Ho Yuen Bakery

I haven’t tried out too many of their pastries, but I’ve become a HUGE fan of their Portuguese tarts. Frankly, I have never even heard of Portuguese tarts before, but I’m so glad I discovered them here. It’s basically a heavier egg tart – with a crème brûlée-​looking finish, flakier crust, and thicker custard filling (10x better tasting than plain egg tarts). They’ve become one of my favorite desserts, and I have not yet found another place that sells them, so this bakery will always have me coming back for more!

TBFH this place is amazing. The pastries range from savory to super sweet, affordably priced, and very friendly staff.

This bakery is the real deal. Right when you walk in, you can see the place in the back where the Chinese grandpapas are diligently working the doughs. The mark of authenticity from this bakery comes in the form of the fried dough stick/​cruller (油条/​youtiao). This puffy, salted delight spans the entire length of my forearm!
Dough sticks are a staple of Chinese breakfast street food and this is the ONLY place in Chinatown I’ve been able to find that makes them from scratch (none of those frozen varieties that most of these restaurants like to try passing off for the real deal).
However, dough sticks are not a stand-​alone breakfast item. They need their match made in breakfast heaven, which can be conveniently found across the street at Great Taste Bakery and Restaurant! I’m talking, of course, about soy milk or congee. I usually get one of these for $ 1 and then go to Great Taste Bakery for $ 2 congee. This constitutes a more-​than-​filling breakfast that is both authentic and delicious. If you want to try this, though, dough sticks usually aren’t ready for sale until 9AM, and congee is usually gone by noon, so there is a very specific window of time that will allow you to enjoy this particular combination.
Besides that, the buns here are also pretty great. The pineapple bun is my favorite because it’s a very subtly sweet, light and fluffy bread that perfectly suits my tastes. And when I want to opt for a super cheap, quick lunch, gimme a hot dog bread and I’m goood (condiments not included).

My go to place since I remember what Chinese bakery foods are. I always come by for the egg tarts, spring rolls, and fried pork dumplings.

Best chinese pork buns in Boston hands down. I tried other chinese pork buns i believe its bao bao bakery somewhere around here. I just moved to Boston and i will definitely come back! I cant give this place a 5 star rating is because it is cash only and the aroma of the restaurant was not that great. Idk someone must have smoked inside there the time I was there. It is very crowded in there. This place cannot be any larger than 300 square feet. Very busy place. And I can tell why:)

The Black Bean Sesame Balls and the Coconut Tarts are amazing. My boyfriend loves the pork buns and the curry buns. We stop in to get treats about once or twice a week to grab something for the train. Always delicious!

I am picky when it comes to Chinese bakeries. This bakery has possibly the largest selection of Boston Chinatown bakeries. They items are yummy and oh so cheap. My biggest problem is the cleanliness of the place. The glass is greasy and the shop is a little questionable. The service could be better. So, take your pick: cleanliness or large selection for cheap prices.

The buns here are just super-​delicious! There is something about the dough that makes their buns so delicious. Their coconut bun is simply delectable, but you gotta stop by early to snag some. They are so good I would make a pit stop in Boston just to get them.

If you’re in the area, and have a dollar or two to spare, there is no reason why you shouldn’t stop by and grab a pastry or bun. I highly recommend the Coconut Bun, Pineapple Bun and the Black Bean Bun — the dough is so fluffy that you’ll never want to stop eating!

The lady working behind the counter was extremely kind and generous! I asked for 3 egg custards and 2 sesame balls and she gave me some extra as a gift so I ended up with 5 egg custards and 4 sesame balls for the same price! :)

This place is known for its amazing pineapple buns. We have not tried the other buns and pastries they offer but this is the best place to get pineapple buns. Soft and the «pineapple» part does not crumble and fall off.

Been coming here since I was little and love it! Their pineapple bun (bou lou bao for you Cantonese speakers out there!) is sweet and the top is crumbly (which is good thing about it, not the bad). The dinner rolls (chan bao) are also really good whether you eat them the way they are or with something else. I will say this though. The place can get crowded during the weekends, so get here early for the fresh buns!

Okay, I just sort of stumbled in here and bought a bunch of random stuff. Oddly, the thing that was most impressive taste-​wise was probably the simplest thing on their menu to bake/​make. All I know is that I will be coming back if I’m in the area again and I will be snatching up like 12 of those roll thingys! But yeah, everything we ate from here was good. *if I had to guess what I ate I’d maybe guess «Mexican Bun» because it tasted a lot like the pan I’m used to getting at bakeries back home but it was extra chewy and somehow sweeter, it was really delicious*

I judge chinese bakeries by their pork buns because I’m a piggy. Unfortunately this one didn’t live up to my expectations. The bun had great texture and flavor but the filling was mediocre. The sauce was too thick and had a ‘goop’ consistency. Wasn’t very appetizing. On the positive side, the staff was pretty friendly for a Chinatown bakery.

Pinapple bun and coconut bun were perfection melt in your mouth and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. Definitely will come back

Been there twice and the first time I was there. The place was so crowded and they offer a wide range of asian cakes and pastries, both sweet and savory. Bring back the memories of an authentic chinese bakery back home. The food is great, especially the sponge cake! Super friendly staff too. They gave me a freebie tonight because they were closing. =)

I’ve been coming here since I was a little boy and the milk custard buns are always so good.
I just had to take off a star because the lady behind the counter was cutting her fingernails and then proceeded to help us. I guess it comes with the territory.

Ordered the egg tart, cocktail bun, mochi and pineapple custard bun. I didn’t particularly think any of these were delicious. I like Eldo better for these chinese treats.

I came here during the August Bright Moon festival in search of moon cakes. I don’t know what I had in mind but these guys were huge! My friend and I got one to split and even so we couldn’t finish it. The dough Is sweet and substantial with red bean paste (I think anyway) interior. You can get moon cakes in a few different varieties including variations in the number of eggs and whether it’s black bean or white lotus seed paste.
Either way, this place has steady number of customers which is always a good sign. Plus I’ve only ever seen Chinese families here which I am going to interpret as a sign of authenticity and tastiness. I may not be back for moon cakes but those egg tarts were calling my name. Heck, I hear them now and I will answer!

This bakery holds an über special place in my heart and my memory. My family and I have been going to this bakery for the greater part of 20 years and the quality has never diminished. We are originally from the Nutmeg State (CT) and would make occasional trips to Boston, just to go to Chinatown. I judge all Asian breads, pastries, buns, cakes, whatever by the Ho Yuen Bakery standard. Maybe it’s the nostalgia and the adoration that I feel for this place, but nothing can quite compare. I confirmed this just a couple of months ago, after having taken a hiatus of probably 8 years (I’ve been in Atlanta for almost 7 years now).
The memories started flooding back. It was glorious and the bakery is more or less how I remembered it from my childhood. Everything was still dirt-​cheap and looked delicious. I loaded up on steamed rice cakes (not even sure what they’re called – they’re the yellow, sticky ones), the flaky curry beef pastries, pineapple buns, coconut buns, roast pork buns, and hot dog buns. I basically annihilated the pineapple bun and found it to be magnificent. Truth be told, I don’t think I ate these as a young’in, however, I have been eating them pretty recently, both the Hong Kong and Korean varieties that can be found in the Atlanta area. Ho Yuen’s pineapple bun was far superior and I find my thoughts often drift off to that life-​changing afternoon, when I shoved the bun in my face as I drove to Newbury St.
If you haven’t had Ho Yuen, you are missing out. Go. If only for me.