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23rd St-Park Ave S (6)
Mon-Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 9:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Jess Bakery was one of my weekly go-to lunch spots whenever I was rotating through the Veterans Hospital. Great breakfast buns, but would get ill whenever i ate more than one. Favorites were the bacon & cheese, ham & egg, hot dog & cheese and corn & onion. An awesome mix of sweet & savory and almost Chinatown cheap.
For lunch I stuck with the delicious roasted pork over rice with a side of broccoli. Most of the time it was cooked perfectly--tender, juicy & tasty--but on rare occassion it was overdone & dry. My OCD would go into overdrive eating the pre-sliced pork strips as I'd try to get even proportions of meat, rice, broccoli, the ginger/scallion oil sauce & sriracha with each bite.
Stopped getting boba years ago, but thought the cold taro tea was fine, if unremarkable.
YUMMY. I needed something to cure my hangover - Enter Jess Bakery's Roast Pork Toasted Sandwiches. OMG - soooo GOOD!
In a greedy haste, I ordered the HK Toasted Sandwich as well along with 4 buns for breakfast tomorrow. YES, I am a pig. You can snort along with me. AHH..it looks like its gonna be a lazy Sunday with tons of snacks. YUMMMY!
WOAH! A Chinese bakery near my home?? COOL!
Got myself a porkfloss bun, a coconut bun and sugar…
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Living and going to school in the gramercy area, I find myself frequenting 3 places for relatively cheap quick eats: Oriental Kitchen, Sea 2 King and Jess Bakery.
Jess isnt only a bakery, they also sell lunch boxes. For those who dont know, chinese lunch boxes usually consist of a side of rice and some kind of sirfry on the side. Ive found their beef with tomato and curry beef to be quite satisfying. Each lunch box costs about 7 dollars after tax.
There are pictures on the wall of their most popular dishes. You can also check their menu for a comprehensive list of their offerings.
Their bubble tea is not to the standards of say Ten Ren Teatime in chinatown, but if you're craving bubble tea, it somewhat does the job. Show your nyu card for .25 cents off.
Their pastries are on par with the better places in chinatown like Taipan bakery but are also slightly more expensive, but thats not unexpected given its distance from chinatown. Ive had their apple bun, cupcake, baked roast bbq pork bun, and all were pretty authentic.
The only CON I can think of about Jess is the lack of room. It can be a challenge to find a spot to wait for your order being made and if its busy, dont even think about eating in, theres limited seating space. Also, their lunchbox dishes can be inconsistent in quality, sometimes the same dish will be either too thick in consistency or too salty.
I've been going to this place about once a week ever since i moved near here. I think their lunch/dinner-type food is better than their pastries. Their general tso's beef is amazing, with lots of garlic nestled in every nook and cranny of the fried beef-chunk exterior, but all their meats are too soft...suspiciously soft. Maybe i'm just paranoid because someone once told me that Chinese restaurants soak their meats in some kind of chemical to tenderize them. But then again, that someone has worked in the industry...
Anyway, back to happy thoughts associated with good food. The roast pork is supposedly one of their proud specials, and it truly was good, if a little too sweet for my liking. I like to recycle the leftovers in homemade fried rice. Speaking of fried rice, theirs is a bit too oily but has a nice "burnt" flavor as my roommate calls it. They probably give it a few extra minutes in a wok that has retained burnt scraps of other delicious food, and i think i'm making that sound gross, but what i mean is that that's what makes it tasty. Their curry noodle soup is pretty darn good as well. Perfect amount of spice, decent egg noodles (would've liked a bit more chewiness), and lots of napa cabbage and bean sprouts, two of my favorite vegetables!
As for the pastries, i've tried the coconut tart, the almond cookies, and the cupcake. The coconut tart was meh (too buttery and the coconut bits were too finely ground), the almond cookies were bland and too buttery, and the cupcake was too buttery as well (maybe all their pastries are too buttery?), but its texture was heavenly--light and pillowy--and get this: it was impossibly moist at the same time. The first few bites had me exclaiming with joy, and the cake is literally in the shape of a cup, which had me and my friend laughing giddily. However, i don't think their Western-style pastries are as good, because my roommate and suitemate were disgusted by the Napoleon cake, claiming that the cream was too solid, like butter. But when you go to a Chinese bakery, you're supposed to get the traditional Chinese treats. The roast pork buns are supposedly famous, but i've never even tried one cos i don't like buns of any kind.
