Jess Bakery

Jess Bakery has closed. But they were definitely 5 stars :(

Pros: China town price! $ 1.50 for one pork bun! Great buns.
Cons: TINY! 4 seats? XD
So, I live a mere block away from this place but have never tried it. Chinese bakery? I like Chinese food, but what IS CHINESE BAKERY??? And they had some unappetizing dessert cakes at the show window. That was why.
I walked in with my dog to this place, just thinking that I’d grab a boba tea, then I saw all kinds of buns!!! I got 5 of 3 different types of pork buns.
I just got home and devoured the 3 out of 5 at a spot! XD (Had to taste all 3 different kinds. My favorite one is the bread bun with pork in red sweet sauce!) I am not chinese but I’ve lived in Singapore for 2 yrs. I used to love the buns there and it tastes just like them!!! :D
My favorite one is the pork bun in red sweet sauce! Add a dash of hot sauce and it will take you right out of this world for a mere $ 1.50!
I think this is going to be my ultimate go-​to spot around the neighbor when I get hungry! :D

What?
Why 4 stars you may ask in this tiny bakery store here.
Well, please allow me to explain. lol
This may not be the biggest or most luxury chain bakery/​restaurant, but the best part is, these are nice people and they speak «English»!! lol
Okay, seriously for a minute here. :-P
I was just browsing around and saw one of my friend Nga wrote an review on this back in 2011, and it was a pretty good review, so I thought why not, I work in the area.
I went there yesterday, around 2pm, the place not too busy, have maybe 3 or 4 people
The place is tiny, just like your 2×4 Manhattan apartment. lol
They have all these pictures of different platters on the wall, and I gotta say, YEP, is a «Real Chinese Food» lol
So I ordered the Rose Duck over rice, not great, but is good, and I also order the dumplings too, and I gotta say, that one was pretty good, and not like one of those fake Chinese restaurant with the skin so tick is so gross, their dumplings are real for sure, you gotta try it out
Today I ordered from here again, but this time, I have it deliver, cuz is snow like hell outside today, and it messing up my shoes! lol
So I wanna try something different today, I ordered the Carry Chicken over rice (Malaysian style)
For the Carry Chicken, I always like the Malaysian style, they are much better because they only cook it with Chicken, Coconut milk and Potato, not like the Hong Kong style, they put veggie in it, and the Carry turned sweet, not good
So anyway, the Carry Chicken is good, however is too much oil in it, it actually pretty gross, I have to use the spoon to take it out, yeah… is that much in it.
I also ordered the Malaysian bread, it was just okay.
So, for these two, the Carry Chicken and the Roti is not good, but I wanna try something else next time
Will I go back?
Of course!
Will I recommend to friend?
Yes! Yes! Yes
Will I try the Carry Chicken and Roti again?
Mmm… only if you paid for it. lol

My go-​to authentic Chinese spot when I lived in the neighbourhood.
Their chicken and corn soup will bring you to your knees. Same goes for their roast duck sandwiches, you will weep… they are that good. Delivery was always super fast and the prices are incredible for the area.

If you can’t make it down to Chinatown, this place is an acceptable substitute for roast pork bun. It’s a bit too doughy and slightly saltier than what I like but still yummy. 1.35 for 1 bun. They also have drinks and Chinese food.

you no longer have to go down to china town to get your pastry or roast duck fix! Jess is serving this up from the middle of gramercy. Though it doesnt quite stack up to its downtown brethren, with reasonable prices, friendly service and a convenient location, Jess will be a go to compromise for those lazy days.

Almost double the price if Chinatown. Pretty authentic dishes though so when I am really craving for Cantonese dishes I will maybe come back. They do have seats and pretty clean but it is more of a take out setting. Quite popular with the Baruch students it seem like.

Ok so this is a review for their lunch food only, haven’t tried their bubble tea or buns yet!
First thing to realize when coming here is that you’re not in Chinatown. The prices are definitely higher than what you might see elsewhere for a fastfood sort of Chinese food joint. That said, they give full portions for their prices, so it’s really not that bad. I had a full container of roast pork with broccoli, up to the brim, for $ 6!
The food is ok. The rice is standard, the fried broccoli was so-​so (probably should get it steamed instead). The roast pork was pretty good though! Their service was really fast and they were nice about it.
If I had to grab a quick lunch in the area and was feeling like Chinese, I’d totally come back here again.

