Pineapple Bun (bor lor bao) & Pineapple Comparison (Why’s it called Pineapple Bun?)
So you want to know why Pineapple Buns are called such? It’s a simple explanation but it seems sometimes it is lost in translation.
Pineapple Bun (bor lor bao)
Pineapple (courtesy of timesonline.typepad.com)
The original way of creating the crust of the Pineapple Bun is to make diagonal cuts across the surface. After baking, it looks like the surface of a Pineapple. This method is sometimes lost due to individual bakeries. The bakers probably don’t bother and slap the crust on since most bakeries make it so cheap (under $1 usually) and lots of it, where as high end bakeries will charge 3-5x more for it.
For more, please read Part 1 & Part 2 of this series!
Pineapple Bun (bor lor bao) with Red Bean Paste Filling Part 2
Read the first part of the post here!
Here’s how the Pineapple Bun with Red Bean Paste filling looks when cut in half. Keep in mind that it is extremely difficult to slice in half a bun thats soft. You’ll either crumble the crust or completely smash up the bun. It took some extreme care to slice it, even then, it smooshed just a bit.
Pineapple Bun (bor lor bao) with Red Bean Paste Filling
Pineapple Bun (bor lor bao) with Red Bean Paste Filling
This is one of my favorite Buns, a Pineapple Bun. But not just any ordinary Pineapple Bun, this one has a Red Bean filling. A combination of two of my favorite pastries!
Ever wonder why its called a Pineapple Bun (hint: Look at the Crust)? The crust resembles a pineapple, simple as that. Its a fluffy dough with a sweet crust that crumbles upon contact. Its delightful.
There are variations depending on the Bakery and upon the region/area. Some crusts are light yellow, almost white while others are deep yellow or orange. Either way, you won’t mistaken it for anything other than a Pineapple Bun. The other variations of this is the filling. A Plain has no filling, sometimes you can get it with Red Bean Paste (a favorite of mine). Another variation has a creamy egg filling (pictures next time) that most bakeries bake up in a longer or almost trianglish shape rather than round.
Pineapple Bun (bor lor boa) with Red Bean Paste Filling
Pineapple Bun (bor lor boa) with Red Bean Paste Filling
These can be found in Chinese Bakeries usually, stop by at any Chinatown and you’ll probably find them easily. Don’t believe they’re just eaten as breakfast, they can be eaten anytime and will laste a few days without refrigeration. But of course they are freshest in the mornings after being baked. When its warm, its soft and very fluffy, watch for crumbs falling. They’re cheap too! They can cost from 60 cents to about $1, again depending on the bakery. If you ever visit a Chinese Bakery, be sure to ask for Bor Lor Bau!
Read Part 2 of this post here!
Yogee Noodle Restaurant: Cheap Noodles
Yogee Noodle
85 Chrystie St
(Near Grand St train station and across from Roosevelt Park)
Chinatown, NY
(212) 965-0615
My parents love to come here when they want good inexpensive Chinese food. I grew up eating the food here before they became a restaurant. Back then, it was a very small take out restaurant that made all sorts of tasty dishes. Now it’s a big restaurant that looks pretty nice. The same owners are still here and I can see that they worked very hard to where are they are now.
I used to come here for the noodles for their kick ass elbow macaroni in soup, rice noodles with beef, and green peas and minced meat over rice. Kick ass. Today I come here with my family to see if the food still taste as good.
I have to admit, despite that it changed and it became a restaurant, the place is still pretty dirty, especially the bathrooms. Oh, please don’t go to the bathroom because it’s soooo dirty. yuck! I was so traumatized. Let’s just say, stick to the upstairs bathroom. The table might be sticky, so be warned. If you can overlook that, you’ll have a good eating experience.
Lychee Ice, $2.25
This drink isn’t that great really. It can be better. What else can I say? It was flavorless and there was just too much ice. I was pretty disappointed in it.
Not Recommended
Rating: 1/5
Iced Milk Tea, $1.75
I had a sip of this and it’s bitter as hell. What the f—, where’s the sugar?? I actually don’t ask much in a ice milk tea, but this is really bitter to drink. Only my brother can chug this down.
Not Recommended
Rating: 2/5
Stir Fried String Beans, Price: $6.95
Oh, my, goodness, this is a very good dish! Greasy, crunchy and lightly salted, just the way I like it!
Highly Recommended
Rating – 5/5
Beef stew w/rice noodles, $3.75
Oh, this soup reminded me of the same soup that I had when I was a kid. Ahh, good memories. Now this a good soup! This soup goes really well with the rice noodles. I only had a bite of this since it wasn’t my dish, but it is very good!
Recommended
Rating – 4/5
Beef Tripe Medley w/turnip and rice noodles, $3.50
This is the thing that you have to order here! I’m sorry for not taking another picture, but underneath it there are your rice noodles. Yum, the meat is nice and tender and the soup goes so well with the rice noodle! I used to order a lot of this when I was a kid!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Rating 5/5
Wonton & Roasted Pork w/dry lo mein, Price: $6.25
Oh man, this is by far is the most unappetizing lo mein dish I have ever seen. At NYC Noodletown, their presentation is far better and it tastes better. I don’t like how they slice up my roasted pork like that and just about throw a bunch of food together.
