I've been on a quest to find the best buns in Chinatown.
... Okay, not those kind of buns. Get your mind out of the gutter.
But you know, the Chinese baked buns. Filled with goodness. Like red beans. Or custard.
Topped with more sweet buttery deliciousness.
I was tired of being yelled at and jostled at Tai Pan, for only decent buns. I nearly gagged on Fay Da's offerings. Anyhoo, the search went on.
My standard of measure? The typical red bean bun. With sweet topping, preferably.
Finally, I decided to venture out of the tourist-laden section of Canal and Mott and headed west to Bowery. Where Win Sing came to save the day.
The place is tiny, but on the Saturday morning I stopped by, all the patrons were old Cantonese folks gathering and talking. Hong Kong style coffee and teas in hand, they are were chowing down on buns. Good sign.
I ordered a red bean bun and a custard bun with sweet topping.
The topping was a bit firmer and more crumbly than other places, but was just sweet enough. The bread was chewy and sweet. And the insides were pure goodness. Whole red beans mashed up with sugar to make a yummy paste. And custardy eggy cholesterol filling that you could eat up with a spoon.
Let's just say, those two buns were polished off.
And I walked out with a bag full of 8 other buns.
Hey... 8 is a lucky number! read more