I kind of just stumbled upon this place after a long run along the East side. Yes, it’s a Chinese bakery/​café located in a somewhat random location near Stuy town. They sell the usual pork buns, sausage rolls, plain buns, and a few pastry items. The only problem was they were a tad overpriced in comparison to what you would normally get in Chinatown. I got the pork bun and the bun itself was soggy. It felt like I was chewing on dough. Even though they semi heat it up for you, it’s still not as fresh as it should be. I was surprised that to see that they were charging those vanilla and chocolate rolls for $ 2 a piece (!). Other than bakery items, they also have a lunch menu where you can order the typical Chinese take-​out dishes. They sort of make everything but in terms of quality and taste, I can’t judge that yet.

This review is not for the buns — they all look fine and good and I am sure similar to what you would get in Chinatown. Prices are cheap and service is good and friendly here so I feel badly saying this but good god of Chinese food– that was the worst sesame chicken ever made. I mean, for me to not be able to finish my dish you know it is bad. Overcooked, burned, no flavor to it but bad/​rancid oil, which I could smell the second it was served. I should have returned it but they were too nice.
Stick to the buns. Stick to the buns.

2.5 Stars.
Heavily hungover, I took a walk for some fresh air and greasy eats. My sights were already set on Jess Bakery and in my hungover fatness I ordered pork buns, roast pork on rice, and roast duck sandwiches. The lady at the register seemed impressed.
After a few minutes of waiting, I received my order and excitedly hurried back to the couch on which I crashed to sit down and begin my hangover ritual of making myself feel worse, but oh so good, with greasy food.
After all the raving here I was pretty unimpressed:
–Pork Buns, Roast Pork on Rice: *shrug*
–Roast Duck Sandwiches: I’d consider coming back for this. The bread was nicely toasted, but there was too much lettuce, not enough duck/​plum/​purple sauce, and occasionally some bones in my bites.
It looks like they’ve started offering other dishes to entice the lunch crowd, but the pictures seem unappetizing, or as another reviewer put it, «plain.». I’d probably stick with the roast duck sandwiches if you’re coming here for the first time. But the other options are cheap enough if you’re feeling adventurous… or hungover.

Just went here today, and it was okay.
I guess the students at SVA are a bunch of thieving thugs because you’re under no circumstances allowed to touch any of the pastries or baked goods (event though they’re prewrapped). If you’ve ever been to paris baguette in ktown, imagine a similar setup, but not as nice and you have someone watching you and grabbing the items you want for you. It’s almost as annoying as a bathroom attendant, but you don’t tip them.
The food itself was okay, I had roast pork on rice with broc on the side. I also had a pork bun. Not as good as Mei Li Wah, but you can’t expect that quality in this part of town.

this review might be slightly biased, as i am not a fan of Chinese food. However this place is right across the street from my apartment, and when deadly hungover after 3 days of New Years celebration and obnoxious amount of champagne– I had a craving.
Someone said earlier, this place makes you feel as if you were in Chinatown. The dishes are (at least from my view) fairly authentic, but fairly plain; and they are CHEAP! also the portions here are HUGE! It is also clean, unlike some other Chinese joints in the city.
There are tables inside the bakery/​restaurant, but from what I understand it is more common for takeout.
Like I said, I am not a fan of Chinese, but I am giving it 4 starts, because I think this is what a Chinese takeout place should be like.

LOVE THIS PLACE. Super cheap dishes for like 5 – 7 dollars for lunches. They have congee for 4 reg and 6 large size made on the spot. I got red bean boba here before which was good except they use powder for everything. They had egg tarts on the weekends. I also like their lemon rolls, hotdog in buns, and the coconute cake. They have a decent pastery section that is sooooo much easier than going to chinatown for a marginal difference. I wish they would close actually at the time they have posted instead of like 30 mins earlier (kitchen closes early and sometimes the whole place).

