Regional Chinese Baked Goods Roundup (SF Bay Area)

How about the Hong Kong style chicken pie?

Separately, should this discussion be called Regional Cantonese Baked Goods Roundup if its only focusing on the Cantonese style baked goods? And isn’t Cantonese sufficient (versus Regional Cantonese) since Canton is a region?

There’s also the mini chain Sang Kee, Hong Kong export Kee Wah, etc.

Can some of these foods be identified with a subregions (Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, etc.), and would such a distinction be useful for baked goods?

Are there major differences in Hong Kong and Taiwanese techniques or ingredients (certainly dishes)?

More generally, on other pages in this collection, would further regionalization lend insights, or are the categories of food the last level where the meaning lies?

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The egg tarts are from the Portuguese.

Haha, that’s why I could never really figure out what to title this. A lot of the bakeries are borrowing ideas from one another.

I think you can attribute the Portuguese Tart towards Macau (and yes, its from Portugal cause well Macau was a Portuguese colony) and the Egg Custard towards Hong Kong/Guangzhou though I’m rather hazy on some of the other items’ history.

From what I can tell, the tangzhong method seemed to be popularized from a Taiwanese baker from a book called 65 C something something bread doctor. So probably the same branch, just certain sweetness ratios might differ a bit.

I was hoping someone would have a good answer since I don’t haha.

The pastel de natas definitely!

Oh yes there are variations within Cantonese. Shantou food (Chiu Chow) is different from Shunde food. I was just saying they can all broadly classify under the Cantonese umbrella.

Wherre in the SF Bay Area can you get some of these regional mooncakes?

Hmmmm I personally don’t really eat moon cakes lol so not the best person to ask.

Kee Wah at Dublin and Cuppertino does HK style/Cantonese style moon cakes.

I recently walked right next to Golden Gate Bakery and they’re open for mooncakes too (same with most of the Chinatown bakeries) and they’re usually Cantonese origin so they’ll be Cantonese style.

Sheng Kee is a Taiwanese bakery chain and they have some Taiwanese style mooncakes.

But honestly I think the easiest is at the super market like Ranch 99. They have the durian ones and the snow skin mooncakes.

Edit: Koi Palace use to have their own, not sure if they’re still selling them, but just noticed that https://www.hlpeninsula.com/mooncake2020 is selling their own mooncakes.

I’m a little bored:

http://www.pineapplekingbakery.com/

Has some interesting flavors: Musang King Durian, Red Bean, Winter Melon, Pineapple, Taro, Lotus.

85 Degrees has some:

https://www.85cbakerycafe.com/2020-mooncakes/

Same with cherry blossom bakery

http://cherryblossombakerysanfrancisco.mybistro.online/#menu

Eastern Bakery also has some.

https://www.easternbakery.com/

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Thanks Night07,

In the video, the 5-Nut with almonds, walnuts, olive kernels (?), sesame seeds, pumpkins seeds and pork looked interesting as did the Fujian-style with dried shrimp, mushrooms and scallions.

Eastern Bakery at 720 Grant SF has 4 or 5 with unspecified mixed nuts.

I haven’t really ever seen savory mooncakes from the bakeries, though I think I saw some at 99.

I’m reading this blog:

They mention “And of course if you are ever in San Francisco, then go to Golden Gate Bakery and get the Smashed 5 Nut Blend with one yolk.”

Sounds kinda like that 5 nut one you’re talking about with Eastern Bakery as well.

Anyone have any insight into Vietnamese moon cakes? I recall reading that they were somewhat different but I haven’t tried one. Does anyone know of a place near SJ perhaps?

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Okay, I basically don’t eat mooncakes so please don’t sue me.

According to KK back in uh… 2004. Golden Gate Bakery also had some sort of savory roast pork moon cake. So they had savory ones at least! Unfortunately due to the pandemic, I haven’t really gone inside any of the places recently. I did walk by GG Bakery last weekend and there was a tiny slit thats cracked open where you can buy pastries. Think its only moon cakes right now but not sure on the flavor as I was not near the front of the shop.

And some older topics that aren’t as far reaching as 2004 lol:

Reading the savory topic, @sck had one from Koi Palace but I’m not too certain on what they have at the moment. Covid has thrown places around right now @_@

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The Eastern Bakery ones are really good, and they have many other interesting baked goods that are hard to find elsewhere. They could use the business too.

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Do you remember any flavors from this year if you just been?

A lot of info right now is kinda hit or miss due to covid :frowning:

Here’s the pricelist: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a7LtxyLjc_oEjnPPukB5bUFvsynhC6ANgiHTPcvbj7A/edit

I remember nuts and double yolk, but that’s it. Since I’m not coming into the office now and I live deep in the East Bay, I haven’t been there since early March.

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Well I feel dumb lol. Could’ve actually explored my own link that I posted.

@zippo1 Eastern might be your best bet for variety I think. That’s a really generous list. There’s a bit of Vietnamese there so I’m a little curious if they do any variants that might be more Vietnamese style?

http://www.spotlightchinatown.com/eastern-bakery

And huh, never knew the owner started Golden Gate Bakery

I do wonder if there is any difference in the mooncakes between Eastern and GG

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This was Cherry Blossom Bakery’s selection of moon cakes this morning

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Like to add one each for Oakland Rudy King just down the street from Napolean. Red House on San Bruno Ave in San Francisco. Both Western style bakeries. The Red House is a full menu of Chinese and Western style food to go, maybe by now you can eat inside.

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Though filmed in New York, this is a taste-off of many different kinds of mooncakes that starts at about the 10:10 mark in the video -

Beef wellington mooncake?! … I think I’m game haha

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