Column: Six best Chinatown eats to try on your next trip
The China Trade Gate is a paifang archway standing at the Beach Street entrance to Boston’s Chinatown. The gate was gifted to the city by the government of Taiwan in 1982.
March 14, 2023
One of the best things about Boston is Chinatown, the heart of Asian American cuisine and culture in New England. The restaurants and markets offer a plethora of options — Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese. Chinatown’s got it all. Here are the six best (and most underrated) eats from Chinatown everyone should try.
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Egg tarts from Ho Yuen Bakery
A man walks past Ho Yuen Bakery at 54 Beach St. This establishment was built on the main strip in Boston's Chinatown. Photo by Quillan Anderson
Egg tarts sit on display inside Ho Yuen Bakery. The stacked pastries have long been a customer favorite. Photo by Quillan Anderson
A list of prices is displayed in front of numerous trays of baked goods. Many customers have returned to Ho Yuen Bakery for their affordable and delicious offerings. Photo by Jessica Xing
Two workers bake pastries in the back kitchen of Ho Yuen Bakery. They carried trays of baked goods out to large refrigerators in the front of the store to later be stocked at the counter. Photo by Quillan Anderson
Located at 54 Beach St., along the main strip, Ho Yuen Bakery is a spot you don’t want to miss. The Chinese bakery features traditional baked goods, such as mooncakes, sesame buns and egg tarts, plus savory lunch dishes, like baos and sticky rice. With warm, flaky crusts and creamy, silky centers, their egg tarts are the crème de la crème— even the Yelp reviews say so.
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Bánh mì from Banh Mi Huong Que
Two signs advertising Banh Mi Huong Que sit above the storefront at 696 Washington St. The restaurant offered an array of dishes such as banh mi, spring rolls and Vietnamese iced coffee. Photo by Jessica Xing
Photos of offered dishes decorate the entrance to Banh Mi Huong Que. Customers have frequented the cash-only restaurant for affordable, quick and traditional food. Photo by Jessica Xing
Stacks of meals sit on top of a wire shelf in the middle of the store. These meals, which include pork and chicken dishes, are pre-packaged and sold in convenient grab-and-go containers. Photo by Jessica Xing
A true hole-in-the-wall shop, Banh Mi Huong Que is located at 696 Washington St. near the entrance of Chinatown. If you don’t pay attention to store signs, you could easily miss the best banh mi joint in all of Chinatown. Banh Mi Huong Que offers a diverse selection of Vietnamese delicacies, such as spring rolls, vermicelli bowls and coffee, but their banh mi is the main star. The crunchy crust from a fresh baguette in combination with salty Vietnamese ham, tangy pickled carrots and sweet and creamy mayo creates the perfect sandwich.
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Tea eggs from Taiwan Bakery
Taiwan Bakery sits right next to Ho Yuen Bakery at 56 Beach St. in Chinatown. The store displayed a wide variety of treats, including snacks, quick meals, colorful desserts and drinks. Photo by Colette Pollauf
Cakes and buns of various flavors and shapes sit on display in Taiwan Bakery. Many bread-based treats in the bakery are packaged in plastic bags and neatly organized for an easy shopping experience. Photo by Quillan Anderson
Paper signs taped to the front window of Taiwan Bakery advertise some of the foods that the store has for sale. The shop has earned a reputation for having delicious tea eggs. Photo by Jessica Xing
Sweet treats such as cookies and crisps sit on shelves in Taiwan Bakery. This store has given Boston residents and tourists alike an opportunity to taste traditional Taiwanese finger foods. Photo by Jessica Xing
It’s hard to find traditional Taiwanese finger foods in America, but Taiwan Bakery is a home away from home. The bakery serves traditional Taiwanese sweets & desserts, as well as savory snack foods like sticky rice, or zongzi, and tea eggs. Tea eggs are hard boiled eggs marinated in tea, soy sauce and spices, and they taste like hard cooked eggs, only with a salty, lightly spiced flavor. To try something new, be sure to check out Taiwan Bakery and their delicious tea eggs.
