Ho Won Bake Shoppe

WORSE CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!
i have been going to this bakery ever since i was a kid. and the ladies from back then are much nicer than these witches today. they have always been rude. like the could care less for your business. their food is mediocre. not 4 star good.
but today pushed me over the edge! i had ordered a iced ovaltine. (wish i had taken a pic of the gd cup). i understand that you have to make the ovaltine with hot water in order to melt the powder and stuff. but when they poured it into the cup. IT MELTED THE CUP! i had came to work (and luckily i only work 2 blocks away). i was gonna just throw it away and call it a day. but my colleagues told me to bring it back. so they are aware and plus it $ 2. so i did. and i was nice and cordial about it. i didn’t demand anything. but once i said that it melted the cup and if i can have another instead. they proceeding to blame me and yell at me. and then blame the cup itself. but not the scolding hot ovaltine that they poured into the cup to actually melt it. not only did the lady i speak to yell at me. but all of them chimed in. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO PISSED. they do not admit to their wrongs. they say it couldnt have possibly been melted by the hot ovaltine. they have no common sense and no manners.
like i said. having grown up on elizabeth street. i have always gone to this bakery. BUT NEVER EVER AGAIN. even if im starving and there is nothing to eat in a 10 mile radius. it’s always been for the convenience. and definitely not for the taste or their service.

Delicious, warm roast pork bun ($ 1)! Mei li wah admittedly has a softer outer bun but Ho Won’s cha siu bao gives you a nice balance of leaner & fatty chunks of pork! The meat also doesn’t taste like last night’s leftovers. This may be the best version in Chinatown :)

Cheap place for delicious buns and they have a decent milk tea also. Seating is super limited.

Great old school bakery in the heart of NYC Chinatown. You can’t go wrong with this place. They have a variety of old school buns and yummy foods that make you reminisce about your childhood. The women workers are a bit pushy but this is fast food! Great food, great prices, can’t go wrong! Definitely a gem in Chinatown!

brought 8 pieces of their dried shrimp rice rolls.
brought 8 wintermelon cakes
brought 4 egg custard.
brought 4 pineapple buns.
brought 4 zhongzi.
everything very fresh.

A chinese bakery that also serves pretty good coffee.

Solid pineapple bun, they keep them in the warming oven. Old school spot with some wonderfully intimidating women working here. Try the «Yeen Yeurg» which is half tea half coffee.

I had the pineapple and cocktail bun. It wasn’t good, what can I say? I tossed it out ½ way. And they don’t accept pennies here.

I still can’t believe how good the char siu baos are here. Every weekend when I was in NYC I’d buy 5 to eat for lunch the following week back in Philly. They’re only $ 1 each and they’re packed with perfectly caramelized BBQ pork. Bonus points for the snappy workers.

I come here for the curt sass and the delicious, steamed lotus seed buns. At 90 cents, you can’t go wrong. If the ladies behind the counter say all the right things, I tip them (which is most of the time). As for the baked red bean bun — it’s decent. I usually get it when they’re out of lotus seed.
Tip:
If you’re like me and it takes more than one bun to satiate you, I highly recommend coming here early. And by early, I mean before 4 PM

Better know what u want when you walk in — line moves fast. The same old ToySen ladies taking order. Hilarious! If u want the Chinatown experience, this is it. People calling out — menu in English but the good stuff is in Chinese. Price is awesome. Very little sitting area. I had been coming here for years!
Steamed buns, freshly baked bread for the wheat lover in you, congee, traditional sweet water like red or green mung beans, summer grass, tapioca, egg custards!
The counter ladies like sugar so when u order the drink– be sure to say little sugar. Iced drinks are yummy!

Ho Won has been a neighborhood staple for many many years. I have been coming here for baked and steamed goodness for 20+ years. Coffee here is 10X better than any Starbucks. In the summer it’s the best. We come for iced coffee, tea, bubble tea, all kinds of fruit smoothies. Totally awesome place.
There was a comment about clerks being really angry but that’s not the case at all. It’s often crowded here, so they have to yell over people to get the orders and get them out quick.
Definitely try the roast pork buns. If you don’t want baked, they have steamed roast pork buns. The coconut butter buns are to die for. They also have steamed dumplings and, rice wrapped in Lotus leaf. They also have different types of Congee each day. Perfect place for breakfast to go.
Enjoy this hidden gem of Chinatown!

