Here's how a roasted pork bun is made.
It's one of the many treats you can find
at a Chinese bakery.
New York City has dozens,
if not hundreds, of Chinese bakeries.
But the most legendary one is this place:
Fay Da Bakery.
Fay Da bakery has been around since 1991.
Today, one store can sell 2,000 buns per day
and up to 200 birthday cakes each week.
Chinese bakeries are some of the best cheap eats
in New York City.
And Fay Da is no exception.
This whole tray of breads and pastries costs about $10.
James Chou: Chinese bakeries, we're all about the soft buns
rather than your typical French or Italian.
As well as all the different kind of fillings,
like red bean, you know, roast-pork bun, egg custards.
So, it's just a very different kind of bakery
compared to a French or Italian bakery.
Narrator: One of the most popular breads
Fay Da makes is the roasted pork bun.
Chou: Everything's made from scratch,
from the sauce, you know, to roasting the pork itself.
Once the actual char siu, roast pork,
is made, it's loaded into our hopper
and then basically feeds the dough.
Our machines automatically fill the buns in,
kind of rolls it, and then it cuts it.
Places on each sheet.
And then pops it in the oven.
Shirley Cheng: So, the pork is cooked so well
that it almost melts in your mouth.
It's like a meal packed inside a bun.
Chou: Customers come for the fresh bread.
They know that we bake it every single day.
We for sure bake everything the day of.
You know, they come for breakfast, and then you have people
always come later in the afternoon to get birthday cakes,
even quick snack.
And not only does it taste good,
but it's very reasonably priced.
Narrator: But for many customers,
Fay Da isn't just a place to get a quick, inexpensive snack,
but a daily ritual.
Customer: I've been coming here, like, six, seven years!
Every day I really try to stop by to get the fresh coffee.
Narrator: Fay Da was so popular
that the founder opened a second store
just nine months after he opened the first one.
Today, Fay Da has grown to 13 locations,
12 in New York City and one in Connecticut.
But the recipes remain the same as the ones used
when it first opened in 1991.
Narrator: And, if you're looking to get that quintessential
Chinese bakery treat, look no further
than the pineapple bun.
Flour, sugar, milk,
salt, eggs, and lard
are mixed together to make the bread's topping.
After the dough is proofed to the right size,
each topping is sliced and flattened onto each bread.
Then, the buns are finished with an egg wash
before being put into the oven.
You may have noticed there are no pineapples in this recipe.
The name pineapple bun comes from its appearance,
which resembles, you've guessed it, a pineapple.
Cheng: So, it's a really simple bread
'cause it's flour and sugar on top of a soft bun.
And it just gives it a little bit of a crispy, flaky flavor.
And, like, definitely try the ones with red bean
or custard inside them,
'cause that's, like, an extra dimension of flavor.
Unsurprisingly, the classics
are still the most popular breads sold.
But don't let that stop you from trying other favorites,
such as the sesame ball, pork floss bun,
and the matcha cheesecake.
With its large selection of fresh, inexpensive breads,
one can't help but pop into one of Fay Da's many stores
for a quick bite.