Kam Boat Bakery & Cafe

I literally stumbled upon this bakery my pure chance because I was freezing my butt outside in the negative degree temperature known as winter in New York. I was so cold I walked in and saw rows of delicious pasties. Being the fattie I am, I went to look for some Baos. The smell was unbelievable. I also have to mention that I just finished eating loads of dim sum so I was stuffed. But that didn’t stop me! I ordered a handful of pasties all to myself.
The ban tat was so delicious. The egg custard was fresh and sweet. It was addicting because it wasn’t way too sweet where it got sickening. It was sweet enough where you can eat a lot of them in one sitting. The crust was buttery and soft. It was melt in your mount delicious. The flaky nature of the crust comes from the oily and buttery texture of the carbs.

This is a wonderful bakery in Chinatown. It’s always jam packed on Saturday and Sunday mornings with grannies and grandpas. Not fancy, but considering the price, you should be ashamed of yourself if you have the audacity to complain about anything. Coconut cream bun, egg custard tart, Hong Kong Style Milk Tea, steamed rice noodles with meat or with veggies, soft and bouncy Chinese sponge cake, ham and egg bun, bolo («pineapple» custard) bun, red bean bun, spare ribs rice, chicken and rice, are my favorites. They sell the cut off ends of various cakes in baggies, which I think is a great way to not waste cake and it’s like having a sampler pack of whatever cakes they have baked earlier that day. Kam Boat also has the best Hong Kong Style Milk Tea in all of Chinatown. I’ve tried milk tea from Taipan, Fay Da, Golden Fung Wah, Manna House, Ten Ren, etc, but Kam Boat still brews the best cup. I always ask the ladies to put less sugar, but keep the amount of the condensed milk the same when they make my cup of Hong Kong Style Milk Tea. Love this place. GO. NOW!

Great Chinatown bakery. They have the usual Chinese pastries at very reasonable prices ($.60 to $ 1.50 each). yes that is Chinatown pricing at its best. But what sets this place apart is their selection of fresh made noodle dishes. They have a dim sum type menu with dumplings and stir fried noodles in the back of the restaurant that is made to order. The prices are also very reasonable as well. Very good cup of coffee as well.

This is a great bakery. My mom discovered this spot and said if there’s a lot of people, it must be good. Especially when all those people are crowded in the back. I like this place for the little kitchen in the back more than for the bakery itself. They have a variety of noodles, rice noodles and rice dishes that are worth the few dollars you pay for. Very fresh and service is quick.

They make great buns here. If I’m nearby in the morning and not in a rush, I will come here for a corn bun or a pineapple bun with fresh cold butter. You have to ask someone for the pineapple bun with butter because they have to cut open the bun and add a thick slice of butter in. It’s the best when the bun is a little warm and the butter slightly melts a little onto the bun. Definitely come try one here if you haven’t.

This place is great. I get buns here all the time since it’s around the corner from my office and my boss buys dim sum here occasionally. Here’s a warning. If your a small girl, the older customers will shove you around to get to where they want to go and have no trouble cutting you off to get a bun first. Maybe it’s my timing but the place is usually packed when I go. Luckily the workers are pretty fast to ring you up and get you out of there quick.

Love this place! If you are looking for a true local hangout (my wife and I were the only non asians eating in, although I saw a few gringos get items to go in the half hour we were there) with a large variety of tasty very inexpensive pastries and beverages in Chinatown, this is the place for you!
Cafeteria style seating but most people just get things to go. (~50 seats at tables that seat 6) Most items are under $ 2. I have barely scratched the surface of the variety of items here and I have been here about six times. I have thus far had what are basically freshly made croissants (everything is made on site) with various filliings such as coconut, almond/​walnut, red bean paste, ham & cheese, fried fish with tartar sauce. All of these are flaky, warm, buttery, delicious creations.
I also typically get the Hong Kong tea. Usually very good, although on most recent visit was a little strong due to server not adding as much sweetened milk to the tea as usual.
They even have a kitchen in the back where you can order hot lunch type items. They do have menu items written in Chinese hanging above with English subtitles so to speak on them, but I had a hard time even ordering because even if you point, they cannot see from behind the counter what it is you are pointing at since the menus are not viewable to them. They tend to be a little impatient with this due to how busy it usually is. Maybe I need to print up some of my own menu cards ahead of time before my next visit and just point to things.
One thing that has happened to me on two separate occasions is that they do not take kindly to anyone taking photos. Of course after the first time (which was well over a year ago), I was more discreet on my most recent visit and only took two photos in rapid succession. Even so, I clearly was not discreet enough, as I was bombarded with the «No Pictures!!» exclamation once again. I took it in good humor. They must have thought the only white male on the premises was a spy of sorts.
Overall, very inexpensive, very good, lots of variety, great locals hangout! Highly recommended!

best egg pudding (custard) !!! cupcake bit too much sweetness. great coffee, large cup$ 2 crowded loud plAce. there r Food in the back and space in basement to do bakery.

