If you like buns, that's one of the best places to get one! They specialize in buns, but ofcourse they have some other stuff too! My favourite one is definetly the pummpking buns they are so delicious! It's large and got nice flavor! To be honest it's really affordable and nice to try! I will definetly recommend!

Excellent salted egg bun. It's not actually salty, it's sweet with the hint of salt. Think salted caramel but with egg and sugar instead. They sell semi cooked in bulk and also cooked ready to eat individually.

Hidden gem. Generously sized, hot and fresh steamed buns for $1. Very friendly English-speaking staff. Try the steamed pork buns, red bean buns, and pumpkin buns. They also have egg tarts, coffee and tea.

I love pork buns and these are some of the best I’ve ever had, and so cheap.

bought an 8 pack of adzuki /redbean steam buns (white fluffy) for $4. really really good price! if you wrap them with a lightly damp paper towel and microwave 30 to 60 seconds they're fantastic. smooth. bean paste, well proportioned, not too sweet (but def sweet). guy there (I assume owner) was super nice and spoke fluent English. he suggested a salty egg bun - will try it next time.

Food - 5/5 If you’re looking for delicious yet cheap boas, this is where you go! Fluffy buns envelopes delicious fillings. Personal favorites are the salted egg yolk, big baos and char sui baos. The big bao is packed with pork, chinese sausage and an half boiled egg. For $1.50, you get a nutritious snack that will hold you over till your next meal. The salted egg yolk is just divine. If the name scares you, it’s actually a creamy, sweet and savory custard bun. Must try and you’ll be back for more! Ambiance Is a buy and go. It’s sort of a bao wholesalers which also does retail Service 5/5 Friendly and helpful. Over the counter service Vegetarian options available

Amazing egg custard bun for $1.50

You can’t beat the price, best steam buns in Chinatown. By the each or to go by the pack for reheat later. Salted egg yolk is 🔥

Found this the first time I visited NYC Chinatown - been regularly coming back! Sweet , savory and plain buns sold in bulk - ready to eat and heated throughout the week. Reminds me so much of home (Southeast Asia❤️)

My absolute fav place for pork steamed buns !! I would eat them every day!!!

Amazing bao (buns) and super cheap too. Come by in the morning for a wide selection of freshly made bao. You have to take them to go though as there's no seating.

We absolutely love this place. We come here to stock up on our pork buns (char siu baos). In Hawaii, char siu baos (or manapuas as we call it) is a staple in Hawaii culture stemming back from the old sugar mill plantation days. Everywhere you go in Hawaii you have manapua. Golden steamer is probably the best in our opinion in taste and price. We come here every couple months to stock our freezer with this delectable and easy snack. We usually buy about 10-12 six packs each time we make the drive to NYC. Just keep it in the freezer and when you want one (or2) just pop it in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for a minute or so, and you’re set to go. The kids love it and it’s fills them when they want something to snack on.

The bread of their buns is so moist and fluffy with just the right bit of sweetness and fillings are all so so good. Best spot in Chinatown for steamed buns.

So good! Make sure you go early in the morning, otherwise they will be sold out of all of the buns! The pumpkin bun is truly as good as everyone says. I think it was $2 for one bun. It’s a hole in the wall for sure, and no seating, but grab some buns and then walk to one of the parks nearby to enjoy!

Exactly what I want in a steamed bun! I got the: * Pumpkin bun - sweet, fluffy, warm, & delicious * Pork & vegetable bun - savory, filling, warm, and tasty! I'm totally full, cost me $3.25. Easy recommend. 👍👍

The best buns in Chinatown alongside Mei Li Wah. The pork, salted egg yolk and pumpkin buns are all delicious. It closes kind of early which is a bummer, and they can run out of buns early (sometimes as soon as 3PM!). They also have buns you can take home and steam at home which are a great addition.

My favorite sweet bao in the city. The red bean, lotus paste, and pumpkin buns are all incredible and always come out warm and fresh from the steamer. At a little over a buck for one large bun, this place cannot be beat.