Even with all the great food, i think what brings me back each time is the top-notch, friendly service.
I love Chinese bakeries. So on a regular stroll the 'hood running errands, I was delightfully surprised to walk by a small storefront, that looked part strip-mall, with the words "Chinese Bakery".... in the middle of Kips Bay? serious?! Now the selection isn't tremendous like Chinatowns of Manhattan or Brooklyn. However, the food hits the spot. They have the standard buns, but sadly no chicken roll or chicken sandwich. Have yet to try their bubble tea, but their sweets are very good, cakes spongy and soft, especially liked the banana chocolate roll... yumm. They're cheap eats and satisfying.. me likey.
While I have yet to try anything else on here (the drinks, soups, dishes, and other buns), I had quite the craving the char sui bao or steamed pork buns. Remember that they are quite different from the non-steamed ones that have that shiny glazed on top. I personally think there isn't even a comparison between the two. One tastes pretty artificial and the other one is just heavenly.
The steamed porks from dim sum are really good. These are quite comparable. They are different in that they are noticeably bigger. The bun itself is firmer and not as sweet. The filling isn't as gooey and also not as sweet . Instead, it is loaded with very big pieces of pork. It really makes this bun something different. I would have to say this is the best pork bun that I've ever had.
I like that it's firmer and meatier than the ones from dim sum. They're made to order and much fresher than those of bakeries in Flushing or Chinatown. The Momofuku attempt as at the pork bun is overpriced and nothing special.
For $1.50 a bun, this place is really a hidden gem. You can see in the Yelp picture how it can just make you drool. While I should be coming back for more than just the buns, the steamed pork buns are to die for and something you need to try. In an area with does not have much good food, this is a place to return to over and over again.
(I recently had their curry Singapore noodles, which was great. Huge portion worthy for two meals and they didn't skimp on the shrimp, beef, and chicken. They have a lunch special from 11-4 that you get a free soda if you order $5.50 worth of food.
The blueberry bubble tea was good. A bit overpriced though for the small size. Then again, we're not in Flushing or Chinatown and where else are you going to get your bubble tea fix int his area..)
A great chinese bakery that isn't in Chinatown. Get the Egg Tarts (Dan Tat). They also have the usual buns and cakes, plus bubble tea. They also have the usual Chinese take-out dishes which are a step above the usual fare, but nothing special. Place is tiny with limited seating.
Being a broke college student, I come here a lot for good, cheap Chinese. Although this is primarily a bakery, their meal dishes are yummy and made fresh to order. I would suggest coming by and grabbing a few of their sweet buns too if you're in the area. $5 goes a long way here!
"I'm hungry."
"Me too."
"What should we do for dinner," I ask my roommate.
"I don't know," she replies in a familiar defeated tone, "Jess Bakery?"
"Jess?"
"Jess."
"Jess."
Seriously, some of the best lo mein I've ever had, and anything with their roast pork is worth it, trust me. I am a huge fan of the black milk pearl tea as well. I've only been here a couple of times, but I've had an assortment of their sweet and savory buns and I can't wait to go back and try the rest because they're so good (and kinda big). "Aaaaahhh Jess!"
The best thing about Jess Bakery is that they've got a good hold over the Chinese bakeries, or lack of, in the area. The prices are understandably slightly higher than Chinatown, and the quality of their baked goods are roughly the same or slightly less flavorful. Still, when I've got $5 and 10 minutes, Jess is a good cheap lunch stop.
great healthy food. this is definitely my go to spot for roast pork and chinese cabbage over white rice. LOVE it. cheap and savory. quick and delicious. also, their baked goods are amazing too. great for a dessert tray! i love chinese cakes, soooo perfectly delicious and NOT overly sweet. just perfect.
Chinatown prices & bakery quality located in Gramercy/Kips Bay area!
I've been in love with this bakery for years since I discovered it during college. They have since expanded to also have chinese food & bubble teas alongside its light, delicious little pastries. ($2 can get you very far here. $5 is a meal.)
My favorite is the fluffy vanilla sponge cake. Every time I go to the nearby NYSC gym I treat myself to one :-)
So much better than chinatown~! And being located so close to my apt it makes it even more conveient to just walk in whenever and get a piece of cake or something chocolate. The staff is friendly and always willing to help you get the pastry you want.`~
Sandwiches for $2.50 and cakes for $2. You cant beat that in the Gramercy area~!!!!
