Whenever I am in New York City, I always love to stop by Chinatown for eats. With an incredibly diverse range of cuisines from all over, it’s always a pleasure to sit down for an elegant dinner or a quick grab-and-go. Therefore, when I heard about a new bakery in Albany offering dishes and pastries ethnic to Hong Kong, it was a simple matter of deciding who was lucky enough to join me. This week, two of my fraternity brothers joined me in reviewing the Hong Kong Bakery.
Located on Central Ave., Hong Kong Bakery offers a range of dishes both traditional to Asia and some that are most definitely non-traditional. After perusing the menu, I was most impressed by the different buns, cookies, cakes, and mousses that filled up the back of the menu. Ranging from the delicate and sweet, to deep fried and savory, Hong Kong Bakery proudly demonstrates the grand variety of the novel and delicious.
After entering the cheerful and bustling bakery, the three of us were soon engrossed in selecting dishes suited to our different and eclectic tastes. Partner in Crime once again lived up to his “Yonkers taste buds” and ordered a Grilled Chicken Sandwich, but after several subtle hints that he was in a Asian-themed eatery, he added a Spare Ribs with Honey and­—even more impressive—a drink named Coconut with Black Pearl.
Polish Long Islander opted for Fish with White Sauce, Honey Ribs, and Taro flavored Black Pearl to drink. I, on the other hand, was most interested in a noodle soup of some kind. The main one that stood out was Shredded Pork with Preserved Vegetable, and to fit in, I ordered Red Bean flavored Black Pearl.
Pearl Tapioca, or Bubble Tea, is a non-carbonated and sweet beverage, though it has less sugar than a typical soft drink. Depending on where you go, there can be a large variety of different flavors as well as textures. The drink is usually a mix of tea, milk, sugar, and black tapioca. Black tapioca pearls are about the size of small marbles and have a consistency like gummy candy (soft and chewy). Being heavier than the drink, they tend to stay near the bottom of the glass. These drinks are usually served in large see-through plastic containers with an extra-wide straw. Although Bubble Tea can be seen as a novelty, it is extremely delicious and I would recommend everyone to try it at least once.
After an impressively short time, our meal arrived smelling absolutely fantastic. PIC tucked into his chicken and commented quite a few times on the portion being too small. But he did mention that if you order an appetizer, drinks, and an entrée, it would be quite satisfactory. He wasn’t a fan of the Bubble Tea, however, commenting it was a little too exotic for his taste.
PLI was quite happy with his order, commenting on the fruit side-salad as well as the mushrooms and onions that helped give the white sauce character. After diving his lips and fingers on the honey ribs, he gave that quite a good appraisal as well. Being no stranger to Bubble Tea, he happily imbibed his. Taro is made from a root similar to a potato, with both being starchy, but after being processed and transformed into a drink, it was delicious.
My noodle soup was quite good, having both thinly sliced pieces of meat and what I’m guessing were pickled greens of some kind making up the “preserved vegetable” part. With rice noodles and a tasty broth background it was a simple, elegant, and a tasty lunch.
In conclusion, Hong Kong Bakery is a great place to dine no matter what time of day, with a wide selection of both buns and dishes, and offering a very respectable taste of Asia on this side of the world. Check out http://www.hongkongbakery.com/ to catch a quick glimpse of everything they have to offer.
