Black Star Bakery & Cafe Menu

Baked Buns

Sweet-dough buns baked throughout the day in Hong Kong-style bakeries, sold individually from glass cases.

• Gai Mei BaoVegetarianCocktail bun filled with a sweet, buttery coconut paste and topped with two decorative stripes and sesame seeds.
• Baked Char Siu BaoSavoryA glossy, honey-glazed bun wrapped around chopped Cantonese barbecue pork in a sweet-savory oyster sauce gravy.
• Hot Dog BunSavoryA cocktail sausage coiled in soft, slightly sweet bread, sometimes with ketchup and scallions, a nostalgic lunchbox snack.
• Taro BunVegetarianA shaped bun filled with lavender-tinted taro paste, mildly sweet with an earthy, vanilla-like flavor.
• Ham and Egg BunSavorySoft bread rolled with a slice of ham and topped with egg salad and scallion, savory and comforting.
• Coconut Cream BunVegetarianHong Kong cream bun split and piped with sweet whipped butter cream, then rolled in shredded coconut.
• Bo Lo BaoVegetarian · Popular pickThe pineapple bun, named for its crackly, golden sugar-cookie crust rather than any fruit; the milk bread beneath stays fluffy.

Steamed & Dim Sum To-Go

Steamed buns and dim sum items, packed hot in boxes for takeout.

• Lo Mai GaiSavoryGlutinous rice steamed in a lotus leaf with chicken, Chinese sausage, and mushroom, absorbing the leaf's tea-like aroma.
• Siu MaiSavoryOpen-topped steamed dumplings of minced pork and shrimp in thin yellow wrappers, juicy and bouncy, often garnished with roe.
• Har GowSavoryTranslucent wheat-starch dumplings pleated around plump whole shrimp, slippery-chewy with a clean, sweet seafood flavor.
• Lo Bak GoSavoryTurnip cake of shredded daikon, rice flour, Chinese sausage, and dried shrimp, steamed then pan-fried for a crisp crust.
• Steamed Char Siu BaoSavoryFluffy white bun that splits open at the top to reveal sticky, sweet roast pork filling, soft and pillowy.
• Nai Wong BaoVegetarianSteamed custard bun filled with a smooth, sunshine-yellow milk-and-egg custard, sweet with a hint of coconut.

Pastries & Tarts

Flaky lard- or butter-based pastries and custard tarts rooted in Cantonese teahouse tradition.

• Curry Beef PuffSavoryA crisp pastry turnover filled with ground beef, onion, and potato in a mild yellow curry, a Hong Kong snack-shop favorite.
• Dan TatVegetarian · Popular pickHong Kong egg tart with a flaky or shortcrust shell holding a smooth, glossy yellow custard, best eaten warm.
• Wife CakeVegetarianLo po beng: a round, flaky pastry filled with chewy winter-melon paste and sesame, sweet and subtly perfumed.
• Coconut TartVegetarianA buttery shortcrust tart filled with moist, toasted shredded coconut bound in egg custard, golden-browned on top and chewy inside.
• Char Siu SouSavoryLayered pastry rectangles filled with diced barbecue pork, brushed with egg and sesame, savory and sweet.

Cakes & Sponges

Airy, lightly sweet cakes favored over heavy American frostings.

• Ma Lai GoVegetarian · Dairy-freeMalay-style steamed brown sugar sponge cake, damp and springy with a caramel-like flavor and open, bouncy crumb.
• Paper-Wrapped Sponge CakeVegetarian · Dairy-freeTall individual chiffon cakes baked in paper liners, eggy, springy, and lightly sweet, eaten with tea.
• Fresh Fruit Cream CakeVegetarian · Popular pickChiffon layers filled and frosted with whipped cream and topped with kiwi, strawberries, and mango; the classic Chinese bakery birthday cake.
• Mango Mousse CakeSponge base with a smooth, chilled mango mousse and a shimmering mango glaze, tropical and refreshing.
• Swiss RollVegetarianA rolled sponge with a thin spiral of whipped cream or butter cream in flavors like chocolate, coffee, or matcha.

