When I think of San Francisco, the words "cheap" and "undiscovered" never enter my mind. Yet when I came across this bakery, 三藩市 (San Francisco in Canto) it was all I was thinking. After trying a few of their treats, it is now one of the few awesome bakeries that are in my active rotation for places I visit most.
The place is dingy and trapped from another time. Jordan is no stranger to such establishments; it even evokes a pseudo San Francisco Chinatown vibe as many of the bakeries there are also stuck in the 90s. No matter, these places don't earn the love of the local crowd by looking pretty. They win everyone over with the food and in a big way.
What got me hooked to start were their BBQ pork pastries, priced at a cool $4 each. They're flaky, crisp with just the right amount of pork. I would also give it up for their almond cookies, which are made fresh daily and taste heavenly. Buy an entire sack or tin for less than $15 and be happy. Other kudos goes out to their pineapple buns and hotdog buns -- satisfying in a pinch and easy to buy on the go.
Lastly, the service deserves a mention. The women who operate this bakery from the morning to the afternoon are super friendly and I've seen them spare a bao or two for the less fortunate outside. It's a hard life out there and the compassion is hard not to recognize. That's the kind of service everyone could use. read more