BLUF: Legacy preserved. I don't recall ever visiting Ho Won Bake Shoppe 好運咖啡屋 when it was on Hester Street (for over 40 years, according to its owners). But we chanced upon successor Ho Won 好運餐廳 on a brutally cold winter day, ordered a bunch of small items, and have returned a few times since. Ho Won offers baked goods and several traditional desserts that aren't found in the more modern and expensive shops that have been taking over Chinatown. While other old school shops with similar offerings still exist, Ho Won has a least a few items that are comparable to the best from a nearly bygone era. The items we consider Five Star worthy: - Wife Cookie 老婆餅: $2. Freshly made, with a soft, thick, and chewy winter-melon based filing, consistently one of the best versions we've had. Get this. - Dry Shrimp and Pork Rice Noodle Roll 蝦米豬肉粉卷: $2. Item #D1. Freshly made, one of the tastiest versions we've had, even better than from the now defunct Hak Box. Get this. Everything else: - Zongzi 粽子: We ordered Item #C6, the one with Pork, Salted Egg, Chinese Sausage, Mung Bean, Dried Shrimp, Dried Mushroom and Chestnut (鹹蛋黃香腸蝦米香菇栗米豬肉粽). OK -- the sausage was too fatty, the dried mushroom was still too hard after steaming the zong, and the rice grains clumped together instead of being separate kernels. - Radish Cake 蘿蔔糕: This was a bit mushy; could be firmer. The radish cake was also on the salty side, so one doesn't need to add the traditional oyster sauce or hoisin sauce to taste. - Tapioca Pudding: a bit thick and starchy. Could be smoother. - Stuffed Haka Tofu 客家酿豆腐: $5.This item looks the part but I'm told it doesn't have the expected taste / ingredients. - Mung Bean Sweet Congee 綠豆西米糖水: $3. Very filling because of the mung beans. Ho Won's version seems less sweet than 46's, and seems to use less tapioca. read more

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Must have the Hakka rice noodles here! I love it so much. Only one of two bakeries I know of in NYC Chinatown that do it. Such bouncy smooth rice noodle texture and conveniently packaged into a roll so you can enjoy it like a soft burrito. Love. Don't sleep on the pineapple roast pork buns or Hakka stuffed tofu either! I'll be back to pick up some sugarcane juice and turnip cake to fry at home. read more

UPDATE : Zongzi was so good! I actually never bought it since my family usually makes em. This was packed with flavor! The sticky rice with sausage and pork and peanuts! Definitely can fill you up! This place gave me the SOUTH WIND RESTAURANT vibes. If you're a 80's, 90's baby born in Chinatown. You would know what i mean. We ordered the Dried shrimp, mince pork rice roll, the pineapple bun, chinese doughnut, jung, walnut cookies and dumplings. The Dried Shrimp, Mince pork Rice roll was good ! It definitely brought back so many memories! I actually didn't like it as a child. As I got older i learned and appreciate it much more. The Pineapple bun was HUGE! definitely worth it. Just the appeal, the softness of the bun the cirspy crumbly pineapple topping with a cold brew just hits the spot. The dumpling was my most hyped up dish ever! Base on the photos and all the food they were serving. I was so SURE that this was the south wind style dumpling. Iykyk! If there is one thing you learn about me is that THIS was the ONLY dumpling that had it's own UNIQUE flavors and character. It wasn't fancy. It was just boiled and thrown into a coffee cup they drizzle a bit of oyster sauce some raw scallions and hot oil. THAT WAS IT! and the filling was SO GOOD! Sadly, this wasn't the case. Not saying it wasn't good but was more disappointed cause of my own hype. I blame myself on this dish. The Walnut cookie was your standard but still overall good and crumbly! Also a perfect little snack with coffee. The Chinese doughnut is good while it's fresh. If you somehow didn't get to eat it and waited the next day. I would suggest popping it in the airfryer. It makes it even crispier and still soft in the middle. I didn't get a chance to try their jung yet! But will update once i do. I had to drop a star cause I asked for the dumplings and the lady straight out told me to go home and cook it myself and still charged me $1 a pop...which i felt a little bit cheapen on that experience. Overall, I would come back and try their other dishes. read more

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The lady gave me the almond cookies with dirty bare hands after counting money and cleaning. Very disappointed because this was my favorite place. read more

