This family owned taishanese cafe is a gem! We ordered the shrimp rice roll, chicken porridge, seafood chow mein, wonton noodle soup and zhong. All were flavorful and worth ordering. The prices here are reasonable and the portion sizes are decent! Would highly recommend the rice roll and the chicken porridge. They also sell different kinds of breads. The workers there speak Cantonese, English and taishanese. The restaurant has seating that reminds me of a Chinese fast food place. The restaurant has plenty of seating and is clean! read more

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Truly a mom & pop shop/hole in the wall. Our daughter was feeling a hit under the weather so we wanted to get some congee. It was super early in the morning so not much was open yet in Chinatown. We went on a wimp as this place opened early like 830 we arrived and we came so early not all the dishes were available. Got congee and crepe and some egg tarts. The name looked familiar & we realized that they are the pastries we see in the grocery store park to shop. Overall pretty ok and good congee. read more

Sunlight Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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You see lots of Chinese bakery with the sticker sunlight cafe, so we finally visited. It is a small-ish location, but typical for Chinatown size, 5-7 seating tables inside, they have bakery on display but also menu you could order from. The jook we got was as expected, large thickened white rice porridge, with pickled tubers (they use a slightly spicy one, very minor). The fish one didn't have as much flavor as the pork one, but both are still good, hits the spot. The pork one came with more noticeable white pepper fragrance, exactly what we'd look for. We also ordered tomato beef over rice which was fantastic. The classic southern wok hei flavor was so prominent, and the sweet and savory flavor of the tomato sauce come right through. I was a little bit disappointed with the milk tea as it tasted a bit bland, but that diluted flavor profile is actually probably more authentic to the older generation. The bakeries were smaller in size but the pack plenty into a container. The smaller size is easier for the kids to eat actually. Everything was all pretty good! The elders seated here in the morning were so friendly, smiling at us youngins haha. What a cute place. read more

Sunlight Cafe - Tomato beef over rice - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was sitting out on the counter for who knows how long. You really needed a microwave to heat up the dim sum. Custard tart was good though! They take both cash and card which was nice read more

We came here for breakfast on a weekday. My partner and I got a bowl of congee with pork and century egg combo, which came with a coffee and Chinese bun for $7. We then added a couple of Chinese donuts and the total came to $11.50. Price transparency here is not great, since we had no idea how much the Chinese donuts would cost until she gave us the total, which seemed a bit high compared to everything we got, but I mean the breakfast was still relatively cheap. But when I ordered a soy milk, which had a price clearly on the wall of $2, I gave her a $5 bill and she only gave me $2 back, charging me $1 more but without saying it. I thought that was super sketchy. The breakfast was decent for its quality and price, but I'm not super impressed with this checkout system which includes no calculator, just a number she decides on. Wouldn't return for this reason. The place is also very tight with seating. It got pretty busy but they still had boxes splattered out on tables, which wasn't very convenient or presentable. read more

Sunlight Cafe - Menu - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friend introduced me to this cute little restaurant/bakery and their bread was so good! I will admit that this cafe seems a bit intimidating to go into because it feels super intimate, but if you're ever in Chicago Chinatown you should give them a shot! They sell fresh and delicious bread/buns for a better price than Tous Le Jours or some of the other mainstream cafes from across the street. read more

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Located in Chinatown, next door to XI'AN Cuisine with only (paid) street parking, Sunlight Cafe is a small hole in a wall that offers patrons some dim sum, baked goods, noodle and rice dishes. What brought me over here was their egg tarts. My husband and I were craving these and decided to come over here (because we had our little girl dog with us, he waited outside while I went inside). I actually ended up coming in here about 30 minutes after leaving because I wanted to come back in for another egg tart (I was just walking around Chinatown before deciding that I actually wanted another one). So from my two visits, I ended up purchasing: Egg Tart, $1.25- I initially purchased 2 of these but came back in a little after to get a 3rd one because my husband and our little girl ate most of the other 2 (well my husband ate most of it and our little girl got a few bites). These egg tarts were good. They had a nice custard taste and the crust of the tart was flakey, just as I like it. The price was fair. Siu mai, $3.75- I was not initially planning on ordering this but the elderly woman who helped me the 2nd time I came was insistent, but in a sweet grandmotherly way. And who can say no to grandma? These were actually good so I'm glad I got it (which came in a plastic container in an order of 4). -------------------------------- (Total= $7.50) On the first visit (please note that I came on a Friday afternoon around 1:30 pm), I had a younger woman behind the counter help me. I spoke English when I ordered 2 egg tarts. I paid cash since she apologized and said cash only when I pulled out my credit card. Then on the second visit (about 30 minutes later), I had an elderly woman help me. She greeted me in Cantonese so I spoke to her in Cantonese. I also paid her in cash from learning from the earlier visit. She was very sweet and had suggested that I order the siu mai because it is very good here. I have to agree that their siu mai is pretty good and actually a little cheaper than another restaurant in the area that I had ordered siu mai (to go) later on. Overall, I had a pretty good experience both times and would come back if I was visiting Chicago again. read more

