There isn’t a whole lot of variety in cuisine around the Lehigh Valley. It’s mostly Italian, Chinese take-out, diners and chain restaurants. But there are some gems so I can’t complain too much.
Recently, a new place opened up a few miles from my work and I knew I needed to try it because it was a BAKERY opened by a CHINESE guy, which can only mean one thing…CHINESE PASTRIES!
Maybe my expectations were way too high, but it wasn’t quite what I expected. Maybe it’s the location or the Lehigh Valley area in general, but it seemed that their pastries were all Americanized in some way. For example, what would be a cocktail bun (Gae Mei Bao in Canto) had a thick custard filling like that of a Boston Creme doughnut instead of that delicious, sweet, buttery, crumbly filling. I picked up a Green Tea Swirl pastry for my brother and got to try a bite later. The dough was really good and traditional in flavor and texture, but it had a coffee filling that left somewhat of a bad after taste. I appreciate what they’re trying to do, but Chinese pastries are perfect just the way they are! My friend got a Turkey and Artichoke pastry which she said was really good. So I’ll probably give it another chance.
I did order something off their cafe menu–roast beef with Boursin cheese panini on sourdough, pictured below. The roast beef had a ton of flavor without being too salty. The Boursin cheese was a perfect addition of slight tartness and creaminess. And the sweet onions and arugula gave it a nice crunch and additional flavor. Mouth-watering, satisfying and filling. A perfect sandwich! I’m looking forward to trying some of the other items on their menu.
Jen & Trudy Eat 