Small like shop with barely anywhere to sit. They make the best pork BBQ bun you’ll ever have. After eating one steamed for you, buy the pack of 6 buns and take them home. They also make great gifts, I swear.

Loved my steamed custard bun. Just decadent.

Amazing no-nonsense place with cheap and incredibly delicious buns. I don't eat beef or pork but they had good options for me and we're very friendly and spoke English. Highly recommend for a quick breakfast bun when you're on the run and in Chinatown.

I love Golden Steamer bun shop. Of course the specialties are the variety of steamed buns (baos). The top seller is the egg yolk bun. The classic meatball bun does not disappoint either. Hidden in the back cases are my favorite baked buns. They have the classic roast pork buns sold 3/$1.50. What a deal! If you have a sweet tooth, they have the pineapple buns and milk buns. Also sold 3/$1.50. Small shop, crowded and favorites sell out by end of day.

I love this place with all of my heart. I've probably had everything on the menu by now. Highlights being the salted egg bun( WOW ) and the roast pork pie(this is a baked roast pork pastry, not the steamed or baked bun, altho those are also very good). Everything being around $1 each is just icing on top. The ladies are also really lovely there. You can also take home a box of buns to steam at home for about $5. This place is what heaven for carb lovers must be like.

Really good pork bun for $1.25. Bun was not too dense, nice and fluffy. Not hard to eat. Pork was very flavorful. Perfect amount of sweetness, a little more and I would've disliked it.

This bakery does just one thing and they do it AMAZINGLY. The best steamed buns in all of Chinatown, full stop. I highly recommend the pumpkin for something sweet and creamy or the roast pork for something savory.

I highly recommend this place for some great buns. I suggest getting the salted egg buns and pork buns. A package of 6 costs $5.50. They are easy to reheat: just wrap them in a damp paper towel and throw them in the microwave for 1.5 mins. Great for on the go!

The bun boss of NYC! Every time I visit NYC I always make sure to stop by here for breakfast or a quick snack. Their big bun is enough for a day's meal for ~$2. Also, their custard and salted yolk buns are another thing to try.

Fresh made steamed buns were fantastic! Tried the egg yolk bun and red bean bun since they ran out of the regular plain steamed bun. Also got to buy some buns to take back home. Will definitely come again when I'm back!

$9 for 6 buns! Takeout only but ready to go and got, sell pre packed (6 or so) frozen/cold buns to bring home. RECOMMEND Big bun; pork bun; pineapple with pork (sweet)

I came across this place by accident, coming back from getting lunch. I only had five dollars and a bit of change, but was able to buy a box of buns. I wasn’t expecting much, but these buns were fantastic! I am so glad that I found a good bottle place in New York City! I will definitely be back.

Found this place randomly and now it’s our favorite!! Always get their roast pork buns to go or to take home and have later they are delicious and only a $1 a piece!! Custard bun is yum too!

A great place to stock up on Chinese steamed buns. Favorites in include: salted custard, big bun (pork, chicken, egg) and baked BBQ pork. Cash only and go on the early side as items definitely sell out

A little walk from the train station, but totally worth it! Their steamed buns are super tasty and cheap besides - a winning combo! Staff was friendly too. Try the roast pork and the pumpkin! :^)

The Golden Steamer is heaven! It is simply the best place in NYC to eat under a dollar! Freshly made, still hot, nothing is better than their amazing pumpkin bun (I'm still dreaming of it) and it's only 70 cents! My only criticism would be that the pork bun we tried was too little filled. But for less than $1 are you really gonna complain? Oh and btw while you're in Chinatown, don't expect any kind service anywhere.

This is hands down the best bakery in Chinatown NYC. The steamed red bean bun is incredibly fresh - the bun is so fluffy and the beans taste like they were harvested that day. The other flavors are good too like the Chicken cabbage bun and pumpkin. Cannot say enough good things about this place.

I decided to grab a couple buns for a quick lunch and was so happy I did! The pumpkin bun is a must, absolutely delicious.