Recommend "The Chocolate One" if you are even so-so about chocolate. The buttercream decorative on top is literally the icing on the cake. Goes so well with the chocolate. Costs $2.50.
What else can i say about this place? Really friendly staff, a nice variety of both chinese and more american style baked goods, and a bakery that makes chinese food! Definitely a place to go if you're spending your money in this area. Superior service, quality, and a little cheaper then most other places in Flatiron.
Great food, good prices, their desserts looked beautiful but didn't take. friendly staff. they play movies. brought my Chinese friend who's pretty critical and she enjoyed her pork, i had good curry chicken.
good place.
Wow. I just happened to walk in to get a cuppa bubble tea one day and chanced upon their food offerings. I like their Soy Chicken dish with rice. I've been missing this particular dish and didn't think I'd be able to find it here in the city. So yummy and so home-cooked a feel I get.
Also love the bakery buns... authentic!
Students get 10% off their bubble tea here :p
Better than Chinatown!
Although they are a bit more expensive than their chinatown counterparts, the additional 50cents to a dollar is definitely worth it:
1. location - come on, we got to know rent is more expensive here
2. quality - I actually taste the difference in quality, I believe their baked goods and cooked food are prepared with fresher and better ingredients than some cheaper c-town joints.
3. er, they are much cleaner and the staff, way friendly and cute
Here's a run down of stuff I wolfed down: (** are highly recommended)
** 1. My favorite - pineapple bun, great chewy bun with cruncy coating on top, no pineapple were harmed in the making of the bun. $1.25!!
** 2. triangular sponge cake - nice, simple, always moist with just a touch of cream in between the layers. $1.25
3. My fair lady - part of their new repetoire of cakes - it leans towards the american style of cakes - denser with what I find too dense butter cream
4. Triple chocolate - nice moist spongy chocolate cake with chocolate cream that actually tasted like chocolate
** 5. Egg tarts - egg custard sits patiently in a flakey cup, try it try it, if they have it, not always avaliable... assk for it so they'll make it!
6. mandarin cake - eh - dense, kinda dry
** 7. mapo tofu rice - great vegetarian dish, silky tofu in spicy sauce, huge portions. about $6
** 8. Roast duck with rice and veggies - the duck taste leaner and less greasy than c-town roast duck which I prefer.
9. Shrimp with string beans - weird the only cooked dish I ever got that I found horrible, it was totally unlike the picture on the wall - the whole thing was suffocating under a dark brown oily sluge. Even the string beans turned brown. maybe it was a fluke.
10. shrimp with lobster sauce - a shrimp voodoo, the lobster sauce was too clumpy, someone was way to liberal with the cornstarch
** 11. curry noodle soup - back to good stuff, best curry noodle soup. noodles were just right still had a good bite to it, the broth was great malaysian curry heaven
** 12. Curry chicken on rice - very nice curry flavor in the sauce in the chickenand potatos and on the rice.
Well first and foremost for me I love the location. It's roughly 3 doors down from my dorm, which makes it a great place to run to in your PJs, or in winter without a real jacket.
Their buns are super yummy and i like most of them. The egg and ham buns are great in the morning when they're warm. It used to be great to just hand them a dollar and leave, but now it's $1 and change, which kinda complicates things. ^_^
I also love the fried ramen, it's really filling with egg and onion, and you can get it with meat if you want, but I don't recommend it. The chicken that is optional is tasteless, fatty and unappealing.
I don't think the actual meals are any better than a generic takeout place and they run a bit pricey for my taste.
All in all, if you need a quick snack, I recommend Jess'.
PS - I forgot their insanely awesome Hong Kong sandwich. OMG. Yummy.
Best part about this place is the fact that you don't have to go all the way to Chinatown to get some good chinese cafe food/baked goods. Granted it's not too far from CT, but not having to navigate the crowds is a definite plus.
The Breakfast special is pretty awesome...1 bun and coffee/tea for 2bucks. Money!
Food is pretty standard but definitely a step up from the lunch hot bar options available all over the place.
Thumbs up and recommendation to all those in the area!
I was sucked in by the pricing and yummy looking photos of food they had plastered outside the business, in addition this place was bumping like a night club!
