Mei Sum

Great selection! Mei Sum offers banh mi, dim sum, Asian buns, pastries and drinks, soda… the list goes on. I think the banh mi’s just OK, but for the price, how can you complain? I come here for lunch from time to time because you get your money’s worth. They’ve got awesome paper wrapped sponge cake and pineapple buns. I don’t think you can go wrong. However, as with other bakeries, you’ve got to go at a good time! Some of their goodies might not be that fresh if it’s not from the latest batch!
On another note, DO NOT USE THEIR RESTROOM! Holy crap, it was terrifying.

This place is definitely my go-​to when it comes to their Chinese buns.
Yeah, there’s other places that probably have a same selection, but this spot specifically will win my heart. The Asian women here are always pretty nice when I visit and offer to heat up my buns too, which is nice. Most items are about $ 1 range, which is a great deal for the quality you’re getting yourself into.
It’s kinda funny how every time I ask my friends if I can just grab a pork bun (if I’m around China town), they look at me weird going into this secluded area that’s right next to the parking garage. But once they try some buns, they appreciate the good life.

I always come here for the taro and durian cake! This place has the most reasonable price for this cake compared to other bakeries in Chinatown. The cake has a lot of taro and durian which makes it so tasty! And both of those things are my favorite. They go so well with each other. The good thing is you only need to order 30 mins in advance for the cake. The bad thing is you need to finish it in 3 days since it goes bad quickly. Also remember to bring cash.

I come here for their baked buns. The custard one is a favorite. You get it piping hot from the oven, crispy outer layer and a really gooey yummy filling. For ~$ 1, it’s a sick deal, for pretty much every item in the bakery.
They also have dim sum food like shrimp dumpling in the morning. Also great deal. One of the better bakeries in Chinatown.

I’ve walked into this bakery a handful of times now and I only walk out with one thing: durian taro cake. If you like durian, you should definitely try this cake. Like all Asian cake, there is just enough sweetness. I really like how the taro adds a different texture in contrast to the durian. My sister said the texture of the taro reminded her of mashed potato, which I will agree with. But I don’t think this is a bad thing because for anyone whose had durian before it’s really creamy with ribbons of the flesh, So the taro adds a nice hearty texture and taste. One thing I wish this cake had is some fresh cream (read my Eldo cake house review for my new fav durian cake!) There is this layer of jelly-​like covering, which is infused with pandan. I just don’t think it adds anything to the cake. Overall, this cake is still a family favorite. My cousin traveled from Boston to New Haven, CT via Amtrak with this cake. Many passengers commented on the smell on the train, and it was quite embarrassing but we go to great lengths for this cake!
For anyone whose never tried durian, but tempted to try this cake, I would advise you to start small. Go to New Dong Khanh or pretty much anywhere in Chinatown and order yourself a durian shake. I say this because at $ 11 a slice (pretty good size though, probably feeds 2) it is expensive.

least-​expensive sandwich you are likely to find, especially in boston. but don’t let that deter you. even if you never had vietnamese food, who doesn’t love deliciously seasoned meat and veggies???
you can’t beat the ambiance of old men drinking coffee and playing cards either.
mei sum is *the* perfect refuge from the incoming progrom of hipster coffee houses.

This is my go to place for Chinese pastries and snacks. The pineapple bread (no actual pineapple is used in the making of this product, it’s given the name since the eggy crust topping gives it a pineapple like exterior) is usually fresh out of the oven and is pillowy doughy on the inside and crunchy on top. A little sweet a little savory, perfect snack for anytime. Their egg custard are a good choice too. Recently tried their dim sum to go and it was not bad.

This used to be my go to Banh mi place. As in I’d order a half dozen to take back and disperse to family and friends because they were at one point so good. This past weekend I stopped by to pick up just 1 pork banh mi. And low and behold I take a bite. they have red onion, no daikon, carrot or more than 2 pieces of cilantro in the sandwich.
Oh how far they have fallen from the days where I would praise this shop with copious amounts of meat and veggies in this over stuffed sandwich. No longer can I look at you with joy and glee, but only sad sad disappointment and heartbreak.
Their egg tarts are also tasteless and not flaky. Using uncleaned tin pans as I see a lot of black flakes on the outside of my egg tarts. The sponge cake lacking in flavor, they they are big and fluffy.
I also get nervous seeing all the pork dumplings, shrimp dumplings sitting on the counter tops covered in questionable plastic wrap. Oyvey to food safety.
Oh Boston Chinatown… please stop breaking my heart.
It is time again to hunt down banh mi from a better place.

I freaking love Boston’s Chinatown because of amazing little shops like Mei Sum. I get their Banh Mi every now and then and it is always so satisfying and at only $ 3.50 per sandwich!
I usually get the beef and everything in it is bomb. Warm beef, tons of veggies, ask for it spicy and they’ll add little chili peppers mmmmm. I wish I got more daikon and carrots but at $ 3.50, who’s complaining? I also got their shrimp cheung fun and it was really good!
Keep doing what you’re doing Mei Sum! Next time I’ll ask for extra carrots and daikon ;)

Best tofu banh mi in Boston. Sandwhich is vegan when ordered without butter. You can also get some vegan desserts here like jin deui (sesame seed ball) and jianshui zong (sweet sticky rice dumpling).

Very nice banh mi — made with care. A lovely elderly lady made my BBQ beef banh mi. Mayo beef then warmed up — topped with pickled veggies & onion (!) must be a Boston thing because nyc banh mi is onion free. Chilis, Some kind if light dressing on top.
All on all not the biggest banh mi but very delicious.