Amazing! So fresh and tasty and huge! $1.25 per bun. We had red bean and egg custard.

The pumpkin bun, pork vegetable bun, hot dog bun and roast pork bun were amazing. They were really fluffy and delicious. Definitely recommend.

Discovered thanks to Lonely Planet. Cheap and amazing pork bun in Chinatown NYC ! You can have them cold or warmed and enjoy them while walking around in Chinatown. They were rrrreally good !

Their buns taste the so good and no other can beat their price!! Got 1 cha siu bun for $1 . (They’re cash only)

I ordered the steamed roast pork bun.It was really soft and delicious!I hope to come back here!

Visited NYC for the weekend and had a bun every morning. If I could eat here everyday I would. The buns are the perfect consistency and always fresh. You also literally cannot beat the price.

This is becoming one of my favorite places in Chinatown for a quick snack or breakfast. I can't believe I just discovered this place! So far I tried their steamed buns with pumpkin filling, salted egg custard, and bbq pork. I like the custard one the best although all three are good. The bun is so so so fluffy! The price ranges from $0.80 to $1.10 and the bun is pretty big. I was stuffed after two. You can also buy in bulk and steam it at home. Their ice coffee is pretty good as well!

Really nice steamed buns at a great price.

A little shop that specializes in steam buns. We were looking for dessert, so got the pumpkin, red bean, and egg custard. The fillings were generous and tasty, buns were also good, buns were big, and all of it was quick and dirt cheap.

Visited this place in 2017 and now in 2022. The place hasn't changed. Cheap and really delicious. The buns are soft although the filling might be oddly portioned. My pumpkin bun was lacking a bit in the filling whereas the custard bun was overflowing. Still delicious and hasn't changed at all.

It's all about the buns, and they are fluffy and oh so delicious! Pros: An array of freshly made steamed buns for around 80 to 90 cents each. Pumpkin is my favorite but salted egg yolk is a close runner up. Also roast pork, pork and veggie, and red bean...don't make me choose! You can also get 6 packs of buns to go and steam them at home. Cons: The place is tiny with no seating and it doesn't take credit card.

These buns are fantastic. You can get hot, individual buns or containers of six to go-- I usually do the latter, since a bun is the perfect breakfast on the go! The pork and red bean are my favorite, though last time they were out of both. The woman behind the counter suggested the pumpkin and they are delicious, too! I'm convinced you can't go wrong with any of their buns.

Their steam buns are delicious. My personal favorites are their pumpkin buns. The have a lovely egg yolk like color, sweet taste and the filling is creamy like custard. I highly recommend this place to everyone looking for a quick bite.

Ash

OH MY GOSH i wish we had this where I live. Less than $3 for a HUGE 大包 (the “Big Bun”) in NYC?? Sooo good! Pork bun is also yummy <33 I’m gonna bring some home in my luggage LOL. The place is cash or venmo only I believe. They also had mooncakes (unsure if it’s seasonal for October) and packaged Asian bread/pastries.

David Vander Meer

Golden Steamer is a Chinatown gem! If you’re in the area, this spot is a must. The buns are soft, fresh, and consistently delicious. The Pumpkin Bun is probably their most popular—sweet, smooth, and totally addictive. I also loved the Salted Egg Yolk Bun (sweet-salty perfection) and the Roast Pork Bun, which was packed with flavorful filling. Prices are super reasonable, and everything is steamed fresh. Great for a quick snack or to grab a few for later, as they reheat well. Service is fast, no-frills, and efficient.

Wichayamas “Gift” Paekul

I love the big buns and custard buns from here. Always get myself a pack of each to heat up at home for breakfast/ snack. The service is quick. The buns are tasty and cheap. A box of big buns is only $7! The buns and frozen dim sum are already packed in boxes on the shelves and in the fridge. If you want to buy an individual piece, just go up to the counter and let the worker know.