You would think that ordering something like the roast pork on white rice with broccoli would be quick but it did take about 10 minutes. I soon discovered why! Each individual order is made as such, unlike some other places where they pre-cook a ton of items.
You do need to watch out for change when you're getting it back (they even have a sign on the register to count your change before leaving the counter or else they won't be responsible). I'm not down with that...I mean I normally count my change anyways, but people should be able to trust a business to give correct change.
The food tasted great with the portions large for the prices you pay. Baked goods I have yet to try.
The best mango smoothie with tapioca ever! Doesn't taste like the fake stuff at all. I love how we don't have to go all the way down to chinatown to get it. They even have regular chinese food, including tofu (but it takes a while to get it, so make sure you call ahead of time for that). Jess Bakery is best known for their delicious pastries. For special occasions, I love to get their chocolate sponge cake covered with real mango slices and fruit on top (yes, real mango!). Tastes much lighter than other baker's cakes.
Jess (the owner) is very nice. As soon as you walk in, there's tiny single serving size cakes, lined up, calling your name! Beware :-)
*** 9/24/08 Update - I found out that the Mango Smoothie is soooo delicious is because they use real mango. Unlike Chinatown spots that use fake mango & syrup. That's why their smoothies are so yummy!
the best chinese food you're going to get around gramercy.
this place is super cute, clean, and has a great selection of some of the best chinese dishes and deserts straight from chinatown itself.
personally, it reminds me of home food: good peking duck, sponge cake, pork sung buns, and eggplant.
do try!
I really like the roast pork sandwiches they have here. The charsiew is piping hot and plenty, the bread is toasted, and the sweet sauce makes this sandwich delicious.
i love this place. i spent every high school lunch break here in the days of yore. it's clean, gives students discounts, and i love the food.
i am a big fan of their ramen. it is cheap as hell, but delicious, and seriously, what could be better?
their buns! my favourite is the coconut bun, ask for it to be warmed up, especially in the winter. the red bean bun is fantastic, and so is that spongy triangular 'cupcake.'
in addition, good coffee. and bubble tea, obviously.
Great, local, cheap chinese bakery.......stop by in the morning for delicious baked goods - the crunchy rolls are the best! Croissants and baked buns also tasty. They also have a wide selection of cheap lunch eats, but I havent tried those yet. Definitely recommend...........
Delicious chinese bakery goodies packed into a closet sized shop run by the sweetest couple. In college I used to frequent this place at least once a day; and then during thesis, twice or thrice a day (once in the morning and sporadic visits throughout the day to keep the coffee and sweet bun fix going).
Their coffee is remarkably good (I believe they double-brew it) and they also have a menu of real food like soy-sauce chicken/rice and fried ramen to complement the buns. And their Hong Kong sandwich is unbelievable. Oh! And the pork dumpling (which I never knew I could get outside of a dimsum restaurant)!
With Jess's cheap and mouth-watering coffee and buns, it's amazing that the angsty art students next door can still fit into their skin-tight pants.
i love to go to this place. Became addicted to their crunchy buns while I was in school. Loved that I could get two buns and a bubble tea for less then $5 and be totally stuffed at lunch. Favorites: blueberry bubble tea, pork bun and crunchy bun. I agree with Jennifer's review. Get the egg custard tart. I had one in hong kong and it was amazing!!
small piece of chinatown brought further up the manhattan island. the prices reflect the location. In other words, don't expect chinatown prices. buns and such go for $1 rather than the usual 50 cents in chinatown, but rent is likely higher here. In any case, still a very cheap place for a snack or quick lunch. Conveniently located right nest to SVA (school of visual arts). and the best of all ... BUBBLE TEA. that's right, ladies and gents, you can now purchase this amazing and delicious drink on east 23rd st!!
they also have buns, tarts, cookies, pastries, a few lunch items and offer a 10% discount for students with ID.
everyone, please go and request an egg custard tart. those things are delicious, but this place rarely has them due to low demand. You all don't know what you're missing! It's kinda like a creme brulee in a flaky pastry shell. though the tops are not caramelized. so delicious!! and so much less expensive than an actual creme brulee...
very nice people! and that bbq pork over rice for $5.50 sure hit my soft spot. fast, convenient, cheap...go!
Peking Duck Lunch Special
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Best Lunch specials in town!
Neighborhood: Kips Bay
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown Flushing
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Fashion District
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Category: Bakeries
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