This place is a gem for the area.
They have plenty of lunch options, mini cakes, buns, and bubble tea here.
When you enter, the bakery items are to your right. In most Chinatown bakeries, you usually grab a tray and help yourself. Not here. There is a lady standing beside the baked goods to assist you. All you have to do is point at which mini cake or bun you want and tell her how many.
Service here is always very quick. I’ve tried most of their baked goods and bubble tea but have never tried any of their lunch options. I usually go right across the street to Oriental Kitchen or Viang Ping for lunch.
Their mini cakes and buns are well made. My favorite is their small vanilla roll cake with its sides dipped in chocolate. Most baked items are less than $ 2 each. Their black milk tea and lychee green tea are my favorites.
If you’re in the area and looking for some baked goods, Jess is a good place to try out.

Oh, Jessie, how I love your wonderful location — bringing a piece of Hong Kong to my doorstep. It’s a bit small with 3 tables and a small selection of pastries compared to most places in Chinatown, but I just like it here because I feel like a regular. The girls are friendly and they actually have pretty good lunch deals.
I’m a big fan of the roast duck flat noodle soup. Although a bit oily, the duck always tastes fresh. The truth is, I’m just a regular for a good reason, and I wouldn’t want it out of my routine in any way. I should probably give less of a good review so it doesn’t get too crowded :).

This is a small Chinese restaurant by SVA, and I mean SMALL. When you first walk in, there are desserts on the side, kind of like Paris Baguette style.
As you walk towards the cashier, you see their menu on the wall, each one with a picture. Everything here is pretty cheap. My friend had been there before and he said all the chicken dishes were good. I got the general tsos and I thought it was pretty good. It wasn’t the best, but it was okay, it’s what you would expect if you paid what we did, and it comes with a side of rice. I was full after.
The only thing is, it took my food a while to come out. My friend ordered after me, and his meal came out before mine. Also, you could really tell that the lady there really wanted to go home, but I don’t think that’s any excuse for her to be rushing me to decide what I want and making me hurry. I’m the customer, she should be a bit more patient.

If you don’t live or work near Chinatown, this place will definitely give you a taste of Chinatown. Don’t get me wrong… I’m not saying this is Chinatown «quality» food, but it is definitely not chinese fast food either.
The food is good and the price is average, ranging from $ 3.50-$ 9 a plate. Generally, I like to order their general fried chicken because it generally taste good (hehe.but for real!) Whenever, I order it, it is always consistently crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and the sauce is never too over powering. Their onions and bean sprouts sauté ramen noodles is also pretty good and it’s only cost $ 3.50. Now who can beat that… huh???
What???
Yeah, that’s right… I didn’t’ think so!

One delicious roast pork bun will cost you $ 1.35. They are good for breakfast, lunch or dinner, it’s the best deal in the area, and that’s all you really need to know.
However, since I often overshare, I want you to know that these roast pork buns were my favorite thing to eat when I was a little kid. I’d thought I’d outgrown them, but I also thought I outgrew having my lunch money taken by bullies. (Jane* is scary when she’s hungry.)
As far as the other items on the menu are concerned, it’s not Chinatown, but the midtown markup seems minimal.
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Jess Bakery is excellent for its location… far, far away from the dingy, «fragrant» streets of Chinatown in July. I dropped by after reading Unilocal reviews and was actually quite impressed by the selection of pastries up front.
I was then approached by one of the workers, who took my order for two roast pork buns. She escaped into the kitchen, while an older woman wrote it down and took the cash. Two buns came out the kitchen, for which I gladly reached, but I was soon scolded by the older lady who said «those not for you! those for man who pick up!»… Shyly, I stepped back and waited my turn.
After some thinking and restraint from cursing the beejeezus out of her, I thought that the service isn’t necessarily rude, it’s just a poor command of English and the proper tones that separate anger and rudeness from cordiality.
The buns themselves were okay, not all that flavorful, I’ve had better in Chinatown from places to which I don’t know the names.
Would I come back? Maybe for a craving… but otherwise, I’m not too sure.