Hannah Fullmer

My stomach grumbled as I sat on the #6 bus, headed towards the Loop. It was only a short bus ride to Roosevelt Road where my friends and I would transfer to the red line train but I was already excited and, more importantly, hungry. After transferring, we rode south for several minutes and stepped off the train at Cermak/Chinatown. The journey may seem long (although it only took about an hour) but it was definitely worth it because that day I was on a mission of epic portions. A mission to find the best custard bun in Chinatown.

I first discovered custard buns last year when I happened to purchase one from a small Chinese bakery on Michigan Ave. and ever since I’ve been hooked. Custard buns are a sweet roll usually about the size of a tennis ball and are filled with a tasty egg custard roughly the consistency of the cream used to fill doughnuts.

When we finally arrived at Chinatown it was about 6:30 in the evening and the sun had already gone down, which was fine by me because I love this neighborhood at night. The marquees of restaurants and shops had been flipped on and were shining brightly as I walked up and down the streets of Chinatown, searching for bakeries and cafés. We were tempted by other treats, especially ones like green tea cake, cream cones, and almond cakes from the shops, but we controlled ourselves. In the end we purchased several buns, one from every bakery offering them.

Hannah Fullmer

My friends and I were famished from our custard bun search and decide to eat dinner before the judging. We stopped at a small restaurant within Chinatown and were seated on the second floor. The table was equipped with a large lazy susan, perfect for a group of friends to share a meal. We ordered several dishes and shared them amongst the table. Rice, pot stickers, pan fried noodles, crab rangoon, and shrimp spun around the table and were quickly devoured.

Our bellies were full and we began the judging. We gave each bun a number, ate them, and then compared. One bun’s custard filling was more yellow than the others, in another the dough was softer and sweeter, in some the custard was smoother or creamier.

We tallied the results and determined our winner: Feida Bakery. Their custard bun is of medium size but the dough is especially soft. An added sprinkling of salt atop the bun enhances the flavor of the sweet custard.

Dinner and judging completed, we make our way back to the red line station. We rode the train back to Roosevelt Road where we could the South Loop Shuttle home. Our stomachs were full, our heads buzzing. We enjoyed custard buns, friendship and the vibrant Chinatown neighborhood. Mission accomplished.

(courtesy of Liren Chen/Flickr)

An early morning fire spread through the kitchen of popular Chinatown restaurant Lao Sze Chuan. The blaze also damaged two neighboring restaurants in the Chinatown Square complex, but no one was injured. Although Lao Sze Chuan will likely be closed for a while, the indefatigable chef and “culinary superhero” Tony Hu has two other excellent restaurants nearby, Lao Beijing and Lao Shanghai. This fire follows a little over a year after another beloved Chinatown restaurant, Penang, succumbed to a kitchen fire. (via Gapers Block)

On a happier note, Chicagoist is reporting that the 47th Street Marketplace, destroyed by a fire in January, should be open again soon. Repairs are underway, and tenants such as Blu47 and the Jamaican Consulate are expected to be able to return in three to four months, according to building owner East Lake Management.