Sunshine Cafe

I went to Japan & Thailand & the bubble tea out there was not as delicious as Sunshine Café. Oh how I missed my Taro Milk Tea. :)

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have discovered a Chinese bakery this far up north (south of 14^th Street). I was going to blow $ 12 or more on a salmon lox sandwich at Russ & Daughters when I recalled catching a glimpse of Chinese buns on this block.
And lo and behold, Sunshine Café! They have all the trappings of a typical Chinese bakery: minimal sitting space, grimey display windows, questionable fruit cakes and surly cashier. But this one spoke English!
I got myself a hot dog bun and a custard bun, and as I bit into the hot dog bun I was pleading in my head; please be good, please be good, I really want to have a come-​back Chinese bakery within walking distance of my apartment. And it was good! The bread was relatively soft considering that I got it late in the day. The custard bun was not so good though; soggy crust and stiff bread.
But I’d rather be disappointed by something that cost me $ 0.85 than something ten times its price. Also, Chinese bakeries are incredibly value-​for-​money — where you gon get an American pastry for less than a dollar anywhere?

This is more of a bakery than a café. Yes if you blink you’ll miss it. I missed it the first time I walked by. It’s a small, modest space but the hotdog scallion rolls ($ 0.85) are good. The tapioca in the milk tea had had a strange almost shredded texture to them but maybe it was just a bad batch.
It’s a very tiny place. Not really a sit down and linger for hours type of place but there are stools and a bar-​type seating by the window.

Hotdog & Scallion bun — 85 cents
very hearty, very tasty, it has 4 big slices of hotdog and scallion on the top, very good combo. (I don’t even normally eat hotdog.)
Almond butter twist — one dollar
dry side, not much flavor, but reeely big if you are into value meal
Custard bun — 75 cents
good flavor, soft and tender, ridiculously cheap
Donut — 85 cents
pretty bad, they need to do something about the oil they use and work on the dough also.
overall, I’d give 2, but everything is so cheap, value for the money is so great, I’d give 3 stars.
I spent $ 3.40 for 4 big pastries that can feed more than 4 people.
When I spend $ 4 at most pastry shops that I go to, I get one pasty that can only be a snack

Stopped in here today after lunch.
I wanted to give this place 2 stars but don’t think that’s fair after only purchasing my one small almond roll cake for only $ 1.
It was cold from the counter refrigeration, and seems just a little stale.
There are so many of these little Chinese bakeries, that I wouldn’t go to one if it sold me stale food. There are just too many options.
The young counter girl was so friendly and patient as I mulled my decision, that sometimes that means almost as much as the food.
All in all, I’m sure if I hit this place a few times over the course of a year it’d be 4 stars, but today, it was just 3.

Really really cheap and good.
Their steam buns are some of the best I’ve had in all of New York City because they are not gummy and chewy like most, but soft and easy to pull apart and their curry beef pie is also really good for only 80 cents.
But if you get coffee, they only have cream for it which I found disappointing.
Also, I didn’t have enough money so she let me come back later to pay her.

Just discovered this last week, and have already been back three times. I love it because:
a) it’s conveniently located next to the 2^nd Ave F entrance at Allen and Houston (and ½ block from my apartment),
b) it’s supercheap,
c) the staff people are very, very smiley,
d) the almond butter twists are consistently delicious – tender, slight sugar crust, not too sweet and not too oily, and
e) I have a soft spot for holes-​in-​the-​wall.
I’m giving it four stars instead of five ONLY because I haven’t tried anything beyond the aforementioned almond butter twist… but I’ll update my review once I get sick of those and move onto the other offerings!

I’m collecting a huge reserve of scallion hotdog buns in case the world ends.

If you blink when you’re walking past, you’ll miss this place. So don’t blink.
Sunshine Café’s egg custard tarts are better than the namesake at Egg Custard King. Seriously. We got there when they were still warm today, and that was a real treat on a blustery fall day. Vividly hued, rich, yolky goodness with a nicely browned flakey crust. Perfecto! At $ 0.80/ea, they’re an even more fun way to invest your pocket change than the penny arcade at Commerce bank.

You’re walking up Allen St. towards the 2^nd Ave. stop, running late, wondering how you’re going to have time to eat lunch, and where, since you didn’t bother to pack anything… pop into Sunshine Café! Quick’n’easy stop for 75 cent pork buns (the kind with the sweet glaze outside).a great snack if you’re on the go! I haven’t tried any of their sweeter things but there is a nice display of them.
Yes, it’s well-​hidden by scaffolding and the store front is small and narrow, but don’t forget it’s there!

The sign on the door says Sun Shine Café with Chinese letters below. I stopped in today for the first time even though I’ve walked past it millions of times before and got a coffee and a pineapple custard pastry (for 75 cents)!
Sweet custardy heaven! There is so many yummies to go back and try. And since it’s so darn cheap I can afford to do so.
They also have bubble drinks and those other delicious drinks … I’m blanking on the names. And if you want something more savory they have sandwiches and pork rolls and lots of other stuff that I’ll update you on after my next visit.