Not your garden variety chinatown bakery. The secret is the tiny kitchen in the back. Serving large variety of noodles, rice noodles and rice. Also many dimsum options. But the Hainamese chicken w ginger scallion is the star of the show!
Everything is almost cooked order because the place is packed all day long…
The bakery section also has a variety of buns that you wont find at your average chinatown bakery. Many options for egg tarts as well.
Try to stick to take-​out. Seating is very limited (and super crowded and noisy).

Came here to grab some lunch and bakery today around 12:30 and it was so packed inside. I got a salted fish and pork patty over rice and it was pretty yummy. I liked that it had sour vegetables in it as well. I got 2 chicken baked pastries and they were still hot. They have a lot of selections over here. The regular Cantonese dim sums to different types of fried noodles. I also saw a lady buy Hainan Chicken Rice for $ 4.50. Lots of choices and I recommend it if you’re buying the food to go. Bought a rice, a soup, and 2 cheong funs for $ 9. Pretty good deal!

No doubt it’s my favorite café in Chinatown.
It’s so much more than a bakery. They have various breakfast/​lunch choices in the back kitchen. Don’t be afraid of the crowd, just walk in and order, there are a lot on their ‘secret menu’ ! Love their fresh steamed rice roll and all kinds of stir-​fry.
Always find it pretty crowded inside, but can’t complain because that’s probably why food are fresh and cheap.

I can’t believe I just discovered this place after living in NYC for over 6 years! This is the best bakery in Chinatown! I walked in thinking to pick up some buns but I came out with a hot dog bun, dim sum, hainanese chicken over rice and an iced milk tea. I didn’t expect the bakery having a full blown kitchen in the back with wide variety of chinese breakfast items.
You must order the «boiled chicken over rice» which is aka the hainanese chicken. They actually would ask if you prefer dark meat or white meat or prefer certain parts of the chicken. If you want drumsticks, it’ll be $ 1 extra. You’ll get the part you want without surprise for $ 4. It comes with a side of white rice, veggies, and ginger scallions. It’s so cheap and it actually taste really good. If you go around 11am, you’ll see everyone ordering this!
Make sure you order a milk tea. I’m a milk tea nazi and I have to say this is one of the best milk tea I’ve ever had!
I didn’t get to try the bakery items. There were so many selections to chose from and they are not the typical chinese bakery items. My fiancé did tell me the bread was fresh and soft. We went at 11am so I’m sure the earlier the better.
My fiancé went back back by himself the next day to try their other items and we went back the day after to get their hainanese chicken and milk tea again. This will be our breakfast spot every weekend until we get sick of it.

So tasty and inexpensive. A bit busy at times but wonderful deals and wonderful baked goods!

I was drunk after a couple of beers at a nearby restaurant. Kam Boat was by oasis to sober up for my somewhat lang trek to the WTC Path station.
Only think I remember was that they serve Horlick. Not many bakeries in the area serve it. They sometimes have Milo but I don;t like as much as horlick. I also bought a few pineapple buns for breakfast for the next few days.
I would come back here not only for the horlick but just to see what this place specialize at.

It’s usually very crowded in here, but just go hop in line and ask for the items you get. I’ve only tried a few things here like sponge cake, egg tarts, and hot dog buns. The sponge cakes and egg tarts are good. The hot dog buns were a bit salty, but that’s pretty typical. My dad loves the coffee here, it’s his preferred place in Chinatown.

Got a red Angry Bird birthday cake for my son with mix fruit and my son loved it. It’s pretty and fresh. They used fresh fruit instead of canned inside the cake. My son couldn’t stop licking the cake while I grabbed my camera. And the price is unbeatable, 1 lb mixed fruit cake $ 15 + $ 10 for Angry Bird style. They called it 1 lb but it was a lot heavier than that, I think it’s a 10″ cake.
There’s a minor problem, the baker obviously didn’t know about Angry Bird because the piggies around the cake were pink and there’re 2 Hello Kitties! But I don’t really care and my son was too excited because of the huge red bird, he didn’t even notice the pigs were pink.

I loved the Portuguese egg custard, so flaky and the custard was warm and soft mmmm!!! It seemed like they were baking well into late morning on the weekend which means the demand is that high… Which means it’s gotta be good right? Will revisit the breads later.
What blows my mind is the churrrrrn aka white rice noodle, which you can customize with vegetables, beef, cilantro (omg who knew cilantro could taste so good in this??), roast pork etc for less than $ 3. Absolutely REDIC! I NEED TO KNOW WHY THIS TYPE OF PLACE DOESNT EXIST IN FLUSHING. This is so damn dirt cheap and so delicious, especially with sweet soy. They offer your other typical Asian condiments too but sweet soy definitely the way to go :)
I liked the vegetable variety one over roast pork (cha-​siu) just because it was more tasty, altho maybe meat + vegetable would be even better! Anyways you can stand there and literally watch the man make the churnn from scratch. Amazing. I’m in love.