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Taro sago from Great Taste Bakery
A man stands outside Great Taste Bakery and Restaurant on Beach Street. Customers are offered the choice of either dining in the restaurant portion of the store or grabbing quick items from the conjoined bakery section. Photo by Jessica Xing
Takeout containers of taro sago are in a refrigerator near the register. The dessert has been traditionally made from coconut milk, taro and sago pearls. Photo by Jessica Xing
A customer orders treats at Great Taste Bakery. The store offered a variety of baked goods such as fruit cakes, cream rolls and cupcakes decorated to look like mice. Photo by Quillan Anderson
For those with a sweet tooth, Great Taste Bakery has just what you need. Located at 63 Beach St., the bakery offers a variety of baked goods and sweet treats, the best and most underrated being their taro sago. Taro sago is a Chinese dessert made with creamy coconut milk, tender taro and chewy sago pearls, and it is hard to find in Boston. Placed in the refrigerators near the side of the store, the dessert can be easily missed, so be sure to grab a pint or two on the next visit.
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Shrimp rice noodle rolls from Hei La Moon
Hei La Moon Food Opera is a crowd-favorite dim sum restaurant in Boston's Chinatown. After nearly 20 years in business, Hei La Moon relocated to 83 Essex St from its original space on Lincoln Street. Photo by Jessica Xing
Cheong fun, congee with pork and preserved eggs and pork shiu mai (left to right) at Hei La Moon. The restaurant's weekend lunch was filled with families and groups of friends enjoying a traditional dim sum experience. Photo by Quillan Anderson
Traditional-style carts bring dishes directly to tables during Saturday and Sunday lunch. Patrons pointed out dishes they wanted from each cart throughout their meal, ranging from dumplings and fried rice to sweet cakes and grass jelly. Photo by Quillan Anderson
Hei La Moon is a crowd-favorite dim sum place, featuring traditional-style carts that bring dishes to each table. You can’t miss their shrimp rice noodle rolls, which consist of light rice noodles, or cheung fun, wrapped around whole shrimps and doused in a sweet soy sauce. Though most dim sum places carry this dish, Hei La Moon does it best, and it’s definitely worth a visit.
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Pineapple bun from Corner Cafe Bakery
Customers exit the aptly-named Corner Café Bakery on the corner of Harrison Ave and Beach Street. The store became a staple in Chinatown for their delicious pineapple buns and large selection of mooncakes. Photo by Jessica Xing
One of the most popular items at Corner Café Bakery is the pineapple buns. These buns do not contain pineapple but were named after the segmented appearance of the top crust. Photo by Jessica Xing
The inside contains multiple self-serve shelves of both sweet and savory pastries including walnut cookies, mooncakes and pork floss buns. The bakery placed trays and individual pastry bags by the door for customers to grab as they enter. Photo by Jessica Xing
A customer reaches for a variety of buns at Corner Café Bakery. The store placed all of their bread products on a set of shelves to the left of the entrance. Photo by Jessica Xing
Beyond bread products, the bakery makes a variety of other small cakes and pastries like this vibrant lychee mousse. The mousse was made with real lychee fruit instead of artificial syrups or flavoring. Photo by Quillan Anderson
A classic treat for any Chinatown visit is a pineapple bun, and Corner Cafe Bakery has some of the best. Popular in Hong Kong and common in Chinatowns worldwide, this pastry is a fluffy, milk bread-based bun topped with a crackly cookie topping. Despite the name, the buns do not contain any pineapples, but refer to the look of the topping. The ones from Corner Cafe Bakery are flaky on the outside and soft on the inside, and they are sure to satisfy every craving.
Whether you’re a Boston native or a passing traveler, these are some of the best eats from Chinatown that nobody should miss.
