basic chinese bakery with the classic goods at extremely good prices.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kathleen S.
I walked by Bowery Fleet Bakery in desperation looking for a steamed bun for my son for breakfast. I was delighted to find a combination of both traditional Hong Kong-styled bakery items and a decent dim sum selection. I got a steamed vegetable bun ($1.50), piping hot, which my son loved. The filling was flavorful and fresh, and the dough was pillowy soft. I also ordered a kaya bun ($1.50), which was very good. I appreciated that the woman at the counter handed me a freshly baked one from the back as opposed to one on display. It was still warm and soft. The custard filling was smooth and sweet. The crust isn't as crumbly as Double Crispy, and it's smaller, but still a very satisfying and scrumptious product. I was there on a weekday morning; elderly locals were languorously enjoying their breakfast while watching CCTV news. While spare in decor, the bakery is clean and has a good amount of seating. The staff were amiable and efficient.
Tom C.
update 11.19.2023 the day after my first review. No shumai or har gow at 9:15 in the morning on Sunday. Kinda empty dim sum steamer. Grabbed a fresh shrimp and pork rice roll for breakfast. Decent taste, great texture, kinda rough to eat this after it was slammed and compacted into a little plastic carrier. ========================================== Definitely takes the prize for value for money. Easy to miss, as their storefront is tiny, with a much larger space as you walk further in. It's an old school chinese bakery up front, with a steam table and cabinets for warm foods in the back. Be prepared to speak chinese or point and hope. It was the usual impersonal service with the serving ladies probably thinking "why doesn't this idiot speak chinese"? I grabbed an assortment of dimsum, buns and a lunch box for under a $20. One shumai, 2 har gow, 2 roast pork buns (kept in a steamer so they're warm and gooey), and riblet lunch box. Standout was the very good har gow, which were huge, plump and moist.
Cindy N
Great bakery that’s a bit more hidden within all the places in Chinatown. Fresh hot buns at an affordable price (around $1.50). Their pineapple custard bun and taro bun are worth getting!
Man Asura
Moldy buns!06/08/22 I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist to check my eyes. After the check-up, I stopped by "Yangtze River Cake City" and bought a "white square bun" to take home and make toast, egg noodles, or soy sauce buns for dinner;Because the doctor gave me eye drops when checking my eyes: after injecting eye drops, my vision will be very blurred and it will take about four hours to return to normal: so when I bought bread, I could only see some blurry images!Earlier, I often went to the "Changjiang Cake City" to drink coffee and eat there, but one time before I finished my coffee, I told the lady boss there that I sat for too long and kicked me out!Forget it, if you don’t let me sit down, I’ll go to another cake shop and sit down! Even so: I occasionally pass by there and buy some pastries to eat at home...After I bought the bread and got home, I threw away one of the pieces of bread that had not yet had its crust removed. But when I threw away the piece of bread, I could vaguely see something strange on the edge of the bread: it seemed to be moldy, but because my eyes hadn’t recovered yet, I can’t be sure if it’s normal: I also thought that the bread in bakeries is usually baked every day, so there shouldn’t be any problem, so I didn’t take it seriously...I made bread into toasts and eggs for dinner. A few hours after eating, I had diarrhea. I had diarrhea three times in a row! At that time, I didn’t think that there was a problem with the bread: I still spread butter and jam on the bread the next day and continued to eat it. However, I had diarrhea again a few hours after eating. At this time, I checked what I had eaten. There was nothing wrong with the eggs, butter, and jam when making the bread. Then I remembered that the bread sold to me by the "Yangtze River Cake City" was moldy!
Eva Jiang
Terrible attitude towards consumers whom is deciding what to get. Extremely bad service attitude, taking two photos to ask friends what they want to eat, like stealing some cheats from them.
Al H.