Great place for customized made to order Chinese crepes! And it’s super cheap for only $ 2/​plate.
It is suggested that if you don’t know Chinese and if you’re not too comfortable in a non-​English speaking environment, then don’t go here. Most of the service staff speak Chinese with very limited english. But Go if you’re a wild, enthusiastic person who will find adventure in trying different things.
There are tables available, but it’s like a food court style. First come first serve and be prepared to have to fight with old Chinese folks.

I stopped here today with a friend from Ecuador who I usually meet at a different bakery on Grand Street. He said «you got to try this place… I can’t believe you’ve never stopped in.» He was correct on all counts!
The bakery is large and as others have pointed out, old style, with row after row of formica tables and sturdy seats. As such, it can be a bit loud… especially because much of its clientele are elderly and want to be sure those who are hard of hearing four rows away hear everything they have to say!
The baked goods are at the front of the bakery (huge very tempting assortment) and they have a separate section in the back to order hot food. I asked for dumplings but I assume they were sold out as they said they did not have any (even though they are listed on the signs saying what they have). I then asked for lo ba ko (fried turnip). They didn’t have it available warm but they do sell it cold. I said sure and received three large pieces for $ 2.49 — a bit more than I pay at my regular bakery — but they were exceptionally good (as was the coffee).
I did not check the bathrooms… sorry Louise… long line and I did not have to go! They bakery is very clean and the people who work there are very friendly. So while today was my first visit, it will not be my last!

It’s conveniently located on my way to the Grand Street subway station so I’ve picked up breakfast and lunch at this bakery when I use this subway station.
Every time I come to this bakery all I see are the local senior citizens hanging out in droves.
There are long tables upon more long tables in here resembling a high school cafeteria so I hardly think there would be shortage in seating. You just have to walk faster than the seniors because they would snatch a seat from you if you don’t hurry up.
The décor is definitely lacking and everything seems to look old in this bakery but it is packed all the time!
There is food in the back like fried rice, lo mein, chow fun and other random noodles that you can point to. Noodles are priced at only $ 2 a box and they fill that box up tight! They also serve dim sum style steamed pork or beef shumai’s (open faced dumplings). They make fresh rice rolls all morning and early afternoon with any filling you want such as pork, beef, regular shrimp, dried shrimp, cilantro, plain, etc.
Problem is there is no English menus which means I’m limited to what I can see and point at.
I speak Chinglish at best but I can see how intimidating it could be for someone who doesn’t speak Chinese. I overheard them speak Toisan and Cantonese. I still resort to a lot of pointing which works.
I usually walk out with breakfast and lunch for under $ 5. I’ve gotten two fish sandwiches priced at $ 1.75 each. Awesome deal. The fish and bread are fresh. Its dressed with some mayo, shredded iceberg lettuce and a slice of tomato. There is not a lot of fish but just order another sandwich if you want more fish. At $ 1.75 it’s still a bargain.
FYI, no gratuity needed here because there is no table service.

Stumbling off the chinatown bus at 6am on Saturday morning, all my half-​awake self wanted was to sit in a warm café. What’s open around this time? Not much, but this Golden Dragon Boat Bakery is already at full speed ahead. Brightly lit with people sitting nursing their milk tea, I decided to try it out. Seating was generous too. I made a good choice.
Buns and pastries were constantly being refilled. Tasty and decently priced pastries. My taro bun was still warm. People who wanted a hot dish made a bee-​line towards the back where they make some made-​to-​order items, serve from a steam table with different kinds of noodles (chow mein, chow fun, sg rice noodles, etc), and a steamer case filled with various dim sum. I had the beef cherng fun, which was pretty good and only $ 2. If you stay to eat there, you get your food/​drink on a cute little red cafeteria tray.
Clientele was a nice representation of NYC. Yes there’s the typical old Chinese men and women who come in for a milk tea and bun and linger around either reading the paper and/​or chatting loudly with each other. But there were also some regulars non-​Chinese folks (typically older men), who came in got their usual bun/​sandwiches/​coffee and sat down amongst the others at the shared tables. Everyone got along, and the staff greeted these regulars warmly. As a popular spot, it was busy. Some of the other notable patrons: a pair of cops to pick up their breakfast and a band of Chinese kids wearing yellow travel agency jackets.
Overall, a fun experience and I will be back.