Tai Pan Bakery
Food Stop: Tai Pan Bakery
by Rachel Furr
When my group visited Flushing, we stopped at Tai Pan Bakery for dessert after eating lunch at Joe’s Shanghai. Tai Pan Bakery opened its first location in Flushing in 1990, and now it has expanded to two locations in Flushing and one in Manhattan Chinatown. Tai Pan Bakery serves a variety of baked goods like bread, pastries, and cake, as well as a wide selection of cold and hot teas and other drinks.
The first thing I noticed upon entering the bakery was the décor. It was colourful and inviting, with stainless steel counters and neon lights. We took our place in line, and I looked at the menu as well as all the treats in the display counter. When I saw all the little cakes, I knew that was what I wanted, but it was difficult to choose one. It came down to a tie between a little cake shaped like a panda bear and a little chocolate cake. In the end, I chose the little chocolate cake. Chris got two almond custards and bubble tea. Dylan got two roast pork buns, and Alex got a little cake too. After picking out our treats, we sat down to eat and shared our treats with each other. The little cakes disappointed me. They looked so delicious, but they were spongy and not very sweet. I expected them to taste much different. Chris’s almond custard was delicious, but I did not like his bubble tea. I did not like bubble tea when I tried it on our visit to the Lower East Side, but I figured I would give it another shot. It is way too sweet and the tapioca balls have a slimy texture. I did not try Dylan’s pork buns because I am a vegetarian.
Tai Pan Bakery is an Asian bakery that specializes in Chinese pastries and buns. This reflects the transformation of Flushing into the “second Chinatown” or “Little Taipei.” Between 1970 and 1990, the Asian population of Flushing increased from virtually nonexistent to 41 percent. Today, it is hard to imagine Flushing without the Asian immigrants who give it so much character. Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese restaurants and bakeries are a common site in Flushing. Tai Pan Bakery serves the sizeable Asian population in Flushing with a wide array of familiar sweets and treats. When we went, there was a large crowd, mostly Asian, and I noticed the staff spoke Chinese to the customers. Restaurants like Tai Pan Bakery provide immigrants with a familiar place to get comforts of home, like cakes and pastries.
Tai Pan Bakery was the first Chinese bakery I had ever visited, and I discovered I do not have much of a taste for Chinese pastries and cakes. However, I can understand their appeal and popularity. These foods have a distinct flavour that is familiar for many Asian immigrants. Tai Pan Bakery provides the Asian population of Flushing with native foods, as well as providing a new experience for non-Asians who would like to try something new. I enjoyed our visit to Tai Pan Bakery, even though I did not enjoy the food. Now, I know what Chinese pastries taste like, and it provided me with some insight into the culture of the bustling Asian community in Flushing.