A little non descript Chinese bakery on The Bowery located in Chinatown is where you will find this old school bakery catering more to the locals than to outsiders. I don't think you will find this on Instagram. I had the chopped pork ( hom nguey ngook biang ) seasoned with salt fish over rice. This is like home made, the way my Toisanese mother used to make. Real comfort food. It had a bit of fish bone in it, make no mistake.
Brendan A
My go to bakery shop in nyc chinatown for the past 8 years.They even carry dim sum food. Just ask
Thomas Cheung
I like rice with meat. Bakery and coffee too
Sally W.
I come here at 7am when I am visiting Chinatown. They have three kinds of pan fried noodles, pan fried pork buns, dim sum house style pan fried dumplings, rice rolls, steamed sui mai, and plenty of other dim sum. I had their steamed Big Buns. Everything is delicious. Everything here is cheap and convenient if you live in the area. Would I come middle of the day. Not really because the highlight is the breakfast items. After it sells out, they do not replace it unless it's still mad early. For most of the time when it runs out, it runs out. My favorite breakfast items are the Hong Kong style soy sauce fried egg noodles and the pan fried buns that are light and airy. AND yes, we eat this for breakfast.
Not sure why this has good ratings but it is slightly cheaper than the popular Tai Pan which was completely packed whereas this bakery was practically empty. The radish cake was very cold and hard. Also didn't have much radish or meat. Mostly just flour. The pork thing that's fried was also just okay. The drink cost more than the food. It was on the way so I came to check it out but I guess the selection is pretty terrible in the afternoon or maybe it's just not as good as the more popular places in Chinatown. Mostly elderly customers in the late afternoon.
Amy M.
This bakery is the best on The Bowery in Chinatown. Most (that I've tried) of the bread and pastry are so spot on in terms of texture and filling, without being too heavy. I always make a trip here whenever I'm in Chinatown. Their prices are reasonable and IMHO way better than Manna House. There are also hot food like congee, dim sum, noodles, and curry fish balls! You won't be disappointed!!!
John Wu
Attentive staffEarly opening hours are great.Clean interior.Cantonese comfort breakfast staples.Inexpensive entrees.No parking or restrooms.
basic chinese bakery with the classic goods at extremely good prices.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I walked by Bowery Fleet Bakery in desperation looking for a steamed bun for my son for breakfast. I was delighted to find a combination of both traditional Hong Kong-styled bakery items and a decent dim sum selection. I got a steamed vegetable bun ($1.50), piping hot, which my son loved. The filling was flavorful and fresh, and the dough was pillowy soft. I also ordered a kaya bun ($1.50), which was very good. I appreciated that the woman at the counter handed me a freshly baked one from the back as opposed to one on display. It was still warm and soft. The custard filling was smooth and sweet. The crust isn't as crumbly as Double Crispy, and it's smaller, but still a very satisfying and scrumptious product. I was there on a weekday morning; elderly locals were languorously enjoying their breakfast while watching CCTV news. While spare in decor, the bakery is clean and has a good amount of seating. The staff were amiable and efficient.
update 11.19.2023 the day after my first review. No shumai or har gow at 9:15 in the morning on Sunday. Kinda empty dim sum steamer. Grabbed a fresh shrimp and pork rice roll for breakfast. Decent taste, great texture, kinda rough to eat this after it was slammed and compacted into a little plastic carrier. ========================================== Definitely takes the prize for value for money. Easy to miss, as their storefront is tiny, with a much larger space as you walk further in. It's an old school chinese bakery up front, with a steam table and cabinets for warm foods in the back. Be prepared to speak chinese or point and hope. It was the usual impersonal service with the serving ladies probably thinking "why doesn't this idiot speak chinese"? I grabbed an assortment of dimsum, buns and a lunch box for under a $20. One shumai, 2 har gow, 2 roast pork buns (kept in a steamer so they're warm and gooey), and riblet lunch box. Standout was the very good har gow, which were huge, plump and moist.
Great bakery that’s a bit more hidden within all the places in Chinatown. Fresh hot buns at an affordable price (around $1.50). Their pineapple custard bun and taro bun are worth getting!
