Chiu Quon Bakery
Categories: Bakeries, Ethnic Food [Edit]
Neighborhood: Uptown1127 W Argyle St
(at Broadway St)
Chicago, IL 60640 (773) 907-8888
- Nearest Transit:
Argyle (Red)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
4 reviews
Neighborhood: Montclare
"Checked out this place for our wedding cake after receiving a tip from one of our Polish friends. All in all, I was flexible with cake and…" read more »
27 Reviews for Chiu Quon Bakery
I love their sesame balls. But the service is the worst. The lady (always the same one) is really slow - doesn't matter if there's anyone in there or not. I've waited ten minutes with two people in front of me in line and finally just left. I've also waited a few minutes while there was no one in line while she was on the phone... argh!!! I dunno, maybe if I could speak Chinese, I could say something to her or she'd be a little more attentive...
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CAN I TAKE A PENNY? PLEEEEEASE....
So I bought two pastries and my total came out to $1.02. I searched my pocket for coins...nothing...I eyed the cashier, I spied some coins on the counter...I made my cute I'm-a-good-Chinese-boy-hey-don't-I-remind you-of-your-son?-face...damn!, nothing...that face always works!...I thought about walking back to my car...I ended up with 98 cents in my pocket. Damn, I suck.
But I digress...
The next time you're on Argyle stop by (with some spare change in hand hopefully) and try the nai wan bao. These baked custard buns (not the pineapple ones) with the sinfully good yellow crumb topping make a great snack and are the perfect way to end a meal.
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The bbq buns and other meat filled buns were fine, satisfactory actually. I don't expect chinese buns to taste like some masterpiece sent from heaven because they're not. They might be some miraculous discovery for white people but they think that about all ethnic food. A comment to the other reviewer, who cares if you're from california and you're asian? I'm asian too, big deal. You're not in california anymore and it's not some gift from God so snap out of it.
So back to my point. I wanted to get something sweet and again the cakes slices caught my eye because they were pretty. Do not buy unless you like your dessert real bland. It doesn't have to be sugary sweet but where's the damn flavor?! The chocolate cake had barely... BARELY a hint of chocolate in it. The coffee flavored cake... again... hardly any flavor almost sugarless, not worth it. Where's the freakin depth, richness? flavor? Not worth it. Stick to the meat pastries, egg tarts and cookies. Ignore the embellished cake slices. Not worth it!
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After eating some of the worst pork buns in the world, I was in search of some decent pork buns in Chicago. I did some research on yelp and tried both Chin Quon and Saint Anna Bakery. Honestly, between the two, I'd say it's a tossup. Personally, I prefer Chin Quon due to the location on Argyle and only because it's location is closer to me.
The baked BBQ pork buns were really good (not anything to write home about or anything) and satisfied my craving. The steamed ones were just okay, too much bread. The other pastries look good, too. Besides the pork buns, I've only tried the sesame balls - they were decent. They're really cheap too, but they only take cash.
I see that a lot of people have said the service was lacking, but they seemed friendly to me. They did seem a little slow. I was more annoyed by the customers taking 15 minutes deciding what they want. My only complaint is that the line is easily out the door around noon time on the weekends.
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Chi Quon is awesome! I found it by searching for "pork buns" on Yelp; maybe I was craving delicious pork buns, is that so wrong?
At Chi Quon, it is oh so right. My first time was a recent Sunday afternoon; there was a line out the door, but I found that it moved just at the right pace so I could check out all the pastries and decide what to buy. I was with my SO and we each got a BBQ pork bun, then I loaded up with a bunch of red bean paste and lotus seed cakes and the SO got an egg custard (I say yuck to egg custard, but he loved it). We sat down at a (dirty, but oh well) table and chowed down on our pork buns and red bean cakes as soon as we had handed over the cash (like $8 for a HUGE haul). It's not the coziest, when there is a giant line, but that durn pork bun was so good that atmosphere was not on my mind at the time.
I actually thought the service was really nice, though some yelpers seem to have had a different experience.
I want to try all sorts of other stuff I saw and I really hope to make this a regular trip. The place is very convenient to the El - you can see it from the station. I'd never been up to Argyle before and we had a good time exploring.
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I always stop by this bakery after my meal at Tank Noodle to stock up on my favorites - Barbeque Pork Buns and sponge cake! Prices are inexpensive, and there's a large array of sweet baked goods and savory items.
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I was craving baked BBQ pork buns one day (yes I'm Asian and I'm from California) so I headed to Argyle to find some satisfaction. It looked like this bakery had the best Yelp reviews, so I made a beeline to this spot. I knew this place was good considering the long wait. The place is no nonsense. There are a few tables, but people usually take their goodies to go. I bought some pork buns and pineapple custard buns and headed home. The pork buns were good, but I've had better in California. There just wasn't enough meat inside. The pineapple custard bun also could have used more custard.