Emily M

Cash only, no frills - pumpkin bun is large and soft, with good filling ratio

Beatrice Evans

I know this place got kind of popular online so I was expecting to have to shell out a little more than you do at some of the “underground” places. I was pleasantly surprised; I bought 5 buns and the total was like 8-12$ (I forgot the number but remember my shock at the steal). Not only was the food super cheap, it was also really good! I’m a fan of lean cuts of meat and normally compromise when I get a roast pork bun, but there was only 1-2 big chunks of fat. I also got the chicken bun and that was great as well. The red bean bun I liked less—definitely not sweet enough for my western tastes 😅.

Andrew Brandon

If you're a fan of fresh authentic steamed buns, this is the spot for you! It's a cozy little shop on Mott, the staff were very friendly, the buns were incredibly delicious. I wish I had a place like this near home !

+1

bobwho1995

Got the pumpkin bun $1.75 and the da bao $2.25. pumpkin bun was light, fluffy, sweet with a soft filling inside. Da bao was also fluffy with a meat center of ground chicken, a quail egg, and a piece of sausage. The bun though is kinda thick. Pumpkin bun 7.5/10. Da bao 7.7/10.

Aspen Bickel

super delicious steamed buns for just $1 each. I got one lotus and one pork filling, definitely worth a visit!

Viraj Patel

4/5/18 visit: This place specializes in steamed pork buns. They are crazy cheap at only 90 cents for a full size roast pork bun right out of the steamer. I also tried a steamed pork and cabbage bun which was also good. They have a pumpkin bun which I'd like to try next time. 1/21/22 visit: Had the pumpkin (amazing, 5 stars), custard cream (5 stars), red bean (4.5 stars), and roast pork (4.75 stars) steamed buns.

Mind Tienpasertkij

Best buns I’ve had outside of Asia. Really cheap for such big buns! A family friend bought some for me for the first time (the big buns, salted egg buns, and the roasted pork). I was supposed to share it with some friends, but they took too long to get to them so I ate all 6 😅 this time I got the salted egg buns and roasted pork.

Kay Pepper

If you are a fan of Meat Buns, Nikuman, or Banh Bao, whatever you want to call it, then this is your place! I tried a few other places, but this one takes the cake and it like a hidden gem on Mott Street! Dough - they all use the same dough an it tastes very good, fluffy and soft texture, very authentic Chinese dough, compared to more harder variations of others countries that make it. The dough also does a good job of absorbing the flavor of the ingredients inside. Food - Big Bun ($1.75) - I bought this one because I tend to eat Meat Buns with pork, sausage, and eggs ever since I was a child. This one is extremely good, the sausage and eggs was nothing special unfortunately, but the pork mixture was amazing! the combination of celery and jicama/daikon (not sure) gives it a very nice crunch, the pork mixture is not heavily salted and has a lot of juice! I would recommend just getting the regular Pork Bun ($1.25) if that is what your feeling for. Selection - Nice selection of chicken, pork, cremes like red bean. You are even able to take home a pack as long as you have a way to steam it! Prices are affordable at an average of ($1.25) give or take. They also fill you up pretty good. A $15 lunch or a $1.25 snack that will hold you down the same, your choice. Thoughts - I recommend it it anyone who like Meat Buns, good quality with fresh ingredients, being affordable, not surprisingly as its Chinatown, is a takeaway. When you in the area, try it out, its worth the stop!

Yun Fei Sng

I am here literally every other week to pick up the fluffiest baos in New York City. They sell fresh baos from the oven, and also refrigerated packages of 6 that are just as good after a quick 90-second steam in the microwave. At this point, I've probably had every steamed bun flavor they have, and I'll be coming back for more as long as I live in New York.

Cash only. Be careful not to order too much, the buns are really big and filling. There are no tables.

Great place to grab buns in boxes for steaming at home or also steamed for you to eat on the go. Good value, tasty buns. Cash payment, quick service, English signs and menu.

