a MVP
Location:
Located on the outskirt of Chinatown, this small bakery looks fairly new. With only two tables inside and all the bus stops surrounding the bakery, it seems more to be a grab-​n-​go place. The inside is clean and bright with a small television playing mainland drama.
Price:
On the cheaper end of the Chinese-​Bakery spectrum.
Food:
The things I had were custard bun, char siu bun, pork sung, and sponge cake. They were all right. Didn’t wow me nor did they turn me away. The crusty top of the custard bun I had wasn’t as crunchy as I’d like. Filling wasn’t as smooth as I’d expect. I could see the globs as I bit into it. Pork sung was on the small side, but its bread is quite heavenly, as it was warm, soft, and a bit chewy (the good chewy). Oh, their sponge cakes are huge! One of the biggest I have ever had and what’s better is that it was delicious! It’s got some sort of I-don’t-the-name-of nuts on top (if you are Cantonese, it’s the sort of thin, oblong nuts that you would often find in Cantonese soup. Mums and grandmas just love those. «Very good for you», they say). The cake itself is moist and fragrant. By fragrant, I mean I can definitely tell it’s made from eggs (quite a silly thing to say, but I haven’t come across much «fragrant bread»). The paper cake or sponge cake itself is a solid 5-​star.
Service:
Typical chinatown service, which is fine. Never my biggest concern
Overall:
Sponge cake! Try the sponge cake!

This is your basic Asian bakery. I love their flaky crust egg tarts, coconut buns, and the dried pork buns. The best deal starts at 6 pm daily when all their left over breads, buns, and egg tarts are 2 for $ 1. It’s a real bargain. You can easily stock up because they’ll stay fresh for a few days no problem.