Bargain bakery in NYC

(my actual food!) I thought I was stuffed a few nights back until I saw the window of Egg Custard King Cafe in NYC's Chinatown. Puff pastry treats and colorful sweets beckoned and I found my dessert stomach rumbling with hunger. It wasn't a hard decision to cross the street and step into the cafe.

Inside I ordered two delicious treats, each under $1. The first, a mini-egg custard in a flaky crust, was my favorite. I love flan and creme brulee and the egg custard, above, had a similar texture. Soft, slightly warm, and sweet. At 70 cents each I was addicted. Why didn't I buy a dozen more?

Next up was a sweet rice ball, below, with diced peanuts and sugar in the middle. It was covered in coconut flakes and about the size of a baseball. Eating the gooey ball with my fingers made me feel adventurous. But it was an awful lot of chewy ricey goodness for one person and I did not finish mine. Hubby would only sniff it. Still, at 90 cents I felt it was a good deal.

I'm not very familiar with LA's Chinatown but I bet it has similar low-priced bakeries. Here is a list of Chinatown restaurants that includes Family Pastries Inc., Co Co Bakery, and Fun On Bakeries. Check one out and try and egg custard!

If you are in NYC Egg Custard King Cafe is on Lafayette just south of Canal.