Not sure if I need to adjust my Asian baked goods standards since I'm now in Chicago, but Chiu Quon was decent. However, I could name a handful of California bakeries that easily top this place.
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Forget about all the other bakeries in Argyle - this is my go to place! The BBQ pork bun and coconut rolls are my favorite. Every now and then I'll get a slice of their fruit cake which is awesome as well.
If you like tofu, you must try their tofu in sweet gingery sauce. It's soo good, I promise!
The prices are so cheap, you'll be amazed! It's really small here and the people may not understand what you're saying -- so speak slow or just point to the item you want.
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LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! Simple and delicious Chinese baked goods!
When my parents went on vacation for a week, I was lost and didnt know how to survive the weekend without the pastries that magically appear on the kitchen counter every morning. I called my mother to ask which bakery it was she bought my divine Pineapple Custard Bun.
I stocked up on the basics: Pineapple Custard Buns, BBQ Pork Buns, SuMai Buns, Egg, Ham & Cheese Bun, Shrimp Chow Fun Noodle rolls, and ordered some Shu Mai to go. My mother and I use to purchase these basics at Hong Kong Bakery down the block [renamed patisserie T.. err something like that], but its gotten too Americanized...
They also have a basic dim-sum menu you can order at the table or to go. It's not visible anywhere. Youll just have to ask for it. Though this place is all Chinese, it's very much part of the Vietnamese food culture in America. So don't be surprised to see bakeries like these in Viet areas in other cities.
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Not the nicest bakery in the world, but their goods are excellent. Their dim sum isn't as fresh in the afternoon, but it's delicious nonetheless. Their BBQ pork buns are very popular and I can definitely see why. All of the goodies are amazingly inexpensive too.
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Stopped in here on a whim after laying eyes on the gigantic cookies through the front window. Turns out the gigantic cookies are only 60 cents... sold! Four different cookies and pastries only ran me $3.50, and they're worth every bite and more.
Now back to this gigantic cookie... it looked soft and squishy through the window, but turned out to be extremely crumby (not crummy, crumBy. Erm. Let's just say crumbly). I was surprised, but turned out this wasn't a bad thing at all. Just don't eat the crumbly cookies in your car. There were walnut cookies, peanut cookies, and almond cookies.
The girl behind the counter was quick, friendly, and helpful. They serve coffee and tea as well, and there are a few tables so you can enjoy your baked goods right away. People watching in this area is also a treat. I stopped into another bakery down the street from this one, and it didn't even compare to the selection and quality of service at Chiu Quon.
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Update (2-29) I had to take a star away this morning. As much as I love the bao in this bakery...I don't love the mentality that I should be charged double because I'm white. Today I went in with my husband and they charged me double of what I normally pay. What's up with that?
Where else can you go have breakfast for like $1.41?????
I love this place. The red bean buns make my heart sing. Just the sweet smell of the pastry makes me want to run in and press my nose against the glass. LOL
They even make some food to order inside. It's cute on weekends, there's a group of older men that sit there with their coffee's and talk story. I think they've been there forever ...should have seen the looks I got when I went in with my BF one morning all lovey dovey. I would loved to have understood the conversation!
I like to pop in every couple of weeks and get some pastries for the house. They keep pretty well too (3-4 days) if they last that long! And you can't beat the price.
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There are a number of small bakeries in the Argyle/Broadway area, but this one is the best. Every time I visit my parents in Michigan (where authentic Chinese food is a bit harder to come by), I'm almost required to visit this shop and order a slew of baked BBQ (char-siu) pork buns. They're amazing, huge, and only $.80 each. You'd be hard pressed to find better buns in Asia. If you like moon cakes, sesame buns, and sponge cakes, you'll be in heaven. And you won't find better prices anywhere.
Don't expect great service if you don't speak Cantonese (seriously folks, if you go to any cheap Chinese restaurant you should expect a little attitude--I have a tendency to feel a little like a poser in them, and I'm Chinese, born in Asia), but the staff is never rude. They just aren't super-friendly and won't bend over backwards for you unless they feel like it.
Chiu Quon Bakery has another location in Chinatown, and it's likewise good. But I like this one better for some reason, maybe just because of the familiarity I have with the place.
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This is the only bakery in the Argyle area that I go to. I don't really venture off anywhere else because I like the stuff here and think it probably is pretty similar at all the bakeries anyhow. My favorites are the BBQ pork buns and the sweet top buns. I always come here after I eat a meal, so don't buy much since I am so full.
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Service is awful food is right out of a small shop somewhere in Asia. Funny thing is they don't even know how good their stuff is. The guy and his workers are looking at me like I'm stupid to be there. I didn't pay attention. I ate my BBQ Pork Bun standing in the store. They are just looking at me. I finished it and ordered another. They are still just looking at me. Just order your stuff and avoid eye contact. Total pleasure 75 cents at a time.
A new regular for me.
Argyle Red Line under the tracks.