Cookies & Snacks

Crisp cookies and fried sweets sold in bags or tins, often given as gifts.

• SachimaVegetarian · Dairy-freeFried strands of egg dough bound with syrup into soft, fluffy bars, sweet and slightly crunchy.
• Butterfly PastryVegetarianHong Kong-style palmier made from caramelized puff pastry folded into butterfly wings, crisp and toffee-like.
• Dan GyunVegetarianEgg roll cookies: thin, crisp rolled wafers made from egg batter, light and sweet, sold in tins around the holidays.
• Almond CookieContains nutsA crumbly, round cookie made with almond flour and lard or butter, pressed with a whole almond in the center.
• Hap Tou SouContains nutsWalnut cookie with a cracked, sandy surface, toasted walnut pieces, and a rich, short crumb that crumbles at first bite.
• Jin DeuiVegetarian · Dairy-freeSesame balls of glutinous rice dough filled with red bean or lotus paste, fried until hollow and crisp, chewy inside.

Festival Specialties

Treats tied to the lunar calendar, most available only in the weeks before each holiday.

• ZongziSavory · SeasonalPyramid-shaped sticky rice parcels wrapped in bamboo leaves with pork belly, salted egg, and mung bean for the Dragon Boat Festival.
• Lotus Seed MooncakeVegetarian · SeasonalDense, glossy-crusted mooncake filled with smooth lotus seed paste and one or two salted duck egg yolks for Mid-Autumn Festival.
• Five-Kernel MooncakeContains nuts · SeasonalA traditional mooncake packed with walnuts, almonds, sesame, melon seeds, and candied fruit, crunchy, chewy, and sweet-salty in every bite.
• Snow Skin MooncakeVegetarian · SeasonalAn unbaked mooncake with a soft, chilled glutinous-rice skin, filled with custard, durian, or mung bean.
• Nian GaoVegan · Dairy-freeA sticky, sweet glutinous rice cake made with brown sugar for Lunar New Year, often sliced and pan-fried with egg.

Soups

Daily soups served by the cup or bowl, often with a slice of bread on the side.

• French onion soupSavoryDeeply caramelized onions in beef broth, topped with a toasted crouton and a blistered cap of melted Gruyère.
• Lentil vegetable soupVegan · Gluten-freeHearty soup of brown lentils, carrots, celery and tomato with cumin and thyme; earthy and filling.
• New England clam chowderSavoryCreamy chowder with clams, potatoes, onion and a touch of bacon, thick enough to coat a spoon.
• Tomato basil bisqueVegetarian · Gluten-freeSmooth, creamy tomato soup brightened with fresh basil; a natural partner for a grilled cheese or a hunk of baguette.
• Broccoli cheddar soupVegetarianThick, velvety soup of tender broccoli florets in a sharp cheddar base, often served in a sourdough bread bowl.
• Chicken noodle soupSavoryClear, savory broth with shredded chicken, wide egg noodles, carrots, celery and fresh parsley; homestyle, warming and gently seasoned.

Drinks

• Thai iced teaVegetarianSpiced, bright-orange black tea sweetened with condensed milk and finished with a float of evaporated milk over crushed ice.
• Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá)VegetarianDark-roast coffee dripped through a phin filter onto sweetened condensed milk, stirred and poured over ice; potent, chocolatey, and syrupy-sweet.
• Brown sugar boba milkVegetarianFresh milk streaked with caramelized brown sugar syrup and warm tapioca pearls, creating tiger-stripe patterns; no tea, just toffee-like sweetness.
• Passion fruit green teaVeganJasmine green tea shaken with tart passion fruit pulp and served over ice, sometimes with seeds or lychee jelly for texture.
• Matcha latteVegetarianStone-ground Japanese green tea whisked and poured into hot or iced milk; grassy, slightly bitter, and vivid green with a creamy finish.
• Hong Kong-style milk teaVegetarianRobust black tea blend strained through a cloth 'silk stocking' and mixed with evaporated milk for a smooth, strong, tannic cup.