Yasmin was trying to find this white Chinese steamed spongy rice cake (Pak Tong Koh). I pointed at the outdoor corner markets underneath the Manhattan Bridge on East Broadway, but she said she already tried there. So we walked around to find it.
We passed by Golden Bowl seeing if it was in the window. No luck, but I did see these scallion doughnut rings. The lady at Golden Bowl tried to get me in, but instead I walked over next door to Yi Mei Gourmet and got it. Why? There was one person in line and none in the other. Cheap. Three for $1. It was fried crispy scallion-filled dough. I thought it had sort of a fishy or seafood aroma to it. It left my fingers very oily.
We went into several bakeries. None of them had the steamed rice cake, but I did get a craving for mooncake after I saw so many. So we went back to the first bakery that had the cheapest ones, Golden Fung Wong on Mott. The Lotus Paste mooncake with Two Yolks was $2.25 I believe. I told Yasmin that the yolk is good luck, so having two yolks is double. I thought I made that up, but it turns out it’s true.
We were stuffed and parted ways. I headed back to the train and walked by one of the outdoor corner markets underneath the Manhattan Bridge (South East corner of East Broadway and Division), where I saw what we were looking for this whole time. A bag of the Pak Tong Koh steamed cake for $1. It must’ve been the mooncake yolk luck. The cake had a tad of sweetness and yeast flavor, but mostly bland. Airy, spongy and felt like fake boobs. Extra lucky.
Yi Mei Gourmet Food Inc. – 51 Division St. Chinatown NYC 10002
Golden Fung Wong Bakery – 41 Mott St (btwn Pell & Bayard St) New York, NY 10013
Outdoor market for Pak Tong Koh steamed cake – S.E. corner of East Broadway at Division, near the Manhattan Bridge
There use to be a store on the corner of Division and Catherine streets that sold homemade soybean milk and “pak tong koh,” but unfortunately it closed. It’s sad that we’re slowly seeing these wonderful places disappear!
I agree. I keep hoping I see new places open up that happen to be iconic food places. But I guess that’s not possible.
There is a store on mott (btwn pell & bayard) that sells the best steamed sugar rice cakes in nyc. It’s not a bakery, but they also make soybean milk, tofu custard, and other things. You can get the steamed sugar rice cakes in white sugar and yellow sugar. Not sure of the name, but it is on the east side of the street and there is a watch vendor right outside.
Thanks for the tip!
mhmmm.i only like chinese if its from a chinese resturant tbh….