(strawberry lava fudge cupcake) at Georgetown Cupcakes on Newbury

At a glance:

83 Newbury Street, Boston, MA

Price: $ (and a half)

Stars: 4.3

This is a very annoying and strange food habit I’ve developed, but I don’t normally eat/enjoy eating cupcakes. And when I do eat a cupcake, I only eat the icing. Unless the cupcake is really moist or delicious. But since I ate every crumb of the cupcake I got at Georgetown Cupcake, I think this cupcake store has won me over.

all the pink to-go boxes

rows and rows of cupcakes

In addition to cupcakes, they have an extensive tea and coffee menu, which I did not know about until I entered the store.

For $3, you can choose any of the delicious cupcakes on today’s flavor list. I was looking for lavender early grey! But alas, they didn’t have it when I went. I heard every day on Twitter they post a flavor of the day. And if you go to the store and name that flavor, you automatically get a free cupcake? Well isn’t that convenient 😉 I’m also in love with the boxes they put the cupcakes in. Pastels and pinks, what can go wrong?

So I got a gluten-free strawberry lava fudge cupcake for myself and a vanilla chocolate for my friend. My diet is not gluten-free, but the regular cupcake didn’t have the lava version. So…

The frosting with strawberry candy bits was fluffy (definitely confectioners’ sugar and other fine sugars involved instead of just granulated), creamy, and not too sweet. That was key, because the lava fudge inside the cupcake was very, very sweet and decadent. The cupcake itself was moist and chocolatey. The fudge combined with the cupcake morsels made the cupcake easy to finish.

Eat on!

(pineapple bun) at Ho Yuen Bakery and Eldo’s Cakes in Chinatown

At a glance:

Ho Yuen Bakery: 54 Beach Street, Boston, MA

Eldo’s Cakes: 36 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA

Price: $ for both

Stars (out of 5): 4 for Ho Yuen, 3.8 for Eldo’s

Ho Yuen storefront

Eldo’s display case

 

Whoohoo for another day of exploring Chinatown and tasting around the little shops here and there. Growing up in an Asian household, pineapple buns were constantly in our diet. My friend and I went on a mission today to find the best pineapple bun in Chinatown, but we stopped after 2 bakeries because we were too full haha.

What I love about Cantonese pastries is that they are not based on cream and sugar but instead on flour and a variety of fillings. Texture is also really important. Each different pastry has its own crunch level and layers of flavors. Take the pineapple bun for example. The top layer is crumbly pineapple flavored crust while the bottom is lightly fluffy bread with a hint of sweetness. And the coconut bun is a long, oil-glazed roll with a slightly savory coconut and sesame paste inside. The pastries could get a bit heavy and uncomfortable on the stomach though because they are kind of oily. So eat sparingly :p

pineapple bun at Eldo’s

outside the coconut bun

inside the coconut bun

The pineapple bun at Ho Yuen had a better pineapple crust, while the bread at Eldo’s was more aromatic. Both came straight out of the oven though so we were quite lucky to have them deliciously warm. Also, shoutout to these ridiculously low prices and good deals. The pineapple bun at Ho Yuen is 80 cents, and the one at Eldo’s is 70 cents. I haven’t bought food for so little in recent memory. Even the chips in the vending machines at school are $1.25! No wonder we saw a lot of customers buy stuff in bulk, as in buying pans and pans of pastries. Even then, it was only around $10.

I wanted to try a lot of more things, but was too full. So I’ll display a few more varieties below. I think Eldo’s has more Western pastries than Ho Yuen. Though admittedly, I like both stores for their distinct take on baked goods and desserts.

Eat on!

moon cakes with fruit and nut filling

radish cakes

nut cakes

 

fluffy white rice cakes

 

butterfly pastries with loads of crunch

crunchy sesame cakes

(Cannoli) at Mike’s Pastry in Harvard Square

At a glance:

11 Dunster Street, Cambridge, MA

Price: $

Stars (out of 5): 3.5

Ah, the famous Mike’s Pastry. I was very excited to spot one in Harvard Square because I thought they only had one location on Hanover Street. Please don’t hate me when I say I’ve had better cannoli. BUT it was still a good fix for my sweet tooth. Their cannoli shell is very crunchy and tasty. The filling was a little much. I got a pistachio cannolo for $4.50, and after I got through the bits of pistachio at either end of the pastry, I had a hard time eating ALL THAT RICOTTA FILLING. Though this is can be a good thing for some people who like plentiful cannoli filling. For me, it was just a tad too sweet.

I think next time I’ll get the limoncello because I like lemon flavored pastries.

I also got a lobster cream puff ($2.50). Looked and tasted like a glorified Boston Cream pie in a puffy shell.

Mike’s is also famous for their ricotta pies and rum cakes. And they have homemade gelato. Ooo.

Sorry Mike’s, not totally in love with you just yet like a real Bostonian. But I can see why so many people fall in love with their hearty pastries and crunchy cannoli. Also, I saw that they have pizzelles, undoubtedly my favorite Italian pastry. There were whole stacks for $6.50.

Eat on!

(Meringue Cloud) at Tatte in Kendall Square

At a glance:

318 Third Street, Cambridge, MA

Price: $$ (for baked goods)

Stars (out of 5): 3.8

the counter

Super cozy spot with lots of heavenly baked goods and pastries to admire and try! I took a lot of pictures so feast with your eyes! They also have a delicious looking breakfast/brunch menu with croques and frittatas and a variety of coffee and drinks. If you are looking for a nice place to catch up with friends, this is the place for you. The baristas are so friendly. One of them totally photobombed my pictures. They have locations all over Boston so be sure to try them out.

They are famous for their nut bars, which they sell in bulk, fruit boxes, and cakes.

They have a special called cinnamon pecan roses. Today, they also had a rose with Halva, a sesame/honey confection.

I got a meringue cloud, a huge piece of crumbly meringue infused with your choice of pecans, Belgian chocolate/coconut, or pistachio rosewater. I chose the Belgian chocolate/coconut. The pastry came on such a pretty plate, just like the whole interior of the cafe. The meringue melted on my tongue and was very delectable. However, I didn’t really taste the coconut because it was very sweet, though I could feel the coconut shreds on my tongue so I know they were there. For $4.50, it was a pretty large piece of meringue and a good sugar pick-me-up. I also wanted to try the plum tart but thought I had enough sugar for the day.

inside the cloud

My friend got the poached pear and almond cupcake for $2.50. The pear pieces were huge in the cupcake, and the cupcake was incredibly moist because of the fruit.

The pastries were on the pricey side, but definitely worth a trip. At least, the effort they put into the pastries really shows. Next time, I also want to try a neighboring cafe, Voltage Coffee and Art.

Eat on!