Chiu Quon Bakery

Chiu Quon Bakery has pretty limited options and is cash only, but what they do have is pretty decent, especially the sesame balls (choose your filling: red or yellow bean???)
The interior is kinda sketchy just like other bakeries in Argyle and Chinatown. Not sure if things are sanitary, as the same person who hands you the pastries touches the cash as well. Additionally, they run out of everything pretty quickly so if you want something fresh, go in the mornings.

I have ordered more than five cakes from here and went there for bread, dim sum, snacks and more. It never disappoints me.
They offer taro filling cake and it’s so smooth and fresh that I can eat a quarter of the 8 inch cake in one setting! My husband never likes cake, but he would ask for taro cake for his birthday. They use real taro for the filling and topped the cake with fresh fruits. You can also ask for your favorite color for decoration. I ordered a purple one with taro filling for my mother in law and she loved it.
They also have very good tarnish cake and savory taro cake in round pans. You can eat it right away, but I usually like to pan fry it to warm it up.
The pork barbecue buns are also good. I usually buy a dozen and freeze them. You only need to steam it when you want to eat it.
Oh, they also have good do-​hua, tofu pudding. It often runs out fast. You want to order when you see it.

I’ll be honest, I’ve only stopped by 2 Chinese bakeries in this area. I don’t have much to compare Chiu Quon with, but it is the better one of the two. The first time I stopped by (a weekend morning), the store was packed and there was a line waiting to buy stuff, so I assumed it was good. It was. I was happy with everything, from sweet to savory pastries. The bao (steamed buns) and egg tarts were freshly baked that morning and stayed good after our 5-​hour journey home and the day after. I returned on another trip back to Chicago, on a weekday. The store was quiet and not crowded at all. I was just as satisfied. The Chinese egg tarts were just as fresh, the crust just as flaky and buttery. There were also turnip cake and a few other dim sum options. We took ours home, ate it the following morning for breakfast and the following following morning when we didn’t have microwave and oven to warm things up. Everything’s pretty straight forward: good Chinese treats at fair prices, so if you don’t want to make the trip to Chinatown and got a craving for it, check it out. I don’t have fancy pictures this time. You’ll just have to take my words for it. Even if you don’t have a craving, check it out anyway. It’s good.
*cash only

Cash only! But the pastries are worth it. They have moon cakes, elephant ear cookies, custards, pork buns, etc. and they’re well priced too, I believe the buns are only 1.50 each! They do have beverages and cakes you can order as well. The staff don’t speak English very well and can be rude sometimes, but I’m not there for excellent customer service. Stop in after a bowl of phở for a nice treat!

Definitely will return here! We stopped in and tried the twisted coconut, but honestly just about everything looked good. Good selections of sweets.

This place is ok but unfortunately is frequented by questionable characters. The day we were there some dude came in the shop and stood by our table asking if he could have some of our food. I mistakenly responded to him which made him sit next to me and started eating our food. He smelled like liquor. He left after a few minutes and we hung around. He later came back and sat next to me again and drank my tea.
I later asked the proprietor why they don’t call the cops. She said they always do but it happens quite often that the cops are tired of showing up. It was a bit scary. I don’t even remember what we had. I do remember the items were not as cheap as I thought. I know we won’t be going back there bc of the ppl hanging around the area.

4 words: PORTUGUESE MILK– EGG CUSTARD!
I usually only come in here for those custards when I am around uptown that is. The Portuguese ones are so much better than the original, it is buttery and fluffier! I can eat like 4 in one sitting, haha. But other things I would get is the Bbq pork bun, pound cake, fresh soy bean milk in the fridge and sometimes DIM SUM siu mai or dumplings in the morning.

Chiu Quon is probably the best Asian bakery I’ve been to since coming to Illinois. They have a wide assortment of American and Asian pastries, buns, and breads that are $ 1 or less, as well as cakes and dim sum. The buns are fresh and just as good as the ones I grew up eating in the SF Bay Area. I highly recommend trying their sweet rice cakes, which they have during the new year, and their barbecue pork buns!

Yummy yummy pastries. I can’t believe I haven’t written a review of this bakery yet! It’s right next to the Argyle red line stop, so it’s a pretty convenient location for me and I try to drop by often. They often run out of my favorite things by late afternoon, so it’s best to get there early. I love the Portuguese egg tarts (creamier than the other egg tarts they have, which are also good – you can tell the Portuguese tarts apart by the slightly browned custard), sesame balls, custard bun, zongxi (wrapped sticky rice), BBQ pork bun, and pineapple bun. Make sure to bring cash!

It was a delight stumbling upon this nice little bakery in our stroll along Chinatown. The BBQ Pork Bun was delicious! We also tried the Green Tea Mousse cake. It was yummy, not overwhelmingly sweet, soft, and had an interesting gelatinous texture to it. Also, I wish I took a photo of their cakes because they look like works of art. Cant wait to sample!
Tip: bring some $$$ because they are a cash-​only establishment.