This place is great (get the pumpkin buns!!!!!) but I’m not sure if their hours here are up to date? I’ve gone twice when they supposedly were open only for them to be closed. I wouldn’t make this place a destination for that reason but it’s worth swinging by and hopefully picking up some steam buns if you’re in the area :)

Friday morning, I stepped into this bakery nestled in the heart of Chinatown surprised I haven't been here before.  I was greeted by their softened smell of savory and sweet buns eminating from all directions.  They didn't have dim sum or Dai bao ready, so I opted for the pork & vegetable as well as a roast pork bun ($1.70 total). So delicious I wished I wasn't going to work, but instead bringing a bunch back home.

I go for the great selection of steamed buns. They have egg/sausage, pork and custard buns. And also pumpkin which I tried for the first time and yum 😋. A new favorite to add to my list. They sell them in refrigerated 6 packs so you can buy and freeze for later as I do.

The buns here are amazing, no doubt. Cheap, big, delicious and filling. That said, minus one star for lying and trying to upsell me. I was asking for one salted egg bun and they kept telling me they didn’t have any, I could only get the six pack. Two other people came in after me and got a singular salted egg bun!! I had to ask three different people and argue with them until they finally gave me just one. Not sure if they were trying to rip me off or what, but it made the bun taste a little less than stellar.

The bun is big the taste is good ,less expensive

+2

The best place for salted egg york bun in NY. But it gets sold out so quickly so I always need to come there in the early morning to buy one pack. One star down because the amount of egg york is a bit inconsistent. Sometime it is full of them and taste great. Sometime with no luck, just a little so I don’t know what to expect. Also, the buns are a bit large to me. Rather than 6 large in a pack, 8 smaller sounds great. I tried several fillings but don’t like them too much.

12/4/14: I tried two steamed buns from this shop and they were both delicious. The pork was not like I remembered it and the red bean is hard to describe but I would order them again in a quick second. Palm sized, fresh, a little doughy, filling, and affordable. Would go again.

Craving chinese steam buns… try Golden Steamer. Their steam buns were incredibly soft and fluffy, and the pork and cabbage filling was both flavorful and juicy, making for a super yummy experience. I'm looking forward to sampling their other flavors soon.

Their big bun is interesting because it had an egg in it. I think the dough was a bit thick but the bun was still very delicious!

Great buns at a good price. I had the baked roast pork bun.

Frozen dumplings are $15 for 30. Dumplings are kind of small compared to go believe / other frozen shops in the area. Buns are big and fluffy with lots of filling and around $6 for 6, depending on the kind. I went at 3pm and they didn’t have any individual hot buns available. Cash only.

Tried their pumpkin buns and it was really delicious! The bun is large but so yummy - it got a nice pumpkin flavor. A little bit similar to the custard bun but not as sweet. Also got some bbq pork bun and pineapple buns for the 3 for $1.5 deal. Pretty standard items at a good price. Popular items run out at the end of day so arrive early.

Amara V

Staff was super nice and explained what each bun was. There's no seating, but we stood to the side to try out the buns. The buns were very soft and had the right amount of moisture, not soggy at all. The filling was flavorful. We ended up getting three boxes for about $20!

Linda M

4.4 stars. Reasonably priced boxed take to take home stuffed buns. The bun is very light and fluffy. The red roast pork filling was a good amount and the taste was pretty good. We liked the smaller, slightly sweet, baked, 8-to-a-box, red roast pork buns better because of the higher meat to bun ratio. I tried the salted egg custard bun for the first time and it was pretty good. Comparable to Go Believe Bakery on Grand, which always has a consistent amount of meat but less airy bun.

Jennifer

I stumbled upon this little bakery as it was across the street from my favorite Chinese grocery store. It's a tiny shop on a busy street full of shops. It's a pretty generic looking bakery so you can easily walk past and miss it. The place specializes in all sorts of steamed buns. I visited a few times and bought several different ones. I always buy the convenient prepackaged box of 6 buns to steam at home. They are freshly made, and I often see condensation inside the lid. You don't need a fancy bamboo steamer to reheat at home either! I use a trivet inside a low stock pot and the buns heat up wonderfully! They come out soft and fluffy like the first day! Notably, there is more bun to filling. However, the fillings are very sweet, so I think the ratio is on point! My favorites include the pumpkin, custard, and roast pork buns. The buns are very inexpensive too for the quality!