Moldy buns!06/08/22 I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist to check my eyes. After the check-up, I stopped by "Yangtze River Cake City" and bought a "white square bun" to take home and make toast, egg noodles, or soy sauce buns for dinner;Because the doctor gave me eye drops when checking my eyes: after injecting eye drops, my vision will be very blurred and it will take about four hours to return to normal: so when I bought bread, I could only see some blurry images!Earlier, I often went to the "Changjiang Cake City" to drink coffee and eat there, but one time before I finished my coffee, I told the lady boss there that I sat for too long and kicked me out!Forget it, if you don’t let me sit down, I’ll go to another cake shop and sit down! Even so: I occasionally pass by there and buy some pastries to eat at home...After I bought the bread and got home, I threw away one of the pieces of bread that had not yet had its crust removed. But when I threw away the piece of bread, I could vaguely see something strange on the edge of the bread: it seemed to be moldy, but because my eyes hadn’t recovered yet, I can’t be sure if it’s normal: I also thought that the bread in bakeries is usually baked every day, so there shouldn’t be any problem, so I didn’t take it seriously...I made bread into toasts and eggs for dinner. A few hours after eating, I had diarrhea. I had diarrhea three times in a row! At that time, I didn’t think that there was a problem with the bread: I still spread butter and jam on the bread the next day and continued to eat it. However, I had diarrhea again a few hours after eating. At this time, I checked what I had eaten. There was nothing wrong with the eggs, butter, and jam when making the bread. Then I remembered that the bread sold to me by the "Yangtze River Cake City" was moldy!
Terrible attitude towards consumers whom is deciding what to get. Extremely bad service attitude, taking two photos to ask friends what they want to eat, like stealing some cheats from them.
A little non descript Chinese bakery on The Bowery located in Chinatown is where you will find this old school bakery catering more to the locals than to outsiders. I don't think you will find this on Instagram. I had the chopped pork ( hom nguey ngook biang ) seasoned with salt fish over rice. This is like home made, the way my Toisanese mother used to make. Real comfort food. It had a bit of fish bone in it, make no mistake.
My go to bakery shop in nyc chinatown for the past 8 years.They even carry dim sum food. Just ask
I like rice with meat. Bakery and coffee too
I come here at 7am when I am visiting Chinatown. They have three kinds of pan fried noodles, pan fried pork buns, dim sum house style pan fried dumplings, rice rolls, steamed sui mai, and plenty of other dim sum. I had their steamed Big Buns. Everything is delicious. Everything here is cheap and convenient if you live in the area. Would I come middle of the day. Not really because the highlight is the breakfast items. After it sells out, they do not replace it unless it's still mad early. For most of the time when it runs out, it runs out. My favorite breakfast items are the Hong Kong style soy sauce fried egg noodles and the pan fried buns that are light and airy. AND yes, we eat this for breakfast.
Restaurantji Recommends
Not sure why this has good ratings but it is slightly cheaper than the popular Tai Pan which was completely packed whereas this bakery was practically empty. The radish cake was very cold and hard. Also didn't have much radish or meat. Mostly just flour. The pork thing that's fried was also just okay. The drink cost more than the food. It was on the way so I came to check it out but I guess the selection is pretty terrible in the afternoon or maybe it's just not as good as the more popular places in Chinatown. Mostly elderly customers in the late afternoon.
This bakery is the best on The Bowery in Chinatown. Most (that I've tried) of the bread and pastry are so spot on in terms of texture and filling, without being too heavy. I always make a trip here whenever I'm in Chinatown. Their prices are reasonable and IMHO way better than Manna House. There are also hot food like congee, dim sum, noodles, and curry fish balls! You won't be disappointed!!!
Attentive staffEarly opening hours are great.Clean interior.Cantonese comfort breakfast staples.Inexpensive entrees.No parking or restrooms.
Very reasonable price and good cook
Stale baked goods, unfortunate