My favorite cantonese bakery just moved to a bigger location near Grand St station! You can even find sugar egg puffs (沙翁) here, a nostalgic street snack that becomes rare even in Hong Kong. Ho Won is a longtime Chinatown favorite for over three decades, used to sit right across from Hong Kong Supermarket. Their new location is tucked in a basement, now with seating and a much larger kitchen. I was there for less than 30 minutes, and they kept rolling out fresh from the oven pastries. I grabbed a warm bolo bao and fresh sugar egg puffs, and they were sold out quickly. PLEASEEEE GO SUPPORT THEIR NEW LOCATION!! ＊Pineapple Bun 菠蘿包 $1.50 Fluffy, warm, and soft, with a generous crackly sugar-cookie topping. One bun is quite filling--easily among the best pineapple buns at great price in Chinatown. They also have a version stuffed with roast BBQ pork (叉燒菠蘿包). ＊Sugar Egg Puff 沙翁 $2 It was still warm when I got it! Sugar egg puffs are getting harder to find these days, as they take a lot of time to make. This one had a nice honeycomb center and a thin, crispy, sugar-coated shell. Could've been a little airier, but honestly I'm just being picky. Definitely eat it fresh though, or the sugar starts to melt into the puff. read more

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One of my favorite bakeries for bolo bao (pineapple buns). Theirs is the best and only $1.50. It raised 25cents at the new location, but still less than $2 at most other bakeries. Plus it just tastes better. The top is crispy and crusty, especially when it's hot and fresh. The inside is soft bread. They do get sold out. They make it throughout the day, so depends on the time it comes out of the oven, you might get lucky for fresh out of oven. There are also quite a few items on their menu that are really good: the thin skin dumplings, also the dried shrimp and meat rice rolls (room temp). They have hot rice rolls that they make upon ordering. It comes in small or large size. They also have small rice boxes. There's a few options for drinks besides water and soda. The sugarcane drink is really good and not too sweet. I want to gate keep, but this new location is further away from the prime areas of Chinatown and a quieter area. I hope people go so they can stay open forever and still keep prices low. This location has a few high tables and high chairs and window seatings, so you can grab a quick bite or snack. The area is across from the Grand St park. It's closed on Mondays. read more

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Visited the new Forsyth Street location for this bakery that was previously located on the corner of Elizabeth and Hester Street for many years. Glad to still be able to get my dried shrimp and pork rice rolls that I ate growing up in NYC. They have a variety of traditional baked buns and pastries as well as fried sesame balls and other delicious snacks. read more

Ho Won - Dried shrimp and pork rice rolls - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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Heard from my friend that this "new" location has always been their own property, they just didn't continue at the previous location. This place is more airy and has some seating / tables. It's a quieter location for sure, and I hope people still know to come here. Signs for food are improved, although there are still many items without signs (and price). Not that it's a big issue as everything is very affordable. I got a big bag of pastries and it's under $20. read more

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Old school favorite in a new spot. This small family owned business had been a staple in NYC Chinatown for 45 years before moving to a new location of Forsyth street. A few of my favorites include; The "Jung" or Chinese tamales, are great here. Jung are traditional sticky rice dumplings, steamed or boiled in wrapped bamboo leaves. They are primarily made of glutinous rice and can be are filled with various ingredients such as pork belly, mung beans, mushrooms, and salted egg yolks. I think the ones they sell here are great for $5.50 each. The Hom Sui Gawk or pork filled mochi dumpling is yum. Do not wait to eat this once you order this if you're getting this to go. It will deflate and get soggy. The filling is minimal, that's by design. The contrasting textures, chew from moochi, crunchy exterior, diced filling, is awesome. The Char Sui buns are ok, often times when I don't want to wait anywhere else I'll get them here. They also make rice noodles as well. The new spot isn't ADA accessible unfortunately, there are about 7-8 steps going down but they are somewhat steep. There are a 2-3 table tops for you to sample your bites inside. read more

Finally came to this new location on Forsyth St after the closing of the Grand St one. It's a little bit out of the way from center Chinatown but it's the only place where I can get my favorite Chee Chong Fun; freshly made rolled rice noodle filled with ground pork and green onions. The Jung, rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves are also great; tasty and authentic. Many people came to buy the freshly made steamed rice rolls while I was there. This new location has a stools and tables for dining in. It is more spacious and brighter than the previous location. Although it is still the same bakery, I probably will be coming less often due to its distant location. read more