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I've never been to the cafe but have tried their food because they are sold at Richwell Market in Morton Grove. I really enjoy their shrimp rice roll, bbq pork rice roll, pork and century egg congee and sponge cake. If I'm ever in Chinatown, I'd definitely go visit so I can try more items. read more

While in Chicago recently......went to Chinatown to see beautiful old world oriental architecture. Found this little family owned business. Bought delicious old style carry out items. Brought back to the hotel room refrigerator to enjoy for "midnight" snacks. read more

*my boi was hosting movie night, i hate coming empty handed as a guest so stopped by and grabbed some bread at this cash only establishment. bread was good but gotta try everything the offer; noodle packs, pork over rice, curry buns etc. everything they offered was $5 or less. the true working mans establishment, love it read more

Amazing pastries and noodles here at Sunlight Cafe. I come here in the morning to grab some Bao's and a pack of noodles which the server really packs in to the package for $3. The noodles are amazing for the price and tasty. Service is great and the prices keeps me coming back for more delights. Street parking is limited but I usually double park with blinkers. read more

This bakery has been one of my favorites for many years now. Their food is so good that I find myself coming back every time! They have a lot of different varieties of food to offer but my favorite is definitely their dry pork sung cake or their egg roll cake. Definitely recommend. read more

I went here back in December 2024 and I think about it at least minimum of once a week. My friend and I got the congee, rice cake stew, egg tarts, and egg custard buns and loved every single bite. We were on our way to the train station to head back home on Amtrak and both looked at each other and went "egg tarts?" and quickly made the trip back to Chinatown just for those egg tarts LOL read more

This is always my favorite little bakery to stop at when I'm in China town! The man at the counter is always super nice and they have some super good baked goods! Only downside is they don't take debit or credit, but bringing cash is totally work the try! read more

Great selection of baked goods. They have some dim sum available. Great pricing also.

I came to be familiar with Sunlight Bakery through their partnership with Chicagoland Chinese grocery stores. They're usually available in packs of 3 in plastic clamshells. Their sponge cake is excellent, but I haven't tried other things so I was excited to see their storefront. The cafe didn't look like it was maintained well, like it wasn't intended as a consumer facing experience. They had a larger variety of buns and pastries, mostly in packs of 3. Prices are comparable to other bakeries in the area, but I felt more restricted on variety due to the prepacks. We picked up the BBQ Pork buns, Ham and Onion buns and fresh soy milk. The cake and bread is among the better ones, but it was disappointing that the filling and/or toppings were barely there. Soy milk was good, slightly too sweet, but delicious. I think I will stick with the cake when I see them in stores, and not sure if it's worth the extra trip. read more

Indeed great spot for moon cakes during the week before/after mid-autumn festival. We went with three kinds: the nut/cured pork, lotus paste w/yolk, and winter melon w/yolk. These were full sized moon cakes (sorry no photo before we ate) and were priced on the Sunday weekend after at 4 for $25 or 5 for $30. They seemed fresh, baked in house, and just clear plastic wrapped. read more

Food was amazing. Service was good as well. We also got a large quantity of food for a decent price.

I did not get to try it. I came in the afternoon. All sweet pastries were gone I was told ( I think) and so I picked out some things I wanted to try and went to pay with my debit card but was told cash only for the amount I was spending I was willing to buy $10 worth of items. But the woman was insisting I pay in cash. I said buh-bye. What made it worse, was that I made a special trip to Chinatown with my 5 year old to show him the culture and get some special Chinese treats and this was my son's first impression. Thankfully, he likely won't remember it. There was a man there who was kind and I think he looked a little bewildered that I left without buying anything, but I didn't have cash as I am not a tourist. I would like to think the food would have been good, as it looked like it would be based on my experience with some traditional Chinese food with some Chinese friends, but I will never know. 祝你好運 read more

My friends and I went here the day of the mid autumn festival. We got mooncakes, har gow, and wintermelon buns. They were all super tasty!! I even bought one to bring back to Georgia. I never liked mooncakes growing up but having a fresh one was honestly perfection. It was sweet without being overwhelming and the salted egg yolks gave that salty contrast. I loved it, and it's gonna be on my list for my next trip to Chicago! read more

