Golden Steamer

"Golden Steamer has been a staple in Manhattan’s Chinatown since 2009. The bakery, a one-room operation on Mott Street, is popular in the area (and online) for its fluffy steamed buns filled with a variety of meats and custards, including barbecued pork, Chinese sausage, red bean, pumpkin, and salted egg yolk. A second location appeared not long ago around the corner at 210 Grand Street." - Robert Sietsema

"This little bakery on Mott Street serves plenty of bun varieties, from pork to egg yolk, but they’re most famous for the one filled with pumpkin custard. They always come out piping hot, and after eating one, you’ll want Golden Steamer to become a tutor for every place and product that's part of the Pumpkin Spice Industrial Complex." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman

"Start your day at Golden Steamer on Mott Street. Open at 7am daily, this little Chinese bakery is a great place to pop in for a quick grab-and-go steamed bun that’ll cost you less than $2. Try the one filled with pumpkin custard first, then go for the steamed pork and salted egg yolk varieties. If you develop strong feelings, grab one of the bulk packages to take with you." - bryan kim

"Before bed every night, we pray for a certain person to show up outside of our window with a duffel bag full of steamed pumpkin buns. Is that person Lenny Kravitz? Yes. Yes it is. While we wait for our Pumpkin Bun Lenny, you can take matters into your own hands and stop by this classic bakery on 8th Avenue in Sunset Park for takeout any day of the week." - hannah albertine, bryan kim

"Golden Steamer can’t be beat as a prelude or aftermath to a shopping trip to the streetside markets now open in Chinatown. Selling baked or steamed stuffed bao in their myriad variations, including ones bulging with hot dogs, choy sum, and chicken, the place billows with steam as you collect a meal from racks and cabinets. And the price remains as inexpensive as a meal gets." - Robert Sietsema, Eater Staff