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When I found out their OG location closed down I was devestated. I've been coming here to buy their herbal mochi, zhong, and other pastries for years and it felt like another part of chinatown was dissapearing. But when I found out they were just moving, I was so relieved. Everytime I come to Chinatown (which is now about twice a month), I come here and buy a huge bath of zhong and herbal mochi. Their tea eggs and shrimp rice rolls are also one of my favorite items to get. Their new location is much bigger and well ventilated compared to the old location, and I'm able to see the items they sell more clearly. The staff are as usual amazing, and there's now seating which is nice! I absolutely love how big it is, it just feels much more welcoming compared to the older location. My go-to, is probably.. everything? LOL But honestly, get their zhong - I get the #1, you can't beat their peanut one! You can get it cold or hot depending on if you're eating it sooner or later. read more

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Pros: - quick service, larger space - love the sugar cane drink from there - the pineapple bun from there is also good Cons: - personally, I feel that it's in a less convenient location but they must have their reasons and I'm just one customer anyway - very inconvenient for older and disabled people (have to walk down stairs) Comments: - this is the new location for the one originally on 146 Hester Street (the corner of Hester and Elizabeth) - came during the soft opening read more

Ho Won - Interior. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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Got some dry shrimp, ground pork and scallion rice rolls. Omfg. Delicious!!!!! They were so good, I just ate all 4 before I could take a pic. My bad. lol. I also got me some Jungs, #3. Yummy!!!! Staff were friendly and the place was so clean. My new favorite place to go when coming down to Chinatown. read more

Best dried shrimp rice rolls. Lo Bok koh (radish/rice flour cakes) are great. A few seats and tables available. Located in basement storefront. read more

many places in the Lower East Side and Chinatown serve as destinations for food, yet this Cantonese bakery is more akin to a waypoint on your daily journeys...it is not the endpoint, nor the starting point, but someplace along the way that you'll visit time and time again. while it has changed locations, the menu of freshly baked items + some dim sum dishes are still a mix of savory and sweet baked options which makes for comforting calories whether your picking up a small bite or a bunch. it's a walk-down space from street level --the interior is a small clean space with a few seats and tables, a large order counter with food items on display, and all of it is pulled together by a hole-in-the-wall charm that's been lost in NYC. been here on a number of occasions and the food here doesn't disappoint because of its seeming simplicity yet complexity in scents, flavors, textures, and "kitchen magic." i don't have a "favorite" here because it would be far too hard too choose just one thing...translation: come here multiple times and eat away. must tries imo: SHRIMP RICE ROLL made fresh in the kitchen...the rice noodles are silky, soft, yet chewy noodle wrapper, the sweet savoriness of the shrimp, and a punch of umami from the soy and hot sauces that you can add is what satisfying eats is all about. baked ROAST PORK BUN is a fluffy soft bread filled with savory sweet bbq pork. PINEAPPLE BUN...a golden fluffy light bun with a crunchy sugary outside that resembles the skin of a pineapple (no pineapple was harmed in the making of this bun haha). HAM SUI GOK is a fried crisp chewy outside with a savory filling...like a large fried almost-mochi-like dumpling. SUGAR EGG PUFF is a sugar shelled pastry with a soft doughnut-like inside (if you see one, get it because they constantly sell out). the WALNUT COOKIE is a shortbread styled cookie--very crumbly, not-too-sweet, buttery walnut inside with a laminated crunchy outside and this cookie pairs nicely with coffee or tea (both of which are served here). and don't sleep on the DRY SHRIMP and PORK RICE ROLL--it's only $2 and you can't find a better savory yet carb-y treat elsewhere. service here is friendly enough and quick. English is spoken but is a little limited, but you shouldn't have any problem ordering. the ladies who work here are doing so tirelessly as you never see them on break really. they are appreciative of the smallest orders to the larger ones. the overall vibe is refreshing, to say the least. mom-and-pop places like this are a rare breed in NYC as the years push modernity forward into every square foot and aspect of NYC. lucky for us, this bakery is still flourishing decades since its inception. i could keep waxing poetically OR you could just head here and experience the goodness for yourself! read more