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I've been coming here ever since I was little when I didn't even know what Chicago was all about. I think the same lady has worked the register every single time I've been here. My mom loves the winter melon cakes, and I stop in to pick some up for her almost every time I go back to Michigan. They have a huge selection of pastries. I use to pick up moon cakes for my grandpa, too. I like the red bean pastries and the rice cakes myself. I've noticed that they have other food items that aren't baked goods here as well - I think lunch menu foods. The service is usually pretty quick. It's tough to not want to try everything.
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My favorite bakery in the Argyle area. The line frequently gets long and sometimes frustratingly slow (due to people buying boxes and boxes of pastries at once!), but the delicacies are too good to pass.
They have all sorts of cookies, moon cakes and buns stuffed with red beans, custard, pork, sausage, etc. The buns are quite large and are supposedly freshly baked. I say "supposedly," because depending on what time you go there, you could end up biting into a hardened crust. Their "walnut red bean cake" sells very rapidly, which is no surprise because it's so sinfully delicious.
Further down the aisle past the cashier, you will find more cakes (so make sure to check). My favorite is the super soft sponge bread/cake that's sweet, but not too sweet. The strawberry and fruit short cakes are also excellent.
Aside from the pastries, they have dim sum, soup and some sort of vegetable stir fry, which I haven't tried yet. (There's no English menu, so I can't really tell what's what.) The big sticky rice ball wrapped with leaves (with chicken or sweet beans inside) is a meal on its own. Highly recommended.
The servers are generally nice and patient. There are several tables in the back, but it's too cramped to sit comfortably.
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Ah. I love the sesame balls stuffed with mung bean. Steamed sweet rice cakes are my second choice. Their meat filled buns - steamed or baked - are a great option to take to lunch.
Here's a great bakery for some of your needs that is pretty close by public transportation - parking isn't easy but at least, the Red Line is close by. We always stop by for some egg custard tarts and bbq pork buns.
But one of my favorite things to get here is some of their dim sum items. You have to be pretty sure you know what you're getting though. One of my top things to get is the sticky rice with little hidden goodies (preserved egg, meat, etc) wrapped up with leaves in the shape of little pyramids. Yum!
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Great selection!
I am a you tiao freak. ahhhhh
Too see them all piled up on the counter makes my knees weak and my heart heavy.
Great friendly bakery that has my favorite cocktail bun coconut bun.They also have a little menu that has a few tasty treats on it.All the regular fair that you would expect from a good bakery is here.
Between the Chinatown location and this one in Uptown, this is definitely the better one! Their items are well prepared and remain fresh. I love their rice noodle crepe rolls w/the dried shrimp and green onions.
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I stop by here at least twice a week since I'm not too far. A tasty and cheap breakfast alternative when I'm running late since it is extremely close to the Argyle stop on the red line. Most buns are 75 cents. They have a wide selection of baked goods: BBQ pork, chicken, hot dog, ham & cheese, coconut, custard, etc. They also have some standard dim sum fare like pork dumplings and rice with chicken wrapped in lotus leaves. A great place to get dim sum if you don't have the actual time to sit in a restaurant and wait for the carts to roll by.
I've never actually eaten at the few tables they have, I typically just run in and go. The ladies behind the counter are friendly, but quick. I appreciate that they do this since I'm usually about to jump on the train.
They also have another location in Chinatown. Regardless of the endless bakeries on Argyle and in Chinatown, this is the one I frequent.
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This is by far the most popular Chinese bakery in the Argyle Street area. The lines can be somewhat long here, and favorites like baked BBQ pork buns, egg custard tarts, and fresh dinner rolls can go fast. The selection is pretty good, though I generally stay away from the American-style cream cakes (not sweet enough for the average American palate). You are better off having a mango pudding or a cookie. My grandma always finds something interesting here like this indescribable "salad" with small shrimps and pasty pieces, and these crunchy nuggets filled with nuts and sugar.
This is one of my favorite bakeries -- I used to get several mystery buns for lunch when I worked nearby. Some would have barbecue pork, others curry. Not the healthiest stuff in the world, but tasty and cheap.
This narrow bakery is situated near the Red Line Argyle Stop. Inside there's a few tables pushed against one side of the bakery and a long counter filled with fresh bakery and pastries on the other side. This leaves a narrow space between the two that is often occupied with a long line of people waiting to get their goods. Bean-filled and custard buns are popular choices.
Ohhhh, man! I used to live a few blocks away and I'm so mad I haven't checked this place out before.
Dirt cheap and sooooo good! I bought a slice of fruit cake (three soft yellow cake layers with cream layers, topped with slices of fresh strawberries and pineapple and oranges). The huge slice cake was dense and moist. I also bought a generous slice of strawberry cake. The cakes aren't extra sweet as one might be used to. That's what the cream and fruit is for!
I went on a cold week night and was served immediately. I'm definitely going back!
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