This is a hidden Chinatown gem! Probably one of the lesser known bakeries in China, but by far the cheapest. I love the service there. The grandma running this bakery speaks Toisanese, Cantonese, and mandarin. She is super kind and offers me discounts on all the items every time I go there. If you get there near closing, the items are likely discounted, but only when offered! Do not expect anything. They bake the items fresh every day and are very generous with their fillings. I recommend the ham and egg bun. I love buying in bulk and refrigerating them for a week's worth of breakfast. They also make dimsum, lunch, and dinner. The soy milk they have in the drinks fridge is also homemade. Also loved the scallion pancake wrapped with ham, egg, and lettuce it's great on-the-go! read more

This is a glorious hole-in-the-wall which deserves more love. Sunlight's pastries have never failed to disappoint and I've started replacing my breakfasts with their pork floss buns. My friends, who rarely eat Chinese cuisine, love their sesame balls so I always make sure to pick up a a pack when I go by. They have a huge variety of buns and also some plates of Chinese appetizers, so I highly recommend going inside and checking things out. Prices are very good for what you get and everything is fresh-- the sponge cake is so light and fluffy! The cafe itself is a bit shabby but very homey. It reminds me so much of the little restaurants in China. read more

I've been to this place a few times in the past. I really like their sponge cake with pork floss on top. I think I've only seen that at this bakery. Not sure about other places. The elder lady was polite and friendly, I felt welcomed there. I'll be back to again for sure read more

It's a simple Chinese takeout I like the bakery items Well priced food and it feels authentic And if you're a fan of Chinese politics and media, as I am, you get to enjoy some while you're sipping on your wonton soup read more

I don't hear about this bakery that much, but I dropped in as last resort to find decent price bread where my dad said it was good last time I gave it to him before he took flight. Out of curiosity, I went to visit the bakery to try their buns, etc. They are decently priced compared to the other bakeries in Chinatown. They also have creativity in the creation of the buns and less sweet than the other bakeries. I have been a frequent visitor lately. Decent deal and the flavor is on par. read more

I want to eat where the locals eat and it looks like I found it! I had to ask for a menu in English. Great small bakery and huge selection of made to order foods. I was a little adventurous and ordered shrimp kow sum fun. Not knowing what it was I ate every last bit. It was fresh and cooked perfect. It has a great neighborhood feel as the locals come in and out. Not many tourists as it can be a little intimidating with the menu and advertisements being in Chinese but all you have to do is ask. I feel I scored a hidden treasure not many have attempted. read more

I first started coming here a few years ago because it seemed like the pork buns were getting too grizzly and saucy at the other Chinatown bakeries, while Sunlight's have lots of nonfatty pork; the consistency is just right. For the past several months, I've made this a regular haunt of mine, due in part to its being on the way during my commute. Recently, a friend came to visit and said he had a favorite bakery to go to when he was in Chinatown, so I followed along, figuring maybe he knew something I didn't. Alas, we went to one of the other bakeries I knew and I was nonplussed with every item I got there. This is my favorite Chinatown bakery, by far! My favorites are the onion buns and ham and egg buns. read more

I first came to this place because they had a special kind of bun that no one else made (so I thought), dried shredded pork bun. They also really stuff their coconut buns full of coconut filling. Yum & addicting. read more

Great little bakery a little hidden from main parts of Chinatown! You know the buns are fresh everyday because they are half off toward close (after 6pm). Pineapples buns with or without filling (red bean, custard) and sponge cakes are the best! read more

The onion bun was good. The pork sung roll wasn't- pork sung was only on the ends and not throughout the bun.

It used to be one of the inexpensive chinese bakery's but they're prices have steadily increased in the last couple years. At least, they don't skimp on the filling of the buns. The custard egg tarrts taste are par. Nothing spectacular. Very small bakery and kinda hidden since it's not in the Chinatown Sq and not on the main Wentworth street. Still go there for my bakery needs since I'm not picky about it. Oh yea, if you go after 5pm (like close to 6pm) you'll can get bakery goods for about half off since they don't want to keep it over night and will bake a fresh batch in the morning. So instead of throwing it away, thye will sell it at a discount. read more

This bakery is family own. Price of their buns and dim sum are very reasonable and cheaper than other bakery in the area. Simple takeout with a few tables for eat in. They do not skimp on portion. read more

We happened to be in Chinatown on a very busy day. Most of the restaurants were crowded. Strolling past Sunlight Cafe, we noticed that it had only a few customers. We had two very nice Chow fan dishes for $4.50 each. Try the vegetable dish-great. Too much to eat so we have enough for another meal at home. For desert, the Red Bean Bun was delicious. Also try the sponge cake. No frills here and the TV program is in Chinese. The mango drink with beans was wonderful. Nice folks own and run the place. read more