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These people are survivors! I thought they had to finally close after struggling to get access to the oven! For a long time, the ladies told me they wanted to make more things but were limited because of old location issues and new landlord. Then one day I walked by the old location and it was closed! I was truly sad and thought that was it! Gone! The end of a bygone neighborhood favorite! Then looking for eats, I saw a Yelp review on Ho Won and it was recent! I told myself that couldn't be! I checked it and there was a new address but the photos had the same items I missed so much! They finally have a new location! You must descend several steps to go down to the store! All the fried sugar doughnuts were gone! This will be a real challenge to get here when they are available and not sold out! The location is much better for the workers because there is full ac! The dried shrimp and rice noodle roll are $2. I consider that a great deal considering prices these days! They have expanded to serving rice rolls! Ho Won seems to have all the old-time snacks that few places carry now. One such item is the sugar coated doughnut! Which I salivate thinking of it! There's a menu of some popular items too! A few small tables sprinkle the area near the front! Glad to see Ho Won back and flourishing! read more

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My heart sank when I heard their old shop was closing. For a moment, it felt like another irreplaceable piece of Chinatown's soul was fading away. But that sadness turned to pure relief when I discovered Ho Won had not just survived, but risen again in a bigger, brighter space on Forsyth Street. This is it. This is the classic, old-school Cantonese bakery many of us grew up with, serving pastries and treats you fear might not exist in 20 years. Walking in is a wave of warm nostalgia. It's a connection to the village bakeries of Guangzhou, right here in NYC. If it's your first time, the absolute must-tries are: -Pineapple Buns (Bo Lo Bao): The classic. Sweet, crumbly top, soft, fluffy interior. -Sa-Yong (Egg Puffs): These addictive, hollow Cantonese fried dough puffs are a perfect, lightly sweet snack. -Hakka-style Rice Rolls: Savory and perfect on its own - no soy sauce necessary- maybe some hot sauce. -Sesame Balls (Jian Dui): The sesame balls are perfectly crisp outside with that chewy, airy interior filled with sweet red bean. -Pork Fried Dumplings (Ham Sui Gok): The fried dumplings are savory, crescent-shaped pockets with a glutinous, slightly sticky shell and a juicy pork filling. Pro-Tip: If you haven't been in a while, be sure to check for their seasonal treats , especially around Chinese New Year. They'll make traditional items like Neen Go (New Year cake), Fot Gao (steamed fortune cake) and Lo Bok Go (turnip cake). A consistent bestseller is their Joong --the massive, savory tamale stuffed with Chinese sausage, green beans, egg yolk, braised pork. Ho Won is more than just a bake shop. It's a living archive. In a neighborhood changing at lightning speed, this place must be protected at all costs. It preserves a tangible piece of Chinatown's history and heart. What I appreciate just as much is that they've kept their prices incredibly affordable. It means the kids from the neighboring junior high can still pop in for a snack after school. They can build their own memories and taste the same flavors we cherish. That's how this nostalgia survives, by being passed on. Thank you, Ho Won, for holding steady. Thank you for expanding so you can continue your legacy. This isn't just a bakery; it's an institution. Please support them, so future generations can know what real, old-school Chinatown tastes like. read more

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Best South Wind rice roll replacement. The rice rolls are delicious but they also make the stuffed tofu and dumplings 水餃 read more

Ho Won - Rice Rolls for sale - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

One of the very few old school bakeries left in Chinatown. I love their pork shrimp rice rolls and pineapple buns.

Good quality food and service. For an average person the rating would be higher but I'd like to keep my four stars reserved for truly great experiences. read more

Friday 1/10/2026 around 1 ish. The bright flags outside let me know where the shop is. I think i missed the Lion Dancers and Grand Opening. The aunties working here are super sweet and attentive...very helpful as well. My snacks I grabbed today were Pineapple Roast Pork Bun 3 shrimp and meat rolls 2 mugwort crescent filled with peanuts, coconut, and sugar. These bring back memories of my mom and aunts...and now my buddhist temple aunties. This place is around the corner from the Grand Street Train Station. Pop in for a Nai Cha and a sweetcorn savory treat. read more

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This bakery has become my go-to to get affordable coffee and baked treats! I love getting the sugar puffs and the baked pineapple roast pork bun. I also love the shrimp noodle roll and the street cart noodles with fish balls. Their old location didn't have it, but now it has been my go-to spot to get cheng fun from! The service is amazing and they make the noodles fresh and fast! The indoor seating is an added plus as their last location didn't have seating. Now I can enjoy a nice meal or snack inside! I definitely recommend this place if you want affordable and good eats. Definitely a leading competitor in comparison to the other Chinatown bakeries. 10/10 recommend! read more