My stomping grounds were the chinese coffee shops in Chinatown, NYC. This little place (albeit bigger than most dives back home) brought back childhood memories of trying to get my order in with the ladies behind the counter. They could tell I’m an ABC. But they accomodated when I managed to whip out the names of food items in cantonese. The banh mi was good not the best but they get 5 stars from me for having all the standards and extras. I can’t even describe in english the stuff I was surprise to find and bought on my first visit. I even asked about a certain bun that is hard to find. The lady asked me how many i wanted. i told her anther time since I had already bought enough to last me for the next two weeks. This shop is the real thing. Nothing fancy but solid buns, sponge cakes, dim sum, steamed desserts, etc.

Their little white buns (made of sticky rice) with shredded coconut on top and peanut/​sugar filling («law mai chee») — located in the glass case in front of the server — is mainly the reason I come here. It’s only $ 0.80 and they’re quite tasty. The other stuff that I’ve tried here is just ok. I’ve gotten their white sponge cake thing several times hoping it’ll be good but it’s just ok or not great.

They have the best Viet Subs in Chinatown and my goto fav is the tofu banh mi
The limited selection of Dim Sum items are decent for on he go and readily available
and of course they are a bakery so they have to have spot on varied Bao and other baked items. My goto is the whole loaf coconut bread
You can even call in your order beforehand and pick it up.

An open love (ish) letter:
Dear Mei Sum,
Sum babay. Mei my love. Mei sum doll.
I really want to like you so much more than I do, but I just can’t. I’ve come here several times in the last couple weeks and after careful consideration, and multiple purchases from your pastry counters and hot food selections, I am sadly only still in a «mm, that was O-​K» phase. And it’s not that you didn’t try! I mean your Bahn Mi breads are toasted to a crunchy exterior and soft chewy center. Your spicy tofu Bahn mi has the small bits of jalapenos instead of the giant slices from other places that sends my mouth to a delicious spicy hell. Your pineapple buns sit in an oven all day and stay relatively warm and are amazingly cheap.
It’s just… and don’t take this the wrong way, but your kind of basic. Your beef in the Bahn mi is mysteriously chewy if I must say so. There’s practically no mayo or spicy sauce on your sandwiches. You leave UNCOOKED DUMPLINGS on a non refrigerated counter. It’s just, Mei Sum, baby, you’re not making it easy with your endless rows of black bean cakes, pies, and pastries, but I think we’re going to have to see each other a lot less.
Your just not meeting my sandwich needs and your pastries are inconsistently fresh /​stale. Wipe away those tears though. I’ll be back! Really I will. Even if it’s just to grab a pineapple bun and maybe some red bean bread, but I’m going to start looking at my other options.

Cheap and delicious desserts? Super nice ladies serving you? Yes please!
This is my sister’s go-​to place for durian cake. I also enjoy their creamy and rich chocolate cake. There is not a lot of seating so take these goodies to-​go.

With so many bakeries in Chinatown, it’s hard to pick a favorite! I’ve been slowly working my way down Beach St., and I walked ALL THE WAY DOWN to Mei Sum last week. Yeah, I know it’s not that far, but I was on a bus layover in South Station, so it’s a teeny tiny bit far (esp in the wind and rain)!
Based on friends’ reviews, I decided to try their Pineapple buns. The place was very cozy in a typical small, Asian bakery kind of way. It felt so Asian that I felt obliged to actually speak Chinese when ordering my buns! I grabbed three, they weren’t too pricey and I think I got an extra 5 cents back or something.
I bit into my first one as I was sitting on my bus headed to NY, and the top was warm, flakey, and delicious! Super delicious! However, the inside was a little bit moist and the dough didn’t feel cooked all the way through. I ended up enjoying the outside and picking out the middle.

I have a hard time with this one. In the great debate of bahn mi, the super-​elitist-​but-​refusing-​to-​call-​themselves-​foodies-​foodies say Mei Sum all the way. Me, i’m a 163 gal myself. Always have been, always will be.
Yes, Mei Sum is basically the only hole-​in-​the-​wall bahn mi shop that has seating, but it’s 2 small tables places precariously in their respective odd locations: in the middle of the small foot-​traffic-​way and pushed up against a back-​room-​access door. Between the two tables, there are only really ever 2, three MAX chairs to share between them. WHY?
The prices and food quality are comparable to the other shops in town, but I find the people less nice. The shumai is solid, the spicy pork bahn mi is on par with the others, and the vietnamese cold-​cut-​type sandwich usually tastes a bit slimy and off. Overall, I prefer the smaller, no-​seating places that have 1. more choices, 2. less odd-​vibes, and 3. nicer staff.
Maybe I’m just not foodie enough to get the joke on this one.

This bakery is pretty small with some seatings. It’s not one of the better but their stuff is pretty good. I’ve gotten their BIG BUNS (Dai Bao) and it was still hot and delicious. I’ve also had their ball-​law bao (pineapple bun but there is in fact no pinepapples in it LOL), tun bao (Dinner bread?) and hot dog bao, gai may boa. Oh, so many buns…
The only thing i didn’t like is the place doesn’t seem like it’s clean. Things are scattered all over the place. I suppose that’s just how it is, as I’ve been to other places and they’re very similar. The folks that frequent here are regulars.

I have always liked coming here as suspect as it might first appear. You get used to it though because the two or three ladies behind the counter are friendly and quick. I bought a coconut tart and a banh mi for $ 4! Woo. The best thing is the banh mi can be served with pork or beef and I think vegetarian style. You can also have it spicy or not, and if you want spicy, they will put it on the side. The bread is fresh, and I believe from the South End and is heated up with the meat.
I really like the sandwich and was actually surprised only one other gentleman was here sitting at the table. Usually, the place is packed.