All time favorite spot for Chinese baked goods!!! I’ve been coming here years the quality hasn’t changed. Beware cash only location. Come for dimsum or a baked good. Everything is awesome here. I love the sponge cakes and coconut buns. But who can go wrong with the classic BBQ pork buns.

Been frequenting chiu con bakeries since I was a little girl.
The baked goods are great and get an a1 for taste.
I would recommend getting egg tarts, sponge cake bread, sesame balls or a ham and egg bun :)
cons: I think it could be cleaner, same for the other location

Chiu Quon Bakery has all of my favorite China Town baked goods for the same or similar prices. I don’t know the names of all of them.
The interior is grody (just like the bakeries in China Town). I don’t know if they have the best sanitation practices in place. For example, they might go from touching cash to touching food. The meat buns aren’t refrigerated.
They’re cash only (which is different from the bakeries in China Town). Once I asked for four siomai and ended up with four orders (16 total).

Horrible customer service, rude, and extremely stingy. Don’t bother asking for an extra box if you can’t completely fill it because you will be denied one due to the box being expensive. Completely ridiculous.

Had to come check this location out after going to Chiu Quon in Chinatown and enjoying a delicious almond cookie. It was early in the morning so I wanted something breakfasty and grabbed the ham and cheese and egg bun. Warmed it up in the microwave when I got home and it was tasty. The sweet bun wraps perfectly around the salty ham and egg. The service was fast and the lady who helped me was friendly. A line started to form behind me so it sounds like I got there right on time!

This location is better than the one in Chinatown. Not only because the food is nicer, but the staff is friendlier too.
The steamed and baked buns are the main reason to come here! Come early or they will sell out!
The pastries are nice but are the same as any other Chinese bakery.
They sell dim sum and it’s pretty tasty! Great if you want one or two items on the go without sitting with friends and family for the whole dim sum experience.
They make really tasty fresh soy milk that is lightly sweetened. It doesn’t taste like any Silk product you’ve purchased at the grocery store, nor is it fortified with vitamins and calcium. WARNING: It is extremely hot when first made! You can burn your entire mouth! Twice if you forgot the last time it happened ;-)
The cakes are light and fluffy with real whip cream and the fruit is fresh. These will make any birthday a special one for loved ones. You can make your order the same day if you call or visit in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon.
THIS IS A CASH ONLY BUSINESS!

Cash only. Friendly service, especially for Asians.
Sweet treats I swoon over: Egg Tarts, Steamed Rice Cake and Coconut Tarts
Their egg tarts have flakiest crust in town, especially the bigger ones (they have small tarts for $ 0.55 each and large tarts for $ 1.10 each). I’ve also never found rice cakes as moist and tender as this place. They sell hefty tray for $ 2.
Savory Goodness: Ham and Egg Buns, Roast Pork Buns, Egg and Veggie Stir-​Fry Concoction (contains small amount of shrimp and ham) that is served out of a giant wok that sits atop the glass counter all day.
Don’t forget: cash only.

I give four stars for the price and for the extensive bread selection.
Individual beads range from 50 cents to 2 dollars.
As for the general ambience of the bakery and the quality of the breads. I am going to have to knock off a star. The workers are pretty reserved and they often look pissed off. The bread is okay. but once in a while. I wouldn’t want to eat it everyday .
My personal favorites are the pineapple buns (which really does not taste like pineapples), red bean buns, and the egg tarts!
Not a place that I personally would go again and again, but a good place to go when visiting Argyle.

Chiu Quon has become my go-​to place in Chicago for Chinese goodies. My family has been coming here for years, and not a whole lot has changed. The items that I consistently get are good and so cheap.
First off, I highly recommend their steamed pork buns. For all you Wow Bao fans, these put theirs to shame! The dough is consistent… not too soft and not too chewy. The pork filling is nice combo of sweet and savory. They could stand to use a little more filing, but at $ 1.05 each, it would be wrong for me to complain. I also really like their «bo lo baau» which translates to pineapple bun in English. To give you a description, it’s a large bun (tastes like a roll) but topped with a sweet, sugar cookie type crust. You can get these either plain or with a custard filling! I do occasionally get their egg tarts, which are average.
For you dim sum fans out there, Chiu Quon also sells a lot of your favorite dim sum items (various dumplings, Chinese crepes, etc…). I’ve pretty much tried everything and give my approval. Lines can be out the door, especially on weekends, and service can be really spotty; however, you don’t go to a Chinese bakery/​restaurant expecting Alinea type of service. Chiu Quon is definitely a must try for those who appreciate different kinds of bakeries and budget eaters. Under $ 5 can get you a good lunch and snack for later!

Good stuff served here that is for sure, would I say it’s outsanding not really, I am from Los Angeles and we have plenty of Asian pastry shops but this one was pretty good, ordered some mini Apple pastries and the pork steam bun.
The apple mini pastry was crispy and moist — delicious.
The crispy ear pastry was flacky and good.
The custard flat soft mini bread was different but still enjoyable.