The Quick: Absolute best pork buns and egg custards in China town for less than $ 1… Food 4 stars, venue 2 stars, staff 5 stars (friendliest ladies although they speak very little English)
The Details: Let me be clear upfront, this is not the kind of place you want to spend any amount of time. It is a very much a «get in get your delicious food and get out» type of place. It’s in the heart of Chinatown that seems very polluted and crowded. Yet the bakery is extremely clean with an A rating and welcoming staff.
That being said, the pork buns and Egg custards are out of this world. Take it from someone who spent an entire day eating at every bakery in Chinatown (I was stuffed to perfection but only spend about $ 20) this was the best bakery and the most reasonable prices.
Pro tip– never spend more than $ 1 on egg custards or pork buns, the authentic ones are quick and cheap.
The Damage: $ 3 is enough to eat a feast.

I’ve been here since I was 5 years old and they have never disappointed. I mean much of their stuff is less than $ 1 and their coffee is exactly $ 1. These people make coffee that would simply put starbucks to shame. Give their honey ginger, egg tart, wife cake glutinous rice ball wrapped in dried leaves or even steamed rice roll with shrimp a try. My favorite over there is the ham and egg bun as they have not conformed to the modern Chinese bakery style, it is hot and delicious indeed.

Come on guys. This is a gem in Chinatown. So many things are under $ 1 that might give you a full tummy. I know the clerks are always angry and yells at you if you stand around like an idiot. Stop complaining. I was yelled at on my first trip here wondering what to get. Then this Yuppie just walks in and speaking broken Chinese and walk out in 30 second was just mind blown.
Definitely try their $ 1 white thingy in the front which is a specialty. $ 2 can you get those rice wrap in green bamboo left which is packed with peanut and meat. So good. Anyone complain got issue.
It’s a tiny place and tiny business. Don’t ruin it. I consider this place a less known iconic place in Chinatown. Bring someone who speaks Chinese or let your eye guide you.

I walk over the Manhattan Bridge all the time, and stopping at Ho Won for coffee and a pork bun is a weekly ritual for me.
I don’t know what they’re doing in there, but the coffee is super hot and strong without tasting the least bit burnt. When I dream of NYC diners in the late 1970s, this is how I imagine the coffee tastes.
Fortunately, the owners have never heard of inflation, because a small coffee is just $ 1 and a pork bun is just 90 cents.
90 cents!
Why would they not just round it up to $ 1?
I’ll tell you why — because these are good people!

Been coming here for the last 8 years, same great ladies working behind the counter. Consistent buns and drinks. Not a huge selection of items on the menu, but I do appreciated a warm bun everytime I come, they keep them in the warmer. They have congee as well, very rustic and has great homemade taste, unlike restaurants that uses slurries to thicken their congees. When it comes to drinks, gotta grab a cup of their sugarcane or herbal teas from the fridges to your left, all made on premises!

Not a large, sparkly bakery. Looks like every other non-​brand bakery in Chinatown. Howeverrr. They have the most fantastic red bean bun with the sweet custard crust on the top and a great filling to bun ratio whereas most other places (except Fayda) half-​ass their topping and makes you feel like you’re eating air. Yummy 90cent breakfast when you’re craving something with red bean.
Quick efficient service, no frills.

This place has been open since I can remember. Really old school, and it is a real mom and pop shop.
The steamed cha siew bow, Shrimp fun churn, and grass jelly slush are my top favs and what keeps me coming back for more. The char siew bow is kept inside the steamers and it’s what separate this bakery from the others like Fai da and taipan where they just leave it on shelves to get cold.
You will see your usual regulars and people sitting on the tables. The service is quick, they take your order fast and get your buns into your hands fast. Great place to grab and go.

Yes to the fresh baked goods … and a no-​thanks to the bubble tea offering …
Their baked goods are solid, the bo loh buns are great and you can’t really go wrong with any of that. As someone else pointed out, it’s a Chinese bakery in Chinatown, so if you’ve been to any you’ll know what to expect. Nothing particularly outstanding here but their stuff is pretty fresh and tasty.
I was far from impressed from the drinks and the tapioca bubble tea was very meh. It was not very sweet and just lacked the richness that you’d expect from a bubble tea. I would not recommend coming here if you’re looking for drinks, but if you’re in the market for baked goods, you can’t go wrong here.