Mei Lai Wah Bakery: A Must-Visit for Delightful Dim Sum and Bakeries in New York

The pineapple pork buns at Mei Lai Wah are definitely the most iconic thing on the menu. The bun has a slightly crispy top with that sweet pineapple-style crumb coating, while the inside is soft and filled with a really, really good pork filling. The texture contrast is amazing crispy on the outside and warm and fluffy inside. They’re also very affordable, around $3 each, which makes them an easy and delicious snack. When you walk in, the service is pretty fast. There isn’t really seating inside, there’s just a small counter where a few people can stand and eat, but the place is usually very crowded. Most people end up eating outside because it’s always full. Still, the line moves quickly and you get your food pretty fast, which is great if you’re looking for something tasty, quick, and cheap in Chinatown.

I came in just before the were closing, and they only had pork buns left, so I got two of them. I take it as a good sign when they run out of food. This place is just pickup and to-go, no inside seating. The staff was friendly and pleasant. The pork bun was alright, a bit too fatty for my preference, but the bread was sweet and fluffy. I'd love to come back and try other things on their menu.

4-Star Google Review: Stopped by Mei Lai Wah Bakery while in New York and had a really good experience. I ordered the baked pork bun and it was delicious—soft, fresh, and full of flavor. Service was fast and the staff kept the line moving quickly. A great spot to grab a quick, tasty bite if you’re in the area. Would definitely stop by again.

​I really enjoyed the Baked Roasted Pork Bun here. The bun had a delightfully flaky and slightly sweet crust, giving it a wonderful texture contrast, striking a perfect balance of flavor. ​However, if I had to choose, I still prefer the Traditional Steamed Roasted Pork Bun. While the baked one was excellent, the classic steamed version—with its pillowy soft texture and equally juicy and savory filling—remains my personal favorite. The service was super fast. I was impressed by how quickly the food was prepared and delivered. ​The restaurant has a very efficient system, especially for card users. They offer a kiosk order option specifically for credit card payments, which made the whole process incredibly smooth and quick.

The legendary “pineapple” bbq pork bun lives up to its reputationGlad that we came early while there’s no line but it’s a treat that’s worth the wait. The bun has perfect crust, generous tasty juicy filling in a thin sweet bun roll. And the size is decently large. Also highly recommend the “Big” special bun. It’s basically a meal in large steam bun with tons of filling with pork, chicken, Veggies, Chinese sausage, even eggs. Very very tasty and a real low cost and quick power-up as a refill for touring NYC and Chinatown and nearby areas. We did not sit down and just inhaled the buns next to the shop and moved onto the next destination Overall a great visit for the bun. Totally worth the trip

We had to try the famous baked pork bun here, we had just walked the Brooklyn bridge and Chinatown is close by on the Manhattan side. There was a ton of people inside the little store, we ordered on one of the tablets they had set up, it was easy to use. And then we were surprised at how fast the order was ready! The bun itself is delicious, filled with a sweet pork mixture. I would definitely recommend!

I was here with my buddy today and we stopped in for a quick bite. This is one of the best roast pork buns and shumai I ever had. Interestingly the fusion Chinese food I had in Peru might still be my favorite but this was great. The roast pork was tender and sweet, and the bun was nice and soft. I would have easily devoured another one but we still had other places to try. The shumai was packed with flavor and I enjoyed those just as much. They’re very busy as they should be, but the line moved fast. Within 2 minutes my order was taken and I got the food very fast. The roast pork bun was $2.50 and shumai was $6.50. The menu online shows $3 and $7.50 so the prices must have recently gone down or the menu is just wrong. I would definitely come back here and try the pineapple pork bun.

Got the popular pineapple pork bun, and a steamed pork bun to compare. I'll be honest, I like sweet things, but wow the pineapple bun was verrrrry sweet. The pork filling inside is already sweet, so adding sweet bread on top of that pushed it a bit over my threshold for sugar content. That being said, for the same reason, the steamed bun was excellent! It wasn't too sweet on its own, which helped highlight the sweet and savory pork without making the whole thing too cloying. Of course, the steamed bun was softer and squishier, while the roast one was crispier and chewier. Both were awesome texturally, it just comes down to personal preference. The pork filling on its own was also delicious: sweet, savory, rich, and tender! Would definitely recommend this place, the buns are awesome for the price! I preferred the steamed bun over the pineapple one, but if you like things ultra sweet then maybe go pineapple. Next time I'll try the regular baked pork bun too!