+2

Wilson Tsang

Fairly inexpensive steamed buns and drinks, don’t expect amazing service and not all the buns come hot ( we wanted the Chinese sausage buns but they only come cold to steam at home) but they have cheaper docs packs that you warm in the oven at home as well as individual buns ready to eat.

Had the pork and pineapple buns

The bigger breads do feel under cooked but I didn't get sick. I still like the food. The pumpkin taste a bit weird but it was good overall.

A very basic Chinese food restaurant that seems to specialize in steamed buns. I had the pork and vegetable bun. The filling was good, but there was a lot of bun to get through before reaching it. It's hard to complain, though, since it cost less than a dollar. There is no décor. Come in, get your bun, and get out.

Large selection of steamed buns. But I buy the mini baked buns, though the prices have gone up and is more expensive than the supermarket across the street. The servers can be real jerks sometimes and I'm saying this as a Chinese person.

$2.00 pork buns. Great flavor.

Greg Wu

I found a piece of string in the salted egg yolk bun, which is troubling, but I’m also relieved it wasn’t something else … shrinkflation has been evident not only in the amount of the bun fillings, but the quality of the BBQ pork (a lot more fat instead of meat).

I've been going to golden steamer for more than 15 years. Even after I moved away, I came back and bought boxes to bring home with me. This time, I bought 3 boxes of char siew baos (total 18 baos!) home with me. The filling to bao ratio is now very sad and nothing like the old days. There is hardly any filling. I know inflation is bad, but I'd rather pay for inflation than deal with shrinkflation.

Nasty! Nasty! Nasty! She was yelling the whole time…. The pork buns were full of just fat and it was cold, even after I told her I wanted the hot ones she got mad and purposely gave me cold. Bad service and if you’ve ever bitten into cold congealed pork fat before then you know why I feel nauseated. Standards went down after Covid, this place use to be good.

The food is always fantastic. We have been here multiple times and always spending $80 or more here. The combo bun is always the favorite for us. About 5 days ago my mom and I visited again and we got the combo bun and the roast pork. But the roast pork bun is horrible. It's mostly dough with very little roast pork. I attached the picture to this review. We went back in right away, not even 5 minutes later when we opened the bun and the cashier was extremely nasty. She yelled at us saying "we don't care! We do not take back once you leave!" That is NOT how you talk to customers. But, before we even left, when my mom gave them money to pay today, the cashier gave my mom a $10 bill and $1 coin. But my mom asked if she could get a $1 bill or 4 quarters because she didn't want the $1 coin. The cashier reluctantly gave my mom the $1 bill while slamming it onto the counter with a horrible attitude. Then she proceeded to talk about my mom and myself in a different language to the workers in the back. What kind of customer service is that? We are a paying customer and when we ask for something, just be polite and give. It was small, hot, dirty, and the atmosphere was weird to begin with. The store is in a small corner that you would miss it if you weren't paying attention. They also only have a "B" rating for the health satiation. Terrible customer service. If I could, I would give 0 stars for customer services.

Jeff T. Critic

Golden Steamer/Roast Pork Egg Bun: This pork bun was not fun to consume because there was too much bread and too little pork. At least the pigeons enjoyed feasting over the leftover bun.

Tennie Tong

I purchased 8 in a box pork bun a month ago, the bread was not fully cooked! Sticky texture ! Flat piece like a pancake not a bun ! And yesterday my husband bought a box again happen the same ! I remember years ago was so good now changed! I would not buy it anymore! ☹️

hoale quan

I have bought freshly baked steamed buns from this store many times, but this morning I bought the overnight large buns from this store. I could see that the skin was obviously yellow and the meat inside was hard when I tore the skin off. I immediately returned to the store to tell me that I wanted to return or exchange it. The clerk told me that the goods would not be returned or exchanged after leaving the store. I tried to find the manager to report the situation but was told that the manager was not available. I had no choice but to throw away these big bags and never go back. Remind everyone not to buy overnight bags again!