Not recommended
Rating: 2/5
Pan fried noodles w/chicken and mushroom, Price – $8.25
This is my brother’s dish and it tastes a little better than my dish, previous one, because this is pan fried. But other than that, I didn’t like this dish because it tastes like everything was thrown in last minute.
Not recommended
Rating: 3/5
I would definitely recommend the soup noodles here. So come on down and give it a shot!
YOGEE NOODLE
85 CHRYSTIE STREET, MANHATTAN 10002
212-965-0615
NYC Health Inspection Results
Current violation points: 12/28
Inspection Date: 09/13/2006
Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.
1.) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
2.) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
New Southwind: Chinese Diner
New South Wind
21 Division St
(btw Catherine & Market St)
Lying near the far end of Chinatown, almost underneath the Manhattan bridge, this is a mom & pop diner that most locals will know. Unfortunately I never knew about this place when I was a kid because I lived in the other side of town, but hey, it’s better late than never right? haha. Luckily, my boyfriend grew up eating at this place and tells me how good their food are. So I decided to come to this place once and for all, with him, and to find out how good their food really is!
If you look at the window of the restaurant closely, you’ll see a tray of big fat specialty rice noodles. Can you see it?
Can you see it now? This is what you called Ha Mai Chern in Cantonese, which is essentially rice noodles with scallions and dried baby shrimps. What’s different about this is not only it’s big packed size, but there’s ham in it! Yum yum! This is the restaurant’s best seller. Yeah I can just tell when I walk into the restaurant and tray after tray of this is coming out from the kitchen to the front window. Man, it sells fast!! It’s cheap, at about $1 per roll, and it’s so delicious! I have never tasted something like this anywhere else in Chinatown, and I really highly recommend it.
Honestly, New South Wind isn’t really a nice/clean restaurant to sit in. It’s better if you order out here, but of course it’s entirely up to you. Since I’ve never been here before and I hail all the way out from Brooklyn, I figure it would be nice to eat here with the boyfriend.
Now from what he tells me, this place has went through reconstruction. The walls and furnitures are completely new, except for the floors, but who’s looking right? Haha. But yeah, this place is a simple Chinese restaurant that doesn’t need to look fancy and impressive. It just serves the needs of its locals, which is cheap delicious food.
When you first walk into this restaurant, you’re not going to have someone to guide you to a table. You just walk in and sit anywhere you please and eventually a waitress will come out and ask you what you want. Don’t expect to have a menu at your table. Most locals don’t even need a menu, but if you need one, look at the other tables and you’ll see a menu lying somewhere.
There it is. That’s all there is and then on the back it’s completely in Chinese. Refer to menupages to see the menu in full.
Alright the moment we sat down, out of nowhere this waitress comes to us and asks what we wanted to eat. I guess most people already have it ingrained in their mind of what they wanted to eat, but I wanted some more time with the menu. So we started off with some sodas. I heard that they make some kick ass ice milk tea, but I didn’t try it, but if you like it and you happen to stop by here, go for it and tell me all about it.
My boyfriend is always raving about their pork chops here and tell me that no place can make it more succulent and delicious. So we both order the pork chop w/onions over rice, $4.00, and he ordered the meat with tofu for starters, $2.50.
This is the meat w/tofu obviously, but it wasn’t that impressive to me at first. Apparently the tofu wasn’t fried which was a first to me, and to me this dish looks really bland. But I was wrong! Haha, the meat is really rich and flavorful, with the right amount of salt and the right about of greasiness. It sorta reminds me of the meat that you eat at a dim sum place, err…sorta like the shumai but better and meatier! Man, the only bad thing I can say about this dish was that they didn’t make more meat. God! The meat is so so good and it works perfectly with the tofu. Delicious!
My porky porky! If you’re an onion fan you’ll be drooling all over, but if you’re not, like me, you’ll still enjoy it too. Yes this dish doesn’t look like much at first, but you’ll be amazed at how much flavor it has. The onions are really, truly sweet mixed with a delicate taste of sweet soy sauce that’s obviously pan fried, and the pork chops are soft and salted to perfection, not at the least dried and cooked with soy sauce as well. The sweetness and the saltiness created a perfect balance for this dish which created droolage overload for me. This got to be the best pork chop cooked Chinese style I have ever had. I will highly recommend this dish.
I see most people order the pan fried rice noodles (sup chow gnow hor) and the green peas with minced meat over rice and a fried egg. It looks delicious and I can’t wait to come back here for take out!
After ordering another 4 rice noodle rolls, the bill came out to be under $18 and that’s including tip. I’d highly recommend this place. This is truly a gem of Chinatown.
Health Inspection Results!
NEW SOUTH WIND
21 DIVISION STREET, MANHATTAN 10002
212-966-4116
Current violation points: 21
Inspection Date: 11/13/2006
Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.
1.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.) Wiping cloths dirty or not stored in sanitizing solution.
3.) Personal cleanliness inadequate. Clean outer garments, effective hair restraint not worn.
4.) Hot food not held at or above 140°F.
