For Those Unfamiliar with the Pleasure of Chinese Pastry

Chinese Pastries 

As a follow-up to the Chinese New Year post (oh and happy Tibetan New Year today!) I thought I'd share some items from the new Chinese pastry shop in Teale Square in Somerville. Queen's Cafe is definitely still trying to figure out its niche in this Tufts student/working class neighborhood, but I love going in to see what surprises lurk within. The owner, Jean, always has wonderful, fresh Chinese pastry which she purchases in Chinatown each morning and then sells in the shop. In the photo, on the lower shelf on the far right in a little pie shape are the egg tarts, which are basically custard in a flaky pie shell. Yummy! The middle pastry (looks like a dinner roll) is filled with a custard. Another common filling is a sweet red bean paste that is really good once you get past the idea of eating sweet red beans. In addition, the store sells bubble teas and juices and some pretty interesting meal options like soup or rice dishes that look good. I always mean to try those but I get sidetracked by the pastry.

As a side note, I'm sharing these photos as an altruistic educational endeavor, because an absolutely SHOCKING number of my friends and family have never even HEARD of Chinese pastry. I know, I know, I guess they all live in caves somewhere and have been cut off from the joys of sesame balls and red bean paste. Poor things.

Anyway, Jean also offers the jello you see in the photo below which she proudly says she makes herself -- a heartwarming touch especially for me, jello devotee that I am. Notice to the right a tiny corner of a lovely birthday cake that you'll often see in Chinatown. Chinese cakes like this are beautiful to look at and also delicious -- not radically different from our birthday cake but a little bit spongier in consistency.


I love jello 

This last food picture (if you can read around the reflection) would win some contests on scariest food combination. I'd like to say, hey, don't knock it til you've tried it because it is delicious, but, well, that would be a lie since I haven't tried it. Too scary. Even I have my limits. Yikes! So yes, I may foist an egg tart on you in my dessert proselytization project if you come and visit my neighborhood, but you should be safe from any scary milkshakes.


